Pirates, Privateers and the Age of Sail: Galleons, Frigates and Whalers on Screen
The Black Pearl, HMS Surprise, the Bounty and the Neptune of Roman Polanski's Pirates. Some of these ships were built for the camera and still sail today; others live only on film. Every one of them can stand on your desk with its crew on deck.
This chapter of Ships on Screen holds 94 ships and boats. For each one you will find the film or the book, the year, who was in it, what the ship does in the story, and the scene we would bring to life. See all 1,404 ships on one page.
Marea can build every one of these ships as a scale model, with the maximum detail the scale permits, finished to be inspected. But we don’t stop at the ship. We bring the scene with it: a few hand painted figurines on deck, caught in the one moment you remember. It isn’t a diorama. It’s the ship, with its story on board.
This database was put together by Ai Refloat™, Marea’s own artificial intelligence. Ai Refloat is still young & like any teenager, it can be a little volatile and unpredictable at times, but above all, it is learning fast. So this list may well contain mistakes and we welcome the input of everyone who knows these films, books and ships better than we do: listening, correcting and learning is one of the many ways we work towards perfection in this craft.
Have you spotted a mistake? Tell us which film, series, book, cartoon or boat, and we will amend it accordingly. Tell us here
The ships
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Age of Sail
Brig Pilgrim Real ship
Two Years Before the Mast (1946)
Directed by John Farrow
Starring Alan Ladd, Brian Donlevy, William Bendix
A spoiled young man is shanghaied aboard the brig Pilgrim and suffers the cruelty of her captain on a voyage round Cape Horn. His experience leads Richard Henry Dana to campaign for sailors' rights.
The Marea scene Seamen flogged at the mast of the Pilgrim while Dana watches in horror.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Age of Sail
Pilgrim of Salem Fictional
The World in His Arms (1952)
Directed by Raoul Walsh
Starring Gregory Peck, Ann Blyth, Anthony Quinn
A Salem sealing captain known as the Boston Man falls for a Russian countess in 1850s San Francisco. He races his rival Portugee's schooner to Russian Alaska to rescue her.
The Marea scene Two schooners racing neck and neck under full sail up the Pacific coast.
Photo: Reynold Brown, Public domain
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Age of Sail
Gerrymander Fictional
Fair Wind to Java (1953)
Directed by Joseph Kane
Starring Fred MacMurray, Vera Ralston, Victor McLaglen
A Yankee captain trades in the Dutch East Indies in 1883 and searches for a hidden temple of diamonds. The eruption of Krakatoa threatens his ship at the climax.
The Marea scene The Gerrymander fleeing across a boiling sea as Krakatoa erupts behind her.
On set Models and studio ship.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Merchant and whaling ships
Nathan Ross Fictional
All the Brothers Were Valiant (1953)
Directed by Richard Thorpe
Starring Robert Taylor, Stewart Granger, Ann Blyth
Joel Shore takes command of a whaler to search the Pacific for his lost brother Mark. When he finds him, Mark wants to lead the crew in a mutiny to recover a hoard of pearls.
The Marea scene The whale boats being towed by a harpooned whale while the brothers fight over the ship.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Merchant and whaling ships
Crusoe's ship Fictional
Robinson Crusoe (1954)
Directed by Luis Buñuel
Starring Dan O'Herlihy, Jaime Fernández
Crusoe's ship, sailing from Brazil to Africa to buy slaves, is wrecked in a storm in 1659. The hulk drifts onto an offshore rock and he salvages tools and provisions before it sinks.
The Marea scene Crusoe rafting supplies from the wreck stranded on the rock.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Merchant and whaling ships
Pequod Fictional
Moby Dick (1956)
Directed by John Huston
Starring Gregory Peck, Richard Basehart, Leo Genn
The Nantucket whaler whose captain, Ahab, sails it round the world in pursuit of the white whale that took his leg. It is lost with all hands except Ishmael.
The Marea scene Ahab lashed to the flank of the white whale, beckoning the Pequod's crew onwards.
On set The schooner Ryelands (built in England in 1887), converted and renamed Moby Dick; destroyed by fire in 1970. Whale shots were mostly miniatures in the Shepperton tank.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Merchant and whaling ships
Covenant Fictional
Kidnapped (1960)
Directed by Robert Stevenson
Starring Peter Finch, James MacArthur, Bernard Lee, Peter O'Toole
The brig of Captain Hoseason, on which David Balfour is shanghaied by his uncle to be sold into servitude. Alan Breck Stewart comes aboard after his boat is run down.
