Coast Guard monitors tall ship in distress off North Carolina as Sandy moves toward East Coast

PORTSMOUTH, Va. - The U-S Coast Guard is monitoring a tall ship that's in distress off North Carolina's Outer Banks as hurricane Sandy swirls toward the East Coast.

The Coast Guard says in a news release this morning that it responded to the HMS Bounty about 145 kilometres southeast of Hatteras, N.C., after getting a call from the ship's owner saying she'd lost contact with the crew Sunday night.

Built in Nova Scotia for the 1962 movie “Mutiny on the Bounty” the 180-foot, three-masted ship the ship has 17 people aboard.

Coast Petty Officer 3rd Class David Weydert says a Coast Guard plane has since made contact with the ship which is taking on water and is without propulsion.

Weydert says that because of the weather, the Coast Guard is just monitoring the situation right now.