WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – A floating movie set that was used in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise will be docked in Wilmington and available for tours this weekend.

The tall ship HMS Bounty will arrive at Wilmington’s downtown Riverfront Park, near the corner of North Water and Princess streets, on Thursday, May 17 at 9 a.m., according to the Wilmington Harbor Enhancement Trust. The Wilmington Fire Department’s fireboat Atlantic VI is expected to meet the ship at the Memorial Bridge and escort it to the dock.

The HMS Bounty will be open to the public for tours from Friday through Sunday, starting at 11 a.m. and ending at 6 p.m. daily. The tours will cost $10 for adults, $5 for children over 7, and will be free for children 7 and under. Souvenirs will be available for purchase.

The 180-foot long replica of the famous 18th century ship was built in the early 1960s as a movie set for Mutiny on the Bounty, featuring Marlon Brando. It has also been used for filming in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.

NEW HANOVER CO., NC (WECT) - If you've ever wanted to be involved in county government, here's your chance.  Several boards and committees have open seats, and the county commissioners are now accepting applications.

Below is a list of current vacancies:

• Airlie Gardens Foundation Board of Directors
• Cape Fear Community College Board of Trustees
• Cape Fear Museum Advisory Committee
• Cape Fear Public Utility Authority - Elected Officials
• NHC ABC Board
• NHC Adult Care Home Community Advisory Committee
• NHC Airport Authority
• NHC Board of Health – Category Pharmacist
• NHC Cooperative Extension Advisory Council
• NHC Library Advisory Board
• NHC Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee
• NHC Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
• NHC Youth Empowerment Services Advisory Board 

Applications need to be submitted by June 5, so the commissioners can consider them at their meeting on June 18. Applicants must live in New Hanover County.

To download the committee application, click here. You can also read the committee policy here.

Copyright 2012 WECT. All rights reserved.

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WECT) – The North Carolina constitutional amendment defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman passed with 61% of voters being in favor of the amendment. In all, only seven counties in the state voted to oppose the amendment. Those were: Wake, Orange, Durham, Chatham, Mecklenburg, Buncombe and Watauga.

In New Hanover County, the amendment passed by only 198 votes. A total of 21 precincts in the county voted against the amendment, and most of them came from the downtown and beach areas in the county.

The constitutional amendment reads, "Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State. This section does not prohibit a private party from entering into contracts with another private party; nor does this section prohibit courts from adjudicating the rights of private parties pursuant to such contracts."