9. The weather and heavy seas were the first enemy to overcome
The voyage of the Bounty‘s launch took place during the antipodean autumn, with its attendant storms and heavy rains. By the morning of the second day, the launch was in a full gale. The seas marched by in towering waves. When in the troughs between them the wind was blocked from the sail, and the waves threatened to swamp the boat. When on the crests, the winds threatened to capsize it when the sail caught them. Following seas entered the boat from astern. At the same time, heavy rains poured into the vessel. The men were obliged to bail constantly, ironically much of the water which threatened to sink them during sudden rain squalls were fresh water, of which they had little, but which they were obligated to throw over the side.
On several occasions some of the men followed the water over the side, to lighten the craft in particularly treacherous conditions. Bligh ordered most of the clothes, spare sails, and other items deemed superfluous cast into the sea to lighten the boat. Flooding threatened the supply of bread, their main foodstuff. The carpenter’s chest again was useful. Purcell remove all of his tools and put them at the bottom of the launch. One by one, bags of bread were removed from storage in the bow, passed hand-to-hand, and placed in the chest. The movement had to be timed to coincide with the breaking waves. Though some of the bread was damaged, most was saved. The damaged bread was retained, it being agreed that it was to be consumed first.