From the First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy.

Transcript of letter from the First Sea Lord of The Royal Navy

Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope KCB OBE ADC

Ministry of Defence London.

CNS/1/2/6

Mr Don McIntyre

Talisker Bounty Boat

29 April 2010

Dear Mr McIntyre,

I wanted to write in support of your remarkable venture to re-create William Bligh’s epic 4,000 mile open-boat voyage, after he and 18 of his ship’s company were cast adrift following the mutiny in Her Majesty’s Armed Vessel BOUNTY. I have no doubt that what lies ahead will test you and your team – not just your navigation and boat handling skills, but your mental and physical stamina and, occasionally, your sense of humour. Much has changed in the last 220 years, but the challenges of mastering the seas remain the same.

Your voyage, under the conditions which Bligh and his crew endured in 1789, serves to remind us that determined men can achieve extraordinary things. It also serves to raise funds for, and awareness of, vital research into Motor Neurone Disease, a devastating condition for which there is presently no cure.

It will be obvious to everyone who follows the progress of your adventure that you and your intrepid crew have courage and ambition in equal measure. You deserve every success and my Navy Board colleagues join me in wishing you fair winds and following seas.

Yours sincerely,

Mark Stanhope