HMSSurprise(replica ship)
 Surprisein 2005 at theMaritime Museum of San Diego
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | HMSSurprise |
| Owner |
|
| Port of registry |  United States |
| Builder | Smith and RhulandShipyard,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 | ofRig130 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) |
HMSSurpriseis a moderntall shipbuilt atLunenburg, Nova Scotia,Canada. The vessel was built in 1970 asHMSRoseto aPhil Bolgerdesign based on the original 18th-centuryBritish Admiraltydrawings ofHMSRose,a 20-gunsixth-ratepost shipfrom 1757.
As HMSRose
[edit]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 Bicentennialin 1976. In conjunction with this project, he appeared on the television showTo Tell the Truthin 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]
Rosewas built at theSmith and Rhulandshipyard in Lunenburg, a yard which had established a reputation for large and successful replicas such as HMSBountyin 1960 andBluenose IIin 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,Rosewas hired for the filmThe Man Without a Country,a made-for-television production. Norman Rosemont Productions couldn't 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.During filming Cliff Robertson had to hide that he had a broken leg at the time.[5]
In 1984, already in serious disrepair, she was purchased by Kaye Williams[6]and brought to Bridgeport, Connecticut, and operated as asail trainingvessel 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]
Transformation into HMSSurprise
[edit]The ship was sold to the20th Century Foxfilm 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 Navyfrigate HMSSurprisewith 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]
Renaming as HMSSurprise
[edit]After the film was complete, the ship was leased and then purchased by theMaritime Museum of San Diegowhich has restored her to sailing condition as of September 2007.[10]The ship has officially been re-registered as "HMSSurprise"in honor of her role in the film. She sails several times a year, often with the museum's other tall ships, the schoonerCalifornianand the 1863 barqueStar of India.[11]In 2010, she portrayed HMSProvidencein theDisneyadventure filmPirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.[12]
Related facts
[edit]Although she is known by the prefixHMS,meaning His (or Her)Majesty's Ship,she has never beencommissionedin the Royal Navy.
In 1991, theConnecticut General Assemblypassed "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.RoseFoundation 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.[13]
References
[edit]- ^Millar, John F."Building the Replicas of Revolutionary War Ships Rose and Providence".smallstatebighistory.Retrieved22 December2017.
- ^Millar, J. F."John Fitzhugh Millar".newporthousebb.Retrieved26 December2017.
- ^Bolger, Philip C. (1982).30-Odd Boats.International Marine Publishing Company.ISBN0877421528.
- ^"HMS Rose Sails Soon".Boating(October 1969): 85.Retrieved21 December2017.
- ^Millar, John Fitzhugh."Building the Replicas of Revolutionary War Ships Rose and Providence".smallstatebighistory.Retrieved26 December2017.
- ^Biebel, Frederick (2008).Path of a Patriot.p. 186.ISBN978-0615236650.
- ^Nyden, W. A."Vacation June 1998".nyden.us.Retrieved25 December2017.
- ^Cummings, Bill."Goodbye, Rose: Filmmaker Pays $1.5m for Bridgeport Frigate".Retrieved17 December2017.
- ^Quinlan, Eric (Nov 2003)."Cross Currents".Yachting.Retrieved17 December2017.
- ^"Reviving Surprise" (pdf) David L. Kolthoff, P.E.
- ^SDMM article onSurpriseArchived2005-04-05 at theWayback Machine
- ^"ImageShack(TM) slideshow".img835.imageshack.us.Archived fromthe originalon 2010-08-23.
- ^CGS 27-5 - Public Act 91-31
External links
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