There’s a little (no pun intended) secret about the 1/3 scale 16th century Spanish galleon replica that tours Big bear Lake: it was the tiny ship used in the Terry Gilliam film Time Bandits, which featured a cast of men of diminutive size.
During this latest (and, so far this year’s only) storm which brought snow to the San Bernardino Mountains and caused some people to get all wound up and and start calling it a ‘class 1 hurricane’ the Time Bandit ship was sunk. Maybe it was the high winds, the rain, or the snow. At this point, the only thing known is that the 27-ton ship is sitting on the bottom of Davy Jone’s locker. Okay, Big Bear Lake can’t really qualify as his locker … maybe it’s more like Davy Jone’s Smallish Cupboard.
What saddens and ol’ sea dog like myself (okay, ‘lake dog’ … okay, ‘guy who likes drinking on boats’) is that this is the only boat on Big Bear Lake with a liquor license.
Yarr. ’tis a tragedy.
Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow famously asked in the Disney film Pirates of the Caribbean – Curse of the Black Pearl “why is the rum gone?” Well … now ya know.
Owner and operator Loren Hafen said that the weather took the ship down, even though it had been winterized before the storm hit. He says he’ll find out what the damage is. He hopes to refurbish the 43′ craft in time for the Holloway Marina’s 100th Anniversary.
You can read more about the ship HERE.