 Surprise in 2005 at theMaritime Museum of San Diego | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | HMSSurprise |
| Owner |
|
| Port of registry |  United States |
| Builder | Smith and Rhuland Shipyard,Lunenburg,Nova Scotia |
| Launched | 1970 |
| Renamed | HMSRose (1970-2007) |
| Homeport | San Diego,California |
| Identification |
|
| Status | Active Museum Ship |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | 500long tons (508 t) |
| Length | |
| Beam | 32 ft (9.8 m) |
| Height | ofRig 130 ft (40 m) |
| Draft | 13 ft (4.0 m) |
| Propulsion | Twin Diesel (300 HP Each) |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship, sail area 13,000 sq ft (1,200 m2) |
| Armament | 28 × 9-pound cannons (non-operational) |
HMSSurprise is a moderntall ship built atLunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada. The vessel was built in 1970 asHMSRose to aPhil Bolger design based on the original 18th-centuryBritish Admiralty drawings ofHMS Rose, a 20-gunsixth-ratepost ship from 1757.
The ship was meant to be a close replica of the originalRose, but still fill a commercial function. John Fitzhugh Millar[1][2] commissioned the ship's construction in anticipation of theUS Bicentennial in 1976. In conjunction with this project, he appeared on the television showTo Tell the Truth in 1974 and stumped the panel. Millar gave Bolger copies of the original British Admiralty drawings. Bolger modified the hull shape below the water line, sharpening up her entry so she sailed to windward better. Unlike some square-riggers, she could sail two points (22-1/2 degrees) on the wind provided that seas remained under four feet or so. Bolger also changed the arrangement of her decks, at the bank's insistence, so that she could be used as a tavern and restaurant, though she was never used as such.[3][4]
Rose was built at theSmith and Rhuland shipyard in Lunenburg, a yard which had established a reputation for large and successful replicas such as HMSBounty in 1960 andBluenose II in 1963.
The ship was inspected and certified by theUnited States Coast Guard. She spent the first ten years of her life in Newport, Rhode Island, sailing in Newport Harbor and as a dockside attraction.
In the summer of 1972,Rose was hired for the filmThe Man Without a Country, a made-for-television production. Norman Rosemont Productions could not find the money to take the ship out sailing, so all the filming was shot with sails set, as the ship was securely moored to the pier, next to the causeway toGoat Island.[5]
In 1984, already in serious disrepair, she was purchased by Kaye Williams[6] and brought to Bridgeport, Connecticut, and operated as asail training vessel in the 1980s and 1990s, run by the HMS Rose Foundation based inBridgeport,Connecticut,United States. In her lifetime asRose, her figurehead had to be replaced twice, each time slightly upgraded. One was damaged in a storm off Bermuda on her way toNorfolk, Virginia, in June 1998. The figurehead was named in fun as "Chester" by the crew.[7]
The ship was sold to the20th Century Fox film studio in March 2001,[8] and underwent extensive modifications to be used in the making of the filmMaster and Commander: The Far Side of the World, in which she portrayed theRoyal Navy frigate HMSSurprise with a story based on several of the books by Patrick O'Brian. The modifications included a reshaped stern, all deck structures removed, the single ship's wheel replaced by a double wheel, period fighting tops fitted, new sails, and the figurehead replaced.[9]
After the film was complete, the ship was leased and then purchased by theMaritime Museum of San Diego which began restoring her to sailing condition in September 2007.[10] The ship was officially re-registered as "HMSSurprise" in honor of her role in the film. She sails several times a year,[citation needed] often with the museum's other tall ships, the schoonerCalifornian and the 1863 barqueStar of India.[11] In 2010, she portrayed HMSProvidence in theDisneyadventure filmPirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.[12] In 2020 the deck was replanked by the museum.[13] The ship was briefly taken off display for work done by the Pacific Maritime Group and returned to the museum in June 2022.[14] By 2024 the ship was in a worn condition with deteriorating paint and timbers.[15]
Although she is known by the prefix "HMS", meaning His (or Her)Majesty's Ship, she has never beencommissioned in the Royal Navy.
In 1991, theConnecticut General Assembly passed "An Act Concerning the HMSRose" in which the ship was commissioned as a vessel of theConnecticut Naval Militia. The act stated that the H.M.S.Rose Foundation was responsible for maintaining the ship, but when the ship was sold to 20th Century Fox, the statute was not repealed and is still in effect.[16]
32°43′15″N117°10′26″W / 32.72083°N 117.17389°W /32.72083; -117.17389
