In a unique experiment we will challenge 21st century men to re-live one of the greatest feats of maritime adventure and endurance in naval history. After the legendary Mutiny on the Bounty of 1789, Captain William Bligh and his loyal crewmen were cast adrift in the Pacific Ocean and left for dead. In a remarkable act of seamanship Bligh led his crew to safety across 4000 miles of ocean from Tonga to Timor.
Now, 9 men are setting out on the same gruelling journey in a replica 23ft open wooden boat, with similar equipment and the same rations of food and water that Bligh’s men had. They’ll use the 225-year-old diary kept by Bligh during the voyage as a survival handbook, to help them uncover the secrets of the seas in such unpredictable, often, brutal environments. Like Bligh’s crew they will face sudden storms, treacherous reefs and the challenge of landing on isolated tropical islands to hunt for vital supplies.
Anthony Middleton, of SAS: Who Dares Wins is assuming the role of Captain Bligh and will lead the expedition. His crew is made up of sailors and complete novices – the ship’s carpenter is an odd job man and the ship’s surgeon a GP. As the voyage progresses the crew will be constantly challenged by raging seas, starvation rations, and the confined space of the boat. Will Ant be able to keep his men in check and lead them to safety? Or will he have to contend with a mutiny of his own?
Cast adrift in the Pacific Ocean, nine men are setting out to recreate one of the greatest survival feats of all time: the 4000 mile journey of Captain Bligh in a tiny wooden boat after the legendary mutiny on the Bounty. Anthony Middleton, of SAS: Who Dares Wins is stepping into Captain Bligh's shoes as leader of the expedition, joined by eight other men including a carpenter, a doctor, and several specialist sailors. Like Bligh's men they battle brutal storms and treacherous reefs, braving the furnace of northern Australia's shark infested waters, and the challenge of landing on remote tropical islands to hunt for vital supplies. There's an old nautical saying: 'When ships were made of wood, men were made of steel' but can today's men match up to the extraordinary achievements of their predecessors?
In episode two the men set out to explore a tropical island where they hunt for vital food and water with the help of a remote local tribe. As they prepare to set sail on the next and toughest leg of their voyage so far, pressures of hunger and the intensity of life on such a small boat start set in...a mutiny threatens to break out on the boat.
In episode three tensions rise as the eight remaining men leave their paradise island to face the most challenging leg of the journey so far: a 1600-mile passage through the treacherous Coral Sea. Trapped together on a tiny boat, with no wind and with rotting food and a nasty case of cabin fever, will their hunger and frustration end in a mutiny?
The remaining crew members face their biggest challenge yet: finding a way through the Great Barrier Reef. If they get it wrong, this vast wall of coral could rip out the bottom of their tiny wooden boat. After two weeks with no sight of land, Restoration Island comes as a welcome relief, until Ant has an accident. As their adventure continues, the men deal with sharks, crocodiles and giant centipedes, but there's nothing more dangerous than Australia's searing heat.
In the final episode, the crew load up their barrels and kit bags for the last time and set off in the blistering heat of northern Australia to make the 1200-mile voyage to Timor. But the final leg of the journey isn't plain sailing; they are once again at the mercy of the weather, and when the winds slow so too does their progress. The men face their most desperate challenge yet: life-threatening dehydration, as the finish line appears to be exasperatingly out of reach... Will they all make it to Captain Bligh's final destination?
| Executive Producers | David Dugan , Ian Duncan |
| Series Editor | Sophie Todd |
| Series Producer | Steven Handley |
| DOP | John Livesey |
| Line Producers | Diana Focke , Zoe Glover |
| Shooting Producer/Directors | Dan Etheridge , Sam Brown , Johnny Shipley |