Aranui has recently announced that inventor and historian Maurice Bligh will sail on the November 7, 2017 voyage of the Aranui 5, telling of the travels of his great-great-grandfather, Vice-Admiral William Bligh of the HMS Bounty, to fellow travelers on board.
Maurice Bligh is known for his more than 45 years of research about his legendary ancestor and his talks about William Bligh. His great-great-grandfather has been, according to Bligh, inaccurately portrayed and depicted in several novels and two Mutiny on the Bounty movies. “Captain Bligh,” as Maurice calls him, was a British National Hero, who was a leader in navigation of the Pacific Ocean as well as exploration of Tahiti, according to his great-great-grandson.
On board the Aranui 5, Bligh will host Secrets of the Bounty, a series of four illustrated lectures where guests will have the opportunity to learn more about Bligh’s naval career as well as other British expeditions during the 1700s. Bligh will also share personal experiences from his visits to the region, including his 1970 voyage that closely followed the route of the Bounty and sailed 36,000 nautical miles.
When not at the lectures, guests of the Aranui 5 will have the opportunity to interact with the ships primarily Polynesian crew, composed of sailors from the Marquesas and Tahitian Islands. Guests on board the ship are encouraged to create friendships and get to know the ship’s crew for a more authentic experience and to learn more about the islands and local heritage.
For more information, call 800-972-7268 or visit www.aranui.com.