Adventurers Follow Captain Bligh Into The Unknown

Here's an interesting adventure for you.

Yesterday, four men set off on what will no doubt be a harrowing sea voyage, as they attempt to recreate the famous open sea journey of Captain Bligh, and his loyal crew, after they were set adrift following the Mutiny on the Bounty. That famous event took place exactly 221 years ago on April 28th. Fletcher Christian, and his merry band of mutineers took the Bounty from her captain, and put him, and 18 others, in a 23-foot long open boat. Over the subsequent seven weeks, Bligh and his men managed to navigate from Tonga to Kupang in Timor, with very little food, water, or other supplies. The crew of this aquatic expedition hope to equal that task.

Dubbed the Talisker Bounty Boat Expedition, this voyage will mirror the historic one as closely as possible. For example, when skipper Don McIntyre and his three companions were dropped into the water yesterday, at the same spot, and at the same time as Bligh, they had just two weeks worth of water, very little food, and a complete lack of any luxury items, including charts to navigate by or even toilet paper. Over the next seven weeks, they hope to cross the same 4000 mile stretch of open water as the Bounty's crew, surviving in much the same fashion.

Joining McIntyre on the journey are Australian David Pryce, English sailor by way of Hong Kong David Wilkinson; and Chris Wilde, a young adventurer from the U.K. Together the four men not only hope to survive to complete this epic journey, they hope to raise more than $250,000 for the Sheffield Institute Foundation for Motor Neurone Disease, which is working on cures for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. The major sponsor for the expedition is Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky, which these guys will be wanting in short order I'd guess.

The crew is sending back dispatches to be posted as a blog on their website, and you can chart their progress there as well. This certainly is a novel idea for an adventure. Anyone up for reliving Shackleton's 15 months in the Antarctic? Anyone?