Community Corner

'We Chase Hurricanes,' Said Captain Before Bounty Sank

Several weeks before the tall ship sank in Hurricane Sandy, the captain talked about getting 'a good ride out of a hurricane.'

The sinking of the HMS Bounty in Hurricane Sandy, in October 2012, is the subject of a new CNN interactive article that recounts its final voyage.

Capt. Robin Walbridge of St. Petersburg and one crew member perished when the ship went down Oct. 29, 2012, during a journey from Connecticut to St. Petersburg, Florida.

The CNN article is a narrative of events leading up to the ship's sinking. It also points to this YouTube video interview with Walbridge, made several weeks before the HMS Bounty, a tall wooden ship, set course for St. Petersburg.

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In the video, Walbridge says: "We chase hurricanes." (See YouTube video at 10:40.)

The article, by Thom Patterson, asks: "Did the crew mistakenly put its trust in the hands of a risk-taking captain?" The findings from the federal query have yet to be released. But there has been extensive coverage of the square-rigged ship, which had been scheduled to anchor at the city Pier for tours.

Find out what's happening in Pinellas Beachesfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The tragedy prompted a federal investigation by the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board. The findings have yet to be released.

Additional coverage

Mayor Foster Remembers the Bounty

Life and Death on the HMS Bounty

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