Skipper still missing

The 42-year-old woman, who died when the crew of HMS Bounty was forced to abandon ship in the eye of Hurricane Sandy, was descended from the man who lead the mutiny on the original ship in 1789.

The uprising against Lieutenant William Bligh on route to Tahiti was lead by his protégé Fletcher Christian, who was killed shortly after the mutiny on nearby Pitcairn Island in a dispute between the mutineers and the islanders.

And Claudene Christian, a rookie sailor, was his great-great-great-great-great granddaughter.

In August when the Bounty visited Nova Scotia for a festival, she told the local newspaper: ‘I was at the helm the first week and said, “Captain, are you sure you’re comfortable having a Christian at the helm?” I wasn’t sure if he got my joke.’

But was unresponsive when the 16-person crew was rescued from the liferaft on Monday and later pronounced dead in hospital.

The vessel’s skipper, Robin Walbridge, is still missing at sea. The US Coastguard believes the sea temperature is tolerable and it is continuing its search for Mr Walbridge.

One dead, one missing as Bounty sinks.

HMS Bounty abandoned in Hurricane Sandy.