PENNY KEALY
MARINER • EDUCATOR • BOUNTY CREW
A life of working, learning and sharing experiences and walking off the ship as family
LIFE AT SEA
Penny Kealy is a mariner and educator whose time aboard the 1978 Bounty spans several decades. Joining the ship in Vancouver in 1986, she sailed to Tahiti and worked aboard in a variety of roles, including deckhand, mate, bosun, sailor and musician.
Her experience aboard Bounty forms one part of a wider maritime career, alongside her work in education and the passing on of practical maritime knowledge.
“Some new friends become friends for life.”
PENNY KEALY
Reflections on life at sea
ABOARD THE BOUNTY
Many roles. One ship.
Penny Kealy joined Bounty in Vancouver in 1986, during a refit that prepared the ship for a new chapter. Spaces previously used as a film set and actors’ changing rooms were being converted into accommodation for guests.
The plans included adventure sailing holidays and a role in the First Fleet re-enactment. Penny sailed with Bounty to Tahiti, where the ship was used in the French production L’Île (The Island) and later filming in Moorea for the ABC Captain Cook miniseries.
Her arrival in Vancouver marked the beginning of her own chapter in Bounty’s story.
Follow the ship’s wider journey in The Great Voyage.
THE EDUCATOR
Passing on the knowledge
Alongside her life at sea, Penny Kealy has worked as an educator, bringing her maritime experience into the teaching of others.
Her years aboard Bounty gave her first hand experience of traditional sailing, seamanship and the practical responsibilities of working as part of a crew. These skills and experiences connect directly with her belief that traditional maritime knowledge should be passed on to future generations.
The Bounty represents an opportunity for others to learn by experiencing life aboard a sailing ship working together, developing practical skills and gaining a greater understanding of the navigators who came before them.
Photo taken of the Bounty ship in Oponuhu Bay.
Photographer: Jamie White
FROM MEMORY TO REVIVAL
A future for the Bounty
For Penny, restoring Bounty is about giving others the opportunity to experience life at sea as part of a working crew.
The ship offers a way to rediscover traditional maritime skills, learn the importance of navigation and gain a greater appreciation of the seafarers who came before us.
Penny’s connection to Bounty reaches beyond her own years aboard. She sees the ship’s future as an opportunity to pass these experiences on, keeping the knowledge, skills and spirit of traditional sailing alive for generations to come.