CNN is repoting that the Tall ship Bounty, Built in Lunenburg in 1960 as a replica of the HMS Bounty, is without power and Adrift 160NM East of the Eye of Hurricane Sandy. She is apparently taking on water.

winds on scene are reported to be 30 knots, seas 18ft. A USCG C-130 Aircraft is on Scene. There are also unconfirmed reports that Bounty has been Abandoned, and the crew of 17 have taken to life rafts.

Sugested Reading is Bounty’s Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/HMSBounty Scroll Down, and you will see a running log of their progress riding out the storm, including predictions of where they would be visavie the Sandy

Updates as More is known.

UPDATES:

STATEMENT ON BOUNTY’S FACEBOOK PAGE THIS MORNING
“We received a distress call for Bounty at 1830 Sunday evening that the Ship lost power and the pumps were unable to keep up with the dewatering. At that time we immediately contacted the USCG for assistance. A C130 was sent to there position approximately 90 miles SE of Cape Hatteras. At 0430 today the Captain ordered all hands to abandon ship. There are 17 Crew on board and at this moment all crew are accounted for and are in Life rafts.
The first USCG helicopter has reached the ship and is in the process of rescuing them.
Bounty is currently still floating upright and intact.
We will keep everyone informed as info becomes available”

FROM USCG: The Coast Guard has received word that the crew of the HMS Bounty has abandoned ship approximately 90 miles southeast of Hatteras N.C., Monday.
The 17 person crew donned cold water survival suits and lifejackets before launching in two 25-man lifeboats with canopies.
The Coast Guard continues to monitor the situation and assess the weather conditions to determine the soonest Coast Guard aircraft or surface assets can be on scene to conduct effective rescue operations.

UPDATE: as of 0850ADT 14/17 crew hoisted to Safety.

UPDATE: 0922ADT – Reports Are now that HMS Bounty has Sunk 

UPDATE:1019ADT – USCG Ship Sunk 0845 – 14 crew rescued, 2 missing
Update from NBC Station WITN-TV:
“The HMS Bounty, a 180-foot, three-mast tall ship, was last marked about 90 miles southeast of Hatteras.
The ship has sunk, according to the Coast Guard at 8:45 a.m. Monday.
Just before 8 a.m., the Facebook page for the HMS Bounty says 14 of the 16 people who had to abandon their ship have been hoisted to safety.
There have been conflicting reports on how many people were onboard. The manifest reportedly listed 16 people, and that’s the number the Coast Guard has.”

USCG Release:

Coast Guard rescues 14, continues searching for 2 from HMS Bounty

CORRECTION: It was previously reported to be a 17-person crew. The crew size is 16.

The Coast Guard rescued 14 people from life rafts in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 90 miles southeast of Hatteras N.C., Monday, and two people remain missing.
Watchstanders dispatched crews aboard two MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., to rescue the crew.
The first Jayhawk crew arrived on scene at approximately 6:30 a.m. and hoisted five people into the aircraft, and a second helicopter arrived and rescued nine people.
The 14 people are being flown to Air Station Elizabeth City where they will be met by awaiting emergency medical services personnel.
The C-130 Hercules aircraft remains on scene and is searching for the two missing crewmembers and a third Jayhawk crew is en route to assist search and rescue efforts.
The 16 people donned cold water survival suits and life jackets before launching in two 25-man lifeboats with canopies.
 
UPDATE 1040 ADT. VIA Chronicle Herald

Two people are missing and 14 are being airlifted to safety after hurricane Sandy forced the crew of HMS Bounty to abandon ship off the eastern coast of the United States this morning.
“We’re still searching for two more persons, as the manifest outlined 16,” Petty Officer 1st Cullen Rafferty said from the U.S. Coast Guard command centre in Portsmouth, Va.
“Once we get to the air station, we’re going to be able to get some more details from the survivors so we’ll know exactly who we’re looking for an in what manner they became missing.”
At 10:15 a.m., paramedics were at the air station in Elizabeth City, N.C. awaiting the arrival of the survivors to check them out. But none were complaining of any medical condition, Rafferty said.

Update:1118ADT – CH Has comments from Dan Moreland Captain, Picton Castle

Update 1307ADT – Speculation from former Crew in the GCaptain Forum 

Update: 1341ADT – Claudia McCann says her husband, Captain Robin Walbridge, is one of two crew members missing from HMS Bounty. Claudene Christian, who spoke with CBC earlier, confirms her daughter is the 2nd crew member missingy(Via twitter @CBCNS)

UPDATE 1445ADT – Discuussion of the Voyage at the Wooden Boat Forum, Covered the trip Prior to incident with posts about the voyage being Ballsy, and fine, as long as nothing goes wrong.

One of the Missing: https://www.facebook.com/n6tqs/photos#!/claudene.christian?fref=ts
ViA JackTar – A Crewmwnember Doug Faunt’s Facebook post: “”The ship sank beneath us, but we swam free and
mostly got into two rafts. I’m at the USCG station Elizabeth City NC. There
are two unaccounted for at present.”

UPDATE 1536
Addtional USCG Commentary:

The 14 people were flown to Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., where they were met by awaiting emergency medical services personnel at approximately 10:15 a.m. with no life threatening injuries.
Crews aboard a C-130 Hercules and an MH-60 Jayhawk are searching for the two missing crewmembers. Crews aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Elm and the Coast Guard Cutter Gallatin are en route to assist with the search.
The vessel is reportedly sunk, but the mast is still visible.

Crews aboard a C-130 Hercules and an MH-60 Jayhawk are searching for the two missing crewmembers. Crews aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Elm and the Coast Guard Cutter Gallatin are en route to assist with the search
  

 Update 1830ADT gcaptin reports surviors and MissingThe following is a list of those who were rescued, and those who are still missing:
Rescued were:

Daniel Cleveland, 25
John Svendsen, 41
Matthew Sanders, 37
Adam Prokosh, 27
Douglas Faunt, 66
John Jones, 29
Drew Salapatek, 29
Joshua Scornavacchi, 25
Anna Sprague, 20
Mark Warner, 33
Christopher Barksdale, 56
Laura Groves, 28
Jessica Hewitt, 25
Jessica Black, 34
Missing are:

Robin Walbridge, 63
Claudene Christian, 42

From the CH:

The ship was “trying to steer clear” of Hurricane Sandy as it approached, Tracie Simonin, director of HMS Bounty Organization LLC said in a telephone interview from New York on Monday morning.

But the Bounty started to take on water, she said.

“One of our pumps was not working properly, we just could not dewater it fast enough — water, normal sewage water that a boat of this entity takes on — and once the pumps stopped working, the generator stopped working, they just could not keep up.”

Simonin contacted the coast guard. The rescue service in Portsmouth later received a distress signal from the Bounty and its emergency beacon indicated its location.

Update 1951ADT:
Claudene Christian has been found deceased. She is a direct descendant of Fletcher Christian the lead mutineer on the Bligh’s bounty

UPDATE: 2143ADT: conflicting reports that Claudene Christian is in serious condtion in Hospital, or dead. Unsure which is current.

 UPDATE 2145ADT She is confirmed to have died just before 2330ADT

This Post is Continued Here – With Updates from Oct 30th