Howard Stoler Orloff

Justifiable Mutiny Howard Stoler Orloff

Two absolute strangers, Andoni a young Spaniard and Howard an aging American join forces to cross the Atlantic on a 34-foot sloop. All they have in common is love of the sea. Language, customs, habits, traditions and ethics all influence the final understanding of what may be a request, an instruction or an order. Determining the difference between them depends on the context, the circumstances and who is on either end of the communications link. When is it correct for a crewmember to disobey an order from his Skipper? How far does the Captain's authority reach and who is ultimately responsible if blind obedience to an order that is poorly phrased, incomplete or just plain wrong were to place the ship in danger? The mutiny aboard the USS Caine is fiction but what happened aboard HMS Bounty is sadly true. How this ocean passage began, what occurred during the 46 days at sea and how it ends makes for an interesting tale.