Tales of dark and stormy nights at sea will abound at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI) this week where Captain William (Bill) Pinkney is set to relate stories of his solo sail around the world and his role as captain of the Amistad reproduction.

The adventurer, author and lecturer spoke at the Hamilton Rotary Club's weekly luncheon yesterday and gave Rotarians a taste of the stories he will tell tonight and tomorrow night.

Capt. Pinkney was born and educated in Chicago and trained as an X-ray technician, but his passion for the ocean led him to join the US Navy for eight years before becoming a US Coast Guard Master on the Great Lakes. This ultimately led him to substitute fresh water for salt and undertake a solo voyage around the world through the southern route only.

He became the fourth American and first black man in history to accomplish the feat.

Capt. Pinkney also conceived and led the Middle Passage Voyage, a project which took US teachers and students out of their classrooms to sailing on the slave route to West Africa and South America.

While sailing around the world, Mr. Pinkney stopped in Bermuda after running into trouble soon after leaving Boston on his way to El Salvador, resulting from, and leading to, "dark and stormy nights!'' he said.

Since his return to the US, Capt. Pinkney was chosen to helm the 129-foot reproduction of the Amistad , which is set to go to sea on July 4.

The original Amistad took slaves from Sierra Leone to Cuba in the early 1800's. There they rebelled and tried to return to their home but ended up in the US instead. There a trial secured them their freedom.

The Amistad was built to commemorate the story and Capt. Pinkney will be charged with sailing the vessel to the West African nation in about four years.

Capt. Pinkney helped with the fund raising for the building of the Amistad as a trustee of the Mystic Seaport Museum, and was later a member of the board of directors through the construction phase and launch of the vessel.

However, he retired form the board last year to become captain of the vessel.

The 129 foot reproduction was launched on March 27 from Connecticut and its maiden voyage will be to New York Harbour for Operation Sail on July 4.

He said the goal of the Amistad America Foundation was to promote the notion "Cooperation and leadership means that man's inhumanities to man can be overcome''. Capt. Pinkney said: "It is our mission to make people cognizant, and this is done through ensuring the Amistad story is known to all.'' The modern day mission of the Amistad reproduction will be to travel the world promoting the preservation and in some places, introduction of human rights.

More than 25 million people around the world were subjected to slavery, be it physical, mental or economic slavery, said Capt. Pinkney. He added that the Amistad was already in great demand around the world, including a voyage to Hull in England -- the birthplace of abolitionist William Wilburforce -- in 2007 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in England.

Mr. Pinkney's lecture will take place at the BUEI today and tomorrow at 7 p.m.

Solo sailor: Captain William (Bill) Pinkney will be giving a talk entitled, Around the World and Beyond -- Little Passage and Amistad tonight and tomorrow night at the BUEI on East Broadway.