The Marea scene David Balfour and Alan Breck defending the Covenant's roundhouse against the crew.
Photo: Reynold Brown, Public domain
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Merchant and whaling ships
The Robinsons' ship and the pirates' ships Fictional
Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
Directed by Ken Annakin
Starring John Mills, Dorothy McGuire, James MacArthur, Tommy Kirk
The family's ship is driven onto rocks off an uninhabited island after a pirate attack. They salvage what they can and later defend the island against the pirates.
The Marea scene The family rafting animals ashore in barrels from the wreck grounded on the reef.
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Merchant and whaling ships
Brig Thetis (played by the Carthaginian) Fictional
Hawaii (1966)
Directed by George Roy Hill
Starring Julie Andrews, Max von Sydow, Richard Harris, Gene Hackman
New England missionaries, including Reverend Abner Hale and his wife Jerusha, sail round Cape Horn to Hawaii in 1820. The long voyage opens the epic based on James Michener's novel.
The Marea scene The ship battling mountainous seas off Cape Horn with the missionaries clinging below decks.
On set The Carthaginian, a 1921 vessel converted into a square rigger for the film, later a museum ship at Lahaina.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Merchant and whaling ships
La Amistad Real ship
Amistad (1997)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Starring Djimon Hounsou, Anthony Hopkins, Morgan Freeman, Matthew McConaughey
The Spanish schooner on which Mende captives led by Cinqué rose up in 1839 off Cuba. The ship's capture off Long Island leads to the Supreme Court case at the heart of the film.
The Marea scene Cinqué breaking free of his chains below decks during the storm before the uprising.
On set The Freedom Schooner Amistad replica built 1998 to 2000 at Mystic Seaport now sails from New Haven, Connecticut, under Discovering Amistad Inc.
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Merchant and whaling ships
Pequod Fictional
Moby Dick (1998)
Created by Franc Roddam
Starring Patrick Stewart, Henry Thomas, Gregory Peck, Ted Levine
A two part miniseries with Patrick Stewart as Ahab driving the Pequod after the white whale. Gregory Peck, the 1956 Ahab, plays Father Mapple.
The Marea scene Patrick Stewart's Ahab on the Pequod's quarterdeck nailing the gold doubloon to the mast.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Merchant and whaling ships
Edinburgh Trader Fictional
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
Directed by Gore Verbinski
Starring Keira Knightley, Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom
A merchant ship on which Elizabeth Swann travels in disguise while searching for Will. It is attacked by the Kraken.
The Marea scene Elizabeth Swann in a sailor's disguise on the deck of the merchant ship at sea.
On set The production used the 1960 Bounty replica built in Nova Scotia for MGM, which later sank off the Carolinas during Hurricane Sandy in October 2012.
Photo: Dan Kasberger, CC BY-SA 3.0
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Merchant and whaling ships
Pequod Fictional
Moby Dick (2011)
Created by Mike Barker
Starring William Hurt, Ethan Hawke, Charlie Cox, Gillian Anderson
A two part miniseries with William Hurt as Ahab and Ethan Hawke as Starbuck, who opposes Ahab's obsession aboard the Pequod.
The Marea scene Starbuck confronting Ahab with a musket in the captain's cabin.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Merchant and whaling ships
Essex Real ship
In the Heart of the Sea (2015)
Directed by Ron Howard
Starring Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy, Tom Holland
The Nantucket whaler rammed and sunk by a sperm whale in the Pacific in 1820, the true story behind Moby-Dick. Its crew endure months in open boats.
The Marea scene The great whale smashing into the Essex's bow as first mate Owen Chase watches from the whaleboat.
On set Deck built on a gimbal at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, plus location work on La Gomera and Lanzarote, Canary Islands; no sailing ship.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Merchant and whaling ships
Artemis Fictional
Outlander (2017)
Created by Ronald D. Moore
Starring Caitríona Balfe, Sam Heughan
In season 3 Jamie and Claire sail on the Artemis to the West Indies in pursuit of young Ian, who has been kidnapped. Jamie suffers constant seasickness on the voyage.
