Pitcairn Island

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Day 17 - Pitcairn Island

Latitude: 25 degrees 3.59 minutes S
Longitude: 130 degrees 05.35 minutes W
Speed: 0 (At anchor)
Seas: Calm
Winds: Moderate breeze
Miles traveled from FLL: 5,906 nautical miles
Weather: Sunny, 78 degrees

Our ship’s time changed again last night—back one more hour (PST). We arrived at Pitcairn Island at about 8:00 this morning, where we are anchored out, and where we boarded all 45 local islanders to spend the morning with us on the ship. We are told that there are only 45 inhabitants, from nine families, on this island making it notable for being the least populated jurisdiction in the world! The Pitcairn Islands are a group of four islands in the southern Pacific Ocean that are the last remaining British overseas territory in the Pacific. Only Pitcairn Island is inhabited where there is a post office, church, jail, school, medical center, and graveyard. They do have a satellite station, where the island fax machine, telephone, and internet connection are maintained. These islands were uninhabited when they were discovered on July 3, 1767 by the crew of the British sloop HMS Swallow. Pitcairn Island was named after Robert Pitcairn, a fifteen-year-old crewmember who was the first to sight it. In 1790, the mutineers of HMS Bounty and their Tahitian companions, settled on Pitcairn and set fire to the Bounty. The wreck is still visible underwater in Bounty Bay. It was discovered in 1957 by National Geographic Explorer Luis Marden. If you have a chance, the tale of the HMS Bounty and its mutineers is an interesting one. The boys met and played with one of the six children that live on the island while they were aboard the ship today. His name is Ralph and he is 9 years old just like Matt! He told the boys that he likes to play his Playstation, chase goats, and hunt for rabbits with his Dad along with going to his school. We were thinking that there is no way they would have television there but they do! All of their power is by generator. Ralph also told us that many ships anchor out from their island, so they get to visit with lots of people from all around the world all of the time! The boys had a fun time playing with him for a few hours while his family was aboard the ship! They didn’t want him to leave—finally another boy to play with! At 11:00 the islanders headed back to Pitcairn and we pulled up the anchor and began sailing toward Bora Bora.

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