Black Rock Sailed in 1845.......

[solost]

The Black Rock sailed in 1845. Richards story starts in 1867.
Why the difference?

[BadRobot64]

Maybe the black rock origionally set sail in '45. its maiden voyage... and then picked up Ricky in 67?

[solost]

Widmore bought the journal at auction, the auctioneer tells the story of the Black Rock. It sailed in 1845 and disappeard.

[BadRobot64]

so it could have been commandeered?

[MachThree]

I heard that its an inconsistency...

If the dynamite on the Black Rock is there because it was part of the Black Rock's cargo, then the show has a historical continuity problem because Dynamite wasn't invented until the 1860's.

[grizn0]

Chalk it up as another small detail error? I'm fine with that, nobody's perfect.

[BadRobot64]

it be what it be... i can live with the fact those dates are messed up...

[ukslim]

I think it can work:

- 1845: sails from England
- "goes dark", as they say in 24
- 1867: acquires dynamite, visits Tenerife, picks up Ricardo - still off the books
- washes up on the island

[BobBX542]

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't these long voyages take a really long time back in the day?? I know that 23 years is a stretch, but depending on different ports visited, and other "missions" taken on by the crew, it doesn't seem that hard to believe.

OR

This just popped into my head so if it doesn't make sense, let me know, what if during the time period we see when it picks up Richard, it's not under control of the actual Black Rock crew?? Perhaps they got ambushed by pirates or something, and took on the guise of the Black Rock crew. Might explain a few things, like why the proest clearly identified the guy buying Richard as Mr. Whitfield (or whatever) when he didn't need to so that the crew could cover their lies, why a proper English crew stopped to buy condemned men as slaves in the Canary islands, and why Mr. Whitfield was so quick to kill the slaves.

[Rebel 3:16]

I think it can work:

- 1845: sails from England
- "goes dark", as they say in 24
- 1867: acquires dynamite, visits Tenerife, picks up Ricardo - still off the books
- washes up on the island

Yep, I'd probably go with this, maybe add that the ship was 'stolen' between 45 and 67, not sure yet, but for now I'd rather think it adds up rather than an error by TPTB.

[E.S.B.]

Maybe the black rock origionally set sail in '45. its maiden voyage... and then picked up Ricky in 67?

Ricky!  LOL.  That's what I'm calling him from now on.   

[lostlady]

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't these long voyages take a really long time back in the day?? I know that 23 years is a stretch, but depending on different ports visited, and other "missions" taken on by the crew, it doesn't seem that hard to believe.

Boat was missing for 23 years??--23 being one of the numbers.....maybe the boat was 'lost' for awhile

[BobBX542]

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't these long voyages take a really long time back in the day?? I know that 23 years is a stretch, but depending on different ports visited, and other "missions" taken on by the crew, it doesn't seem that hard to believe.

Boat was missing for 23 years??--23 being one of the numbers.....maybe the boat was 'lost' for awhile

I swear I didn't even realize that when I wrote it.

[westy185]

England’s slave trade supposedly ended in 1807, so what the crew of the Black Rock was doing would not have been legally sanctioned by the English government, or probably by any other government. Even the United States' Civil War was long over and slavery in that country ended by 1867.

I don't know if any country in the new world, Africa, or Europe still allowed slavery in 1867, but I would guess that none sanctioned the enslavement of a previously free white man and his transportation in chains to the “new world.” (Did they still call it that in 1867?) The Canary Islands (off the coast of Africa, BTW, nowhere near the Pacific) was  probably a weak outpost of the rule of law and the Church where a priest could get away with selling a condemned prisoner to kidnappers.

Could the Black Rock have been sailing around for 23 years under the radar? I doubt that, too. It's probably just a writer error or an example of another "sideways" timeline or alternative timeline. I won't be surprised if it will be explained that Richard was brought to the Island as some kind of "course correction." Perhaps that is the real reason Widmore was so keen to have the first mate’s book. It may hold more answers to the nature of time travel and alternate dimensions than we realize.

[BobBX542]

England’s slave trade supposedly ended in 1807, so what the crew of the Black Rock was doing would not have been legally sanctioned by the English government, or probably by any other government. Even the United States' Civil War was long over and slavery in that country ended by 1867.

I don't know if any country in the new world, Africa, or Europe still allowed slavery in 1867, but I would guess that none sanctioned the enslavement of a previously free white man and his transportation in chains to the “new world.” (Did they still call it that in 1867?) The Canary Islands (off the coast of Africa, BTW, nowhere near the Pacific) was  probably a weak outpost of the rule of law and the Church where a priest could get away with selling a condemned prisoner to kidnappers.

Could the Black Rock have been sailing around for 23 years under the radar? I doubt that, too. It's probably just a writer error or an example of another "sideways" timeline or alternative timeline. I won't be surprised if it will be explained that Richard was brought to the Island as some kind of "course correction." Perhaps that is the real reason Widmore was so keen to have the first mate’s book. It may hold more answers to the nature of time travel and alternate dimensions than we realize.

Like I said, it had just popped into my head, so I hadn't really thought it out. I'm actually not in love with the idea of pirates taking the Black Rock, just thought it might help explain.