The Marea scene Jamie Fraser seasick in his hammock while Claire tends him in the Artemis's cramped cabin.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Merchant and whaling ships
Influence Fictional
Taboo (2017)
Created by Steven Knight, Tom Hardy and Chips Hardy
Starring Tom Hardy, Jessie Buckley, Oona Chaplin, Jonathan Pryce
A slave ship, registered under a false name, whose sinking with its human cargo haunts James Delaney. Delaney later buys a ship at auction for his own plans.
The Marea scene Delaney's visions of the Influence going down with chained men below decks.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Napoleonic comedy
HMS Venus Fictional
Carry On Jack (1964)
Directed by Gerald Thomas
Starring Kenneth Williams, Bernard Cribbins, Juliet Mills, Charles Hawtrey
An inept midshipman joins the frigate Venus under the nervous Captain Fearless during the Napoleonic Wars. Mutiny, capture by pirates and misadventures in Spain follow.
The Marea scene Captain Fearless cowering on the quarterdeck of the Venus as cannon fire erupts.
On set Sets at Pinewood Studios.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Arabella (ex Cinco Llagas) Fictional
Captain Blood (1935)
Directed by Michael Curtiz
Starring Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone, Lionel Atwill
Peter Blood and his fellow convicts seize a Spanish man of war during an attack on Port Royal and turn pirate. The ship takes them into the final battle against the French.
The Marea scene Errol Flynn swinging from the rigging as Blood's crew boards the French flagship.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Albatross Fictional
The Sea Hawk (1940)
Directed by Michael Curtiz
Starring Errol Flynn, Brenda Marshall, Claude Rains, Flora Robson
Geoffrey Thorpe's privateer, inspired by Francis Drake's raids on Spain. Thorpe captures a Spanish ambassador's ship with it before being betrayed and sent to the galleys.
The Marea scene Thorpe's crew swarming over the rail of the Spanish galleass through cannon smoke.
On set Warner Bros. studio ships and sets.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Black Swan Fictional
The Black Swan (1942)
Directed by Henry King
Starring Tyrone Power, Maureen O'Hara, Laird Cregar, George Sanders
The ship of the renegade pirate Billy Leech, who refuses to follow Henry Morgan into respectability. Jamie Waring in the Revenge hunts it down.
The Marea scene Tyrone Power leaping from the Revenge onto the Black Swan's deck in Technicolor sunlight.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
La Mouette Fictional
Frenchman's Creek (1944)
Directed by Mitchell Leisen
Starring Joan Fontaine, Arturo de Córdova, Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce
The ship of the French pirate Jean Benoit Aubrey, hidden in a Cornish creek near Lady Dona St Columb's house. She joins him on a raid. Adapted from Daphne du Maurier's 1941 novel; a TV film followed in 1998.
The Marea scene Dona in boy's clothes on La Mouette's deck as the pirates cut out a merchant ship at Fowey.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Mary Ann Fictional
The Princess and the Pirate (1944)
Directed by David Butler
Starring Bob Hope, Virginia Mayo, Walter Brennan, Walter Slezak
The ship carrying a fugitive princess and a cowardly actor, boarded in 1740 by the pirate the Hook, who wants the princess for ransom.
The Marea scene Bob Hope in disguise cowering as the Hook's pirates swarm over the rail of the Mary Ann.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Captain Kidd's ship and the Twelve Apostles Fictional
Captain Kidd (1945)
Directed by Rowland V. Lee
Starring Charles Laughton, Randolph Scott, Barbara Britton, John Carradine
Kidd sinks a ship off Madagascar and buries its treasure, then talks his way into a royal commission to escort a rich ship from India, crewed by his old pirates.
The Marea scene Charles Laughton's Kidd gloating over a treasure chest in the cabin while his crew scans the horizon.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Hispaniola Fictional
Treasure Island (1950)
Directed by Byron Haskin
Starring Bobby Driscoll, Robert Newton, Basil Sydney, Finlay Currie
The schooner that carries Jim Hawkins, Squire Trelawney and a crew secretly led by Long John Silver to Flint's treasure island. Jim later recaptures her alone from Israel Hands.
The Marea scene Jim Hawkins up the mizzen shrouds with pistols as Israel Hands climbs after him with a dirk.
