Saturday, September 01, 2007

An Act Of Piracy

So, Who’s Going To Walk The Plank, Then?

A ship touring the UK and being promoted as the Black Pearl from the Pirates of the Caribbean films has been exposed as phoney - by a 12-year-old. Thousands of people paid to clamber aboard the HMS Bounty, advertised as star Johnny Depp's sinister ship. But when Ross Winstanley and his mother Julie visited the vessel in Torquay, Devon, he realised the deck and cabins were not the same as those on the Black Pearl, so he confronted the crew. Tour organisers admitted the Bounty only appeared briefly in the films - as the Edinburgh Trader. It was made for the 1960 film version of the famous 1789 mutiny.

FOOTNOTE: Sounds like a bad case of cabin fever.

11 comments:

Victorya said...

No Emperor's New Clothes joke?

It's always the kids that know truth from fiction best, no?

Shrink Wrapped Scream said...

Yup, always can count on the kids to see straight through the nonsense.. smile.

Easybreathingfella said...

G'day David,

What's that saying "you can fool some of the prople etc"

But if anyone is going to catch you out you can bet your bottom dollar it'ii be a Kid.

Clever little so and so's

Regards

Keith.

Anonymous said...

I can't apologize enough for this misrepresentation. The Bounty Organization has tried to stop this story since the first article appeared in Cumbria on 12/2/06. It is a freight train that has lost it's brakes as far as I can see. After almost 8 months,of trying to correct every story I have ever read, I have been notified that my Agent in the UK has fueled this misrepresentation. I was appalled when a reporter sent me a copy of a press release that was sent out in Torquay misrepresenting the ship as the Black Pearl. The Bounty Organization has never stated this fact nor have we asked anyone else to state this. If you check out our website,you will not see any mention of the Black Pearl because we were the Edinbirgh Trader, a merchant ship and proud of it. Bounty has such a unique story of her own that she doesn't need to be anything but what she is. I am sorry that my agent didn't think think that was enough for people to come out and see Bounty, but it is! Bounty is embarking on a World Tour, culminating in Tahiti 2008. Along the way, we have decided to help the Cutty Sark with her Conservation Appeal. It is a pity that this is not being reported since I think this is the real story. Bounty doing a curcumnavigation and helping a British treasure.It's time the Black Pearl ends and the Bounty gets noticed for who she is and what she is doing. I have taken action to make sure that this does not happen again. My apologies to all of the children and adults who came down to see Bounty under false pretenses. I hope you took something other than that away with you after you left the ship. She is a beautiful sail training ship with so much history. You have walked the decks where famous people before you have been!
Thank you.
Margaret Ramsey

eric1313 said...

I really love the story behind the mutiny on the Bounty. My friends all disagree with me rather voiciferously, but I could care less about the pirates of the Carribean movie. That is funny that somebody was trying to run a scam like that. Most people would not have know--but my friend Jessica would probably know, she's the most obsessed person I know when it comes to Johnny Depp and his role in those films.

david mcmahon said...

Hi Victorya,

You're so right about the kids being more perceptive than us!

Keep smiling

David

david mcmahon said...

Hi Carol,

Yes, kids work things out much quicker than we do.

Keep smiling

David

david mcmahon said...

G'day Keith,

Good on him and his attention to detail.

Keep smiling

David

david mcmahon said...

G'day Margaret,

Thank you for taking the trouble to set the record right with that comment.

May I suggest the best course of action?

As a career journlist, I would suggest sending media releases to the big UK papers, giving them your view of the whole fiasco.

I'm sure they will give you the time (and the column space) you certainly deserve.

Keep smiling

David

david mcmahon said...

G;day Eric,

Yes, the real story behind the mutiny is fascinating - and all the details about Fletcher Christian.

Say g'day to Jessica for me....

Keep smiling

David

FHB said...

These kids today.