The Eyemouth International Sailing Craft Association

Friday 30th April 2010

 EISCA Boat Show Display 

New for 2010, Beale Park is delighted to welcome The Eyemouth International Sailing Craft Association (EISCA) to the show.

They join us from Eyemouth in Scotland, with elements of the 'Eyemouth Maritime Centre's opening exhibition; 'Bligh's Voyage across the South Seas', with a centrepiece which is a replica of 'The Bounty's Launch'.

She was made in New Zealand by C. Watson, father and his two sons of Whangarei in 1978, from the original line drawings held in the Admiralty archive to the designs of John Samuel White.   In 1787 William Bligh purchased, with agreement from the Admiralty, a launch from the new workshop that White had just opened at Cowes on the Isle of Wight, having recently moved across from Gosport.

En route to await sailing orders from the Admiralty in September 1787, 'HMAV Bounty' was hit by severe storms in the English Channel and the mountainous seas smashed two of the ship's boats held on deck. On arrival at Spithead, Hampshire, Bligh found himself in need of replacements before commencing his journey to Tahiti to collect bread fruit for the West India plantations. As it happened, due to delays brought about by the Admiralty not issuing orders until the 23^rd December in that year, Bligh had 3 months to seek the alternatives while provisioning his ship for their now notorious voyage.

At first the Admiralty refused to replace the boats from outside their own stock, but when Bligh put in for a third due to the fact that the boat had rotted through, he was finally granted permission. It was for this reason that 'The Bounty's Launch' was a more robust craft than would normally be specified for an 87 foot long requisitioned East Coast collier formally known as Bethia.

Unquestionably, it was Bligh's good fortune to be able to acquire such a sound vessel which would ultimately save his and his 18 faithful crewmen's lives on their 4200 mile, 42 day open boat voyage across the Pacific after the mutiny on board 'HMAV Bounty' on the 28^th April 1789.

In addition to 'The Bounty's Launch' EISCA will have on display other craft and memorabilia that Bligh and his crew would have seen from the Pacific areas they travelled through, including items from the Anthony Hopkins and Mel Gibson 1983 movie 'Bounty'.

For more information on EISCA and the Eyemouth Maritime Centre please visit; www.worldofboats.org.

The 'Eyemouth International Sailing Craft Association' has in its care a collection of nigh on 400 boats and 300 plus models originating from all corners of the globe. At its core is the former Exeter Maritime Museum collection of ethnic and other interesting craft of international historic worldwide significance.