On set The Ryelands, a real 19th century schooner (built in England in 1887), which later became the Pequod in Moby Dick (1956) and was destroyed by fire in 1970. The Hispaniola set was reused as HMS Lydia in Captain Horatio Hornblower.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Sheba Queen Fictional
Anne of the Indies (1951)
Directed by Jacques Tourneur
Starring Jean Peters, Louis Jourdan, Debra Paget, Thomas Gomez
The ship of the female pirate Captain Anne Providence, who takes a French officer as navigator and is betrayed. She dies in battle with her mentor Blackbeard.
The Marea scene Anne Providence in her captain's coat at the helm of the Sheba Queen as Blackbeard's ship closes in.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Captain Kidd's ship Fictional
Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd (1952)
Directed by Charles Lamont
Starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Charles Laughton, Hillary Brooke
Two bumbling waiters trade Kidd's treasure map for passage on his ship, which raids an English ship and sails to Skull Island. There Anne Bonney's crew defeats Kidd.
The Marea scene Lou Costello hiding in a barrel on deck while Charles Laughton's Kidd searches for the map.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Pirate ships of Madagascar and an English warship Fictional
Against All Flags (1952)
Directed by George Sherman
Starring Errol Flynn, Maureen O'Hara, Anthony Quinn
Set in 1700, a British officer joins the pirates of Madagascar as a spy to sabotage their harbour defences. An English warship finally takes the pirate fortress.
The Marea scene Errol Flynn and Maureen O'Hara duelling on deck as English merchant ships burn behind them.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Blackbeard's ship Fictional
Blackbeard the Pirate (1952)
Directed by Raoul Walsh
Starring Robert Newton, Linda Darnell, Keith Andes, Torin Thatcher
Edward Maynard joins Blackbeard's ship as its surgeon to steal the log that proves Henry Morgan's guilt. Blackbeard buries his treasure but is finally buried up to the neck in sand by his crew.
The Marea scene Robert Newton's wild eyed Blackbeard on deck, surrounded by his crew and a chest of stolen gold.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Captain Vallo's pirate ship Fictional
The Crimson Pirate (1952)
Directed by Robert Siodmak
Starring Burt Lancaster, Nick Cravat, Eva Bartok
The ship of the acrobatic pirate Captain Vallo, who plans to play Spanish rulers and island rebels against each other for profit before switching sides.
The Marea scene Burt Lancaster somersaulting across the yards of the pirate ship while Ojo grins below.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Smugglers' boats Fictional
Moonfleet (1955)
Directed by Fritz Lang
Starring Stewart Granger, George Sanders, Joan Greenwood, Jon Whiteley
Jeremy Fox leads a Dorset smuggling ring in 18th century England, taking in the orphan John Mohune. They become fugitives hunting a hidden diamond.
The Marea scene Smugglers landing kegs from a lugger on a moonlit Dorset beach.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Pirate schooner Fictional
A High Wind in Jamaica (1965)
Directed by Alexander Mackendrick
Starring Anthony Quinn, James Coburn, Deborah Baxter
English children sent home from Jamaica are accidentally taken by pirates when their ship is raided. The pirate captain grows fond of them, with tragic consequences.
The Marea scene The children playing in the rigging of the pirate schooner as the crew look on.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Confiance and Kent Real ship
Surcouf, le tigre des sept mers (The Sea Pirate) (1966)
Directed by Sergio Bergonzelli and Roy Rowland
Starring Gérard Barray, Antonella Lualdi, Terence Morgan
A French, Italian and Spanish adventure about the Saint-Malo corsair Robert Surcouf. His historical ship Confiance and his capture of the East Indiaman Kent (1800) are the famous episodes of his career.
The Marea scene Surcouf's boarders swarming up the side of the towering East Indiaman.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Blarney Cock Fictional
Swashbuckler (1976)
Directed by James Goldstone
Starring Robert Shaw, James Earl Jones, Peter Boyle, Geneviève Bujold
The ship of Captain Red Ned Lynch, who leads the resistance against the tyrannical Lord Durant in colonial Jamaica.
The Marea scene Robert Shaw's Ned Lynch standing on the bowsprit of the Blarney Cock with drawn sword.
On set The Golden Hinde, the 1973 replica of Drake's ship built at Appledore, Devon; berthed since 1996 at St Mary Overie Dock, Bankside, Southwark, London, open to the public.
