17 abandon distressed ship off N.C. coast

Jeff Haynes / AFP - Getty Images, file The HMS Bounty, a replica used in the Marlon Brando movie "Munity on the Bounty", is stuck at sea as Sandy approaches. Here it sails past the Chicago skyline in July 2003. By NBC News staff Seventeen people aboard a replica of the HMS Bounty abandoned ship early Monday while stranded at sea off the North Carolina coast, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a press release. "The 17 person crew donned cold water survival suits and life jackets before launching in two 25-man lifeboats with canopies," the Coast Guard said in a statement. The ship issued a distress signal late Sunday and was taking on water, the U.S. Coast Guard said. The owner of the 180-foot, three mast ship -- a replica of the HMS Bounty, which was made famous by a mutiny that took place in Tahiti in 1789 -- lost communication with the crew and alerted the Coast Guard to the situation. Story: Sandy strengthens as it bears down on eastern US  The Coast Guard then received a distress signal from the craft showing its position. It sent out an aircraft to speak with the crew, which reported that the vessel is taking on water and has no propulsion. The ship is surrounded by 18-foot seas and 40 mph winds as Hurricane Sandy moves through the area. BreakingNews.com's coverage of Sandy The boat was built for the 1962 Marlon Brando movie, "Mutiny on the Bounty". The Weather Channel's Mike Seidel reports that there will be two disastrous high tides and that certain stretches of coastline could be erased – resulting in what some officials are calling the "worst-case scenarios." Sandy could be the largest storm ever to hit the United States, according to NOAA's website. Tips on preparing for Sandy Hurricane Sandy strengthened overnight off the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States and is expected to bring a "life-threatening storm surge", the U.S. National Hurricane Center said early Monday. Maximum sustained winds of about 85 miles per hour were recorded 385 miles southeast of New York City, which forecasters warned could be hit by a wall of water up to 11 feet high. The storm was forecast to make landfall Monday night, likely in central or southern New Jersey. In anticipation of widespread damage and vast power outages, states of emergency were declared in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and the District of Columbia. More content from NBCNews.com: Navy commander sent home amid investigation Forecasters: Sandy 'one for the record books' Small earthquake rattles buildings in LA area N.C. residents aghast over toxic drinking water Florida teen accused of killing mom, boyfriend in bed Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook