CREW
The people who sailed aboard Bounty carried more than their belongings to sea. They brought experience, skills, friendships and stories shaped by life under sail.
This collection preserves the voices and recollections of those who knew Bounty, worked aboard her or shared in her voyages. Each account offers a personal perspective on the ship and the people who brought her story to life.
The collection grows as new stories are shared and verified.
MARIO RUEL — A LIFE AMONG TALL SHIPS
From a small farming village in Québec to a circumnavigation aboard the 1978 Bounty replica, Mario Ruel’s story follows a lifetime shaped by traditional sailing ships, seamanship and the people who keep their craft alive.
His journey began aboard Our Svanen and continued through the Great Lakes, the Caribbean, the Pacific and beyond. When he joined Bounty in Sydney in November 1986, he brought years of experience with him. The knowledge he gained and shared aboard Bounty became part of a much longer story of rigging, ship preservation and traditional maritime craftsmanship.
Mario’s account is more than a record of voyages. It explores the connections between ships, the accumulated knowledge of their crews, and the responsibility to pass that knowledge on.
His story is part of a growing record of the people whose lives and work have helped preserve the living traditions of Bounty.