Pitcairn Island is arguably the most isolated inhabited spot on Earth. Yet despite tricky ocean currents, often lethal surf and sudden gales, the island’s standing as the home of the descendants of Fletcher Christian and his mutineer cohorts from H.M.S. Bounty has drawn thousands of ships to its shores. This maritime history of the island chronicles every ship that has called at Pitcairn from the time of the arrival of the mutineers in 1790 to December 2010. The ship’s log format lists the date of each call, the ship’s name and particulars, and brief reports of activities during the call, which often include matters of love, murder, survival, intrigue, shipwreck, romance, and much more. Since Pitcairn remains totally dependent on ships for its survival, this work offers the most thorough historical record of the island and its people.

Herbert Ford, founder and director of the Pitcairn Islands Study Center at Pacific Union College in California, is the author of 11 books and more than 100 magazine articles.

Herbert Ford
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 371
Bibliographic Info: 38 photos, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2012
pISBN: 978-0-7864-6604-7
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8822-3
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vi

Preface      1

Introduction      1

Pitcairn: Port of Call      7

Bibliography      323

The Hymns      328

Index      329

“extensively researched”—Ausmarine; “indispensable”—Nautical Research Journal; “extensively researched”—Work Boat World; “a delightful read…the second edition of this book…is a much more powerful research tool than the first edition”—The Nautilus; “[The first edition is] the most used reference book in my library. It is full of interesting facts, stories and recollections, which, together, build up a picture of Pitcairn all the way back to the day of its most famous caller, the Bounty, in 1790.”—David Ransom, editor, The UK Log, magazine of the Pitcairn Islands Study Group; “The previous edition of this work have been an invaluable tool for all those interested in the history of Pitcairn Island. It has been especially useful for philatelists, as it is the only source available to verify the veracity of postal history.”— Steve Pendleton, editor, Pitcairn Log; “This book is indispensable for anyone interested in the social and economic history of Pitcairn Island, the mutiny on H.M.S. Bounty, or maritime history in general. Its chronological account of the many ships that have called at Pitcairn for the past two centuries—liberally illustrated with photos of the vessels, the island and its inhabitants—is valuable not only for serious research, but as a source of delight for the armchair traveler.”—Donald A. Maxton, author of The Mutiny on H.M.S. Bounty: A Guide to Nonfiction, Fiction, Poetry, Films, Articles, and Music.