Photo: Jose L. Marin, CC BY 2.5
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
MV Nezhin Fictional
Pirates of the 20th Century (1980)
Directed by Boris Durov
Starring Nikolai Yeremenko Jr., Pyotr Velyaminov, Talgat Nigmatulin
A Soviet freighter carrying medical opium to Vladivostok is seized by modern pirates in the Indian Ocean. It was the top Soviet box office film of 1980.
The Marea scene Talgat Nigmatulin's pirate facing the chief engineer on the freighter's deck.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Buccaneer descendants' pirate boats and USCGC New Hope Fictional
The Island (1980)
Directed by Michael Ritchie
Starring Michael Caine, David Warner
A journalist investigating disappearances in the Caribbean is captured by a hidden colony descended from 17th century buccaneers who still raid yachts. A coast guard cutter features in the climax.
The Marea scene The buccaneers in period dress swarming a modern yacht by night.
On set US Coast Guard cutter Dauntless stood in for the fictional USCGC New Hope; filmed on Antigua and Abaco.
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Rona Fictional
Nate and Hayes (1983)
Directed by Ferdinand Fairfax
Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Michael O'Keefe, Jenny Seagrove, Max Phipps
The schooner of the real life South Seas trader and blackbirder Bully Hayes, who helps a young missionary rescue his fiancée from Ben Pease.
The Marea scene Tommy Lee Jones as Bully Hayes at the Rona's wheel, cannon run out against Pease's ship.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Pirate ships of The Pirates of Penzance Fictional
The Pirates of Penzance (1983)
Directed by Wilford Leach
Starring Kevin Kline, Linda Ronstadt, Angela Lansbury, Rex Smith
The pirates of Penzance, tenderhearted orphans led by the Pirate King, sail the Cornish coast in this film of Joseph Papp's Broadway staging of Gilbert and Sullivan.
The Marea scene Kevin Kline's Pirate King singing astride the ship's rail.
On set Studio set at Shepperton Studios.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Edith Fictional
Yellowbeard (1983)
Directed by Mel Damski
Starring Graham Chapman, Peter Boyle, Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong
Captain Yellowbeard's pirate ship, named after Graham Chapman's mother, in a comic race to find his buried treasure.
The Marea scene Graham Chapman's Yellowbeard bellowing orders on deck with Marty Feldman scuttling below.
On set Played by the Bounty replica from Mutiny on the Bounty (1962), which portrayed three different ships in the film; it sank in Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
Photo: Dan Kasberger, CC BY-SA 3.0
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Inferno Fictional
The Goonies (1985)
Directed by Richard Donner
Starring Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman, Ke Huy Quan
One-Eyed Willy's treasure ship, hidden for centuries in a sea cave beneath Astoria, Oregon. The children find it at the end of their quest and it sails free as they escape.
The Marea scene The Goonies on the Inferno's deck beside One-Eyed Willy's skeleton and his piles of treasure.
On set Full-size replica built under production designer J. Michael Riva on Stage 16 at Warner Bros., Burbank; scrapped after filming because no one wanted it.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Neptune Fictional
Pirates (1986)
Directed by Roman Polanski
Starring Walter Matthau, Cris Campion, Charlotte Lewis, Damien Thomas
The Spanish galleon carrying a golden Aztec throne, which Captain Red and his young companion Frog set out to seize. Much of the film's action takes place aboard her.
The Marea scene Captain Red and Frog on the galleon's high stern castle as the Spanish crew gathers below.
On set Full-scale galleon with a steel hull and 400 HP auxiliary engine, built at Port El Kantaoui, Tunisia; now permanently moored in the Porto Antico of Genoa, Italy, as a paid tourist attraction. Also played the Jolly Roger in the 2011 miniseries Neverland.
Photo: Zil, CC BY-SA 3.0
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Hispaniola Fictional
Treasure Island (1990)
Directed by Fraser Clarke Heston
Starring Charlton Heston, Christian Bale, Oliver Reed, Christopher Lee
The same schooner voyage to Flint's island, with Charlton Heston as Silver and Christian Bale as Jim Hawkins.
The Marea scene Long John Silver with his parrot at the rail as the Hispaniola anchors off Skeleton Island.
