Made famous by being the ‘home’ of the mutineers of HMS ‘Bounty”, this volcanic, rock crag juts out of the Pacific. Its inhabitants still bear many of the surnames of those early seamen and they come out to visiting ships to sell souvenirs, honey and trinkets, which they make to supplement their incomes.
We arrived at 8 a.m on the 19th and as we drifted in Bounty Bay, we could see their longboat leaving the small harbour and making its way towards us, through the long Pacific swell.
Coming alongside our break, they climbed the pilot ladder and began to unload their goodies.
Just part of their stores, a marlin tail juts out of the wrapping, fresh fish for us!
After going through our Security checks, they headed for our Lido deck, where stalls had been previously erected, with the names of each islander on them, ready for them to sell their wares, answer questions (and have their passports stamped, if they so wished).
Me, well this was to be my last visit to the island and I was afforded a special treat; to go onshore and explore! Once the longboat was empty we boarded via the pilot ladder and set off for shore.
5 minutes into the journey and a a scream from the engine, accompanied by clouds of steam and a little smoke, dead in the water, with a rocky coastline beckoning all too near, the coxswain delved into the engine compartment..
After some minutes of examination and opinions, he promptly dived off the boat and headed for shore….Er, does he know something we don’t? 🙄 He was in fact swimming to the jetty to get another boat, however those rocks were getting ominously close even with the anchor out and which wasn’t holding . To cut a long story short, a smaller boat appeared and picked us up, the comfort of the jetty beckoned and I touched dry land.
Our ‘dead’ boat still kaput…..
The Longboat house, where their boats are stored,
The small harbour
Piles of aggregate, in preparation for some road building. They get around on the ATVs
We walked up the steep incline from the boathouse towards the town however thankfully, we were taken to the top by an obliging islander. We would have been really shattered otherwise.
Nobody at home…the police were on the ship!
Next to the church and post office, the Bounty’s anchor, The ship having been deliberately burned and sunk, the remains lie near the harbour on the seabed.
Inside the 7th Day Adventist church
We wandered around in the oppressive heat, the road was concrete, however soon turned to soil tracks, leading in all directions. We found a cemetery…
At the entrance, beautifully written prose from the islanders, I was quite touched. (If you right click, you will have the option to open it in a larger photo.)
The cemetery held grave markers of the island’s families, many bearing surnames of the mutineers.
Thence onward to John Adam’s grave, the only known site of a Mutineer. In a lovely spot, under the shade of bamboo trees, it was well kept and obviously tended. His wife and daughter are buried with him.
Here we were picked up by Steve and we had the luxury of riding in a van, whilst he imparted his knowledge of the island. We visited the school and gave the children chocolates.
St. Paul’s pool at St. Paul’s point. Early (brave) islanders used to go down the cliff by rope, now there are steps….
Now a video of my travels……..
The recycling centre
and the collecting point. The glass is crushed and added to cement for roads. Plastic and other waste is sent off in the ship which calls to bring stores.
Pineapple picking
At the highest point
Time to go home, with a boat that works!
We had but 3 hours, however we packed a great deal into it. An unforgettable experience and one to remember!
Coming home…..
Dear Jonathan, What a treasure this is! A well deserved visit for you. We have been traveling (cruise on the Veendam) and I am still getting through your blog. This has to be one of your very best posts. So memorable. This was a treat to read and follow along.
Dear Captain Jonathan,
What a unique experience to be allowed to land on Pitcairn Island.
It’s great that you have made photos and a video so that the reader gets an idea of what kind of island the Bounty’s fleeing crew members have landed on and managed to hide.
Best regards,
Hans.
A quick note to say HELLO Jonathan. I just started watching your blogs—-and look forward to them each day. New and more interesting adventures await ahead—-this one was very enlightening. I knew nothing about Pitcairn. I’ll be watching‼️
Dear captain and 2K´s
Great thanks for your wonderful description of your Island tour.
During circumventing Pitcairn in 2014 with you we met accidentally Kari Boye from Oslo who married the Islander Brian Young in 1978 (17.th of May). Kari Boye Young is the author of a famous book about her experiences of living on the island for many years. You have probably met them all.
At the same time when we aboard the “Amsterdam” we met another famous Norwegian medical doctor Steinar Hoff who was visiting Kari. Steinar (whiteadmiral.com) has an incredible history of his sailing adventure (with the first sailing boat Red Admiral) with his wife Diana. They visited Kari during their worldwide sailing in 1986 and stayed 3 months on Pitcairn.
In addition Steinar and his family have experienced many ocean rowing adventures (crossing Atlantic) absolutely worthwhile to read.
Due to chemo cure for Gunvor we have to stay in Bergen this time. Good luck for landing in Rarotonga (our nr 9 experience in 2016) Pieter and Gunvor, Bergen Norway
I have been enjoying all your posts on this cruise. I was fortunate to have been on the 2013 and 2017 World Cruises with you as our Captain. And while I have enjoyed all you have posted, this was especially appreciated. I was a passenger when we stopped at Pitcairn, but of course had to stay on the ship. I enjoyed meeting the people who came on board to sell their goods. But I always looked off in the distance and wished I could step on that island to see what it is like. So, this post with commentary and pictures gave me that chance to experience it through your eyes. What a treat. I’m so delighted for you that you were able to visit the island and see its beauty. Thank you for sharing this wonderful experience.
Captain Jonathan, this post has been simply fantastic. To have been able to experience Pitcairn Island through your narrative and photos / video leaves me with such a sense of gratitude. I too was so moved by their “Of Sorrow and Apology” plaque – thank you so much for sharing that. May you continue to have calm seas and a wondrous voyage.
What a great story you have told and a memory for sure of your last visit. The photos were fantastic and provide a most vivid account of this island. How many people inhabit the island and how many children are in the school? How is their power generated? Do they often get a chance to leave the island? What kinds of things did they sell onboard the ship? I hope passengers purchased some of their goods and engaged them in good conversation. Once again thank you sharing the workd!