One of the world�s most famous tall ships, HMS Bounty, (the Black Pearl in the Pirates of the Caribbean films) will end a 3,800-mile transatlantic journey when she docks in Maryport, in Cumbria�s Western Lake District, next week.

The ship is due to arrive on August 14, for a four-day visit. HMS Bounty�s last visit to the UK was in 1963 as part of a world tour to promote Hollywood blockbuster Mutiny on the Bounty starring Marlon Brando.

Maryport�s privilege in arranging the homecoming and great British welcome has its roots in the history of a ship that tells one of the best naval stories of all time. HMS Bounty is an exact replica of the ship on which a mutiny against Captain Bligh was led, in 1789, by one of Maryport�s sons, Fletcher Christian, giving the port a huge part in maritime history.

Whilst the tale of the infamous Mutiny on the Bounty may not be familiar to the younger generation, the sight of its masts will be immediately recognisable, as the ship is otherwise known as The Black Pearl which features in all three of the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Youngsters are bound to be keen to be some of the first to walk the boards most recently paced by Johnny Depp, as Captain Jack Sparrow, giving Maryport a huge tourism opportunity.

This is boosted further by the fact that Fletcher Christian may well have been related to famous poet, William Wordsworth. He certainly studied at the same school, at the same time as the poet, though six years older and his brother, a lawyer, acted for William and his sister in a court case. Wordsworth�s birthplace lies just a few miles from Maryport, in Cockermouth.

The current HMS Bounty was built in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, in 1960, for the 1962 film, Mutiny on the Bounty, starring Marlon Brando. Other actors to have played Christian include Errol Flynn, Clark Gable and Mel Gibson. For this latest voyage, a Johnny Depp look-alike, with a full compliment of onboard Pirates, will take the wheel, providing huge photo opportunities as the ship enters the beautiful, unspoilt Maryport dock. ( www.tallshipbounty.org )

Maryport is also planning other activities for the time the Bounty/Black Pearl is in port (14 � 17 August) including a large dockside Continental market. Tourists can also view Fletcher Christian�s Sea Chest, in the Maryport Maritime Museum and visit the Fletcher Christian Tavern, Cockermouth, which has the story of the Bounty related on boards outside its doors.

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Photography of the HMS Bounty/Black Pearl is available on request.

For further information, please contact

Jane Hunt, Catapult PR Tel: 01253 595558 Email: jane@catapultpr.co.uk