The Ships Archives | The Dear Surprise

Dispatches

[ July 19, 2021 ] The Mary Rose: A “Historical Death Star (With a Baffling Flaw)” Just For Fun
[ July 19, 2021 ] The History of the Mary Rose, 1510-1545 The History
[ July 17, 2021 ] Did Willoughby Join the Navy? Patrick O’Brian’s Thirty-Year Homage to Jane Austen PDFs
[ July 14, 2021 ] Sick Bay of the HMS San Domingo, 1812 Dr. Stephen Maturin
[ July 14, 2021 ] The Only Time in History When Men on Horseback Captured a Fleet of Ships Actions and Skirmishes

The History of the Mary Rose, 1510-1545

July 19, 2021 The Dear Knows 0

Though best known today for her tragic sinking, Henry VIII’s Mary Rose was a successful warship for 34 years: almost the entire duration of his reign.

Reviving Surprise: The Reconfiguration of the Rose into the HMS Surprise

November 30, 2013 The Dear Knows 0

This is a comprehensive description of the steps taken to transform the tall ship Rose into our very own dear Surprise for the movie Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. The information was presented by David L. Kolthoff, P.E. to […]

The Retaliation of the Real-Life Surprise

May 5, 2010 The Dear Knows 0

“But some time later the Spaniards sailed the Hermione to Puerto Cabello, and there Ned Hamilton, who had the dear Surprise at that time, and a damned good crew as well, took the boats in at night and cut […]

The Ships, Sets and Storms in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

April 17, 2010 The Dear Knows 0

The following is an excerpt from some promotional material about the filming of the movie. It explains the retrofitting the Rose underwent to become the HMS Surprise as well as some of the techniques used […]

An Introduction to Ship Types During the Age of Sail

April 8, 2010 The Dear Knows 0

There were many different types of ships during the Age of Sail, and all were defined based on their size, the number of masts they had, the shape of their hull and their rigging (the […]