On set Played by the 1960 Bounty replica built in Nova Scotia for MGM, which later sank off the Carolinas during Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. Filmed in North Devon, Jamaica and Pinewood Studios.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Jolly Roger Fictional
Hook (1991)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Starring Dustin Hoffman, Robin Williams, Julia Roberts, Bob Hoskins
Captain Hook's ship moored in the pirate town of Neverland, where Hook holds Peter Banning's children. It is the setting of the final battle with the Lost Boys.
The Marea scene Dustin Hoffman's Hook on the Jolly Roger's quarterdeck facing Peter Pan and the Lost Boys.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Morning Star Fictional
Cutthroat Island (1995)
Directed by Renny Harlin
Starring Geena Davis, Matthew Modine, Frank Langella
The ship of pirate captain Morgan Adams, who takes it in search of the treasure map her father's murder has scattered.
The Marea scene Geena Davis swinging on a line across the gap between the Morning Star and the Reaper.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Reaper Fictional
Cutthroat Island (1995)
Directed by Renny Harlin
Starring Frank Langella, Geena Davis, Matthew Modine
The ship of Morgan's villainous uncle Dawg Brown. In the final battle Morgan blows out its bottom and it sinks.
The Marea scene The Reaper exploding and settling by the stern as Morgan's crew cheers from the Morning Star.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Hispaniola Fictional
Muppet Treasure Island (1996)
Directed by Brian Henson
Starring Tim Curry, Kevin Bishop, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy
Captain Smollett, played by Kermit, commands the Hispaniola with Muppet crew while Tim Curry's Long John Silver plots mutiny.
The Marea scene Kermit as Captain Smollett on the quarterdeck while Tim Curry's Silver sings in the rigging.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Acheron Fictional
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
Directed by Peter Weir
Starring Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany
The heavily built French privateer that ambushes the Surprise and is pursued across the Pacific. Aubrey's obsessive chase drives the story to its final boarding action off the Galápagos.
The Marea scene The Acheron's bow looming out of the fog as its first broadside rakes the Surprise.
On set Computer model built from digital scans of USS Constitution.
Photo: U.S. Navy, Public domain
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Jolly Roger Fictional
Peter Pan (2003)
Directed by P. J. Hogan
Starring Jason Isaacs, Jeremy Sumpter, Rachel Hurd-Wood
Captain Hook's ship, where Wendy and the Lost Boys are held prisoner. After Hook's defeat the ship is covered in fairy dust and flown back to London.
The Marea scene The Jolly Roger sailing through the clouds over London, covered in fairy dust.
On set Studio sets at Village Roadshow Studios, Gold Coast, Queensland; the whole film was shot on stages.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Black Pearl Fictional
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
Directed by Gore Verbinski
Starring Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom
Captain Barbossa's cursed pirate ship with black sails, crewed by undead pirates who cannot die. Jack Sparrow spends the film trying to win back the ship that was taken from him in a mutiny.
The Marea scene The Black Pearl under black sails emerging from the fog to raid Port Royal by moonlight.
On set Studio build: constructed on barges with CGI completing the upper structures, plus a deck set on the Spruce Goose stage for fog and lighting control; no surviving sailing ship.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Black Pearl Fictional
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
Directed by Gore Verbinski
Starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Bill Nighy
Jack Sparrow's ship once more, now hunted because Jack owes his soul to Davy Jones. The Pearl is dragged under by the Kraken at the end of the film.
The Marea scene Jack Sparrow alone on the tilting deck of the Black Pearl as the Kraken rises beside it.
On set A functional, seaworthy Black Pearl built in Bayou La Batre, Alabama, over the hull of the Sunset, a former Gulf of Mexico oil derrick service vessel; the same hull was later rebuilt as Queen Anne's Revenge.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Flying Dutchman Fictional
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
Directed by Gore Verbinski
Starring Bill Nighy, Stellan Skarsgård, Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom
Davy Jones's barnacle encrusted ship, able to sail beneath the waves, crewed by sailors bound to a century of service. It appears again in At World's End.
The Marea scene The Flying Dutchman bursting up from beneath the surface, Davy Jones at the helm with his crew of sea creature men.
On set Studio and CGI ship; design inspired by 17th century Dutch fluyts and the Swedish warship Vasa.
Photo: JavierKohen, CC BY-SA 3.0
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Empress Fictional
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
Directed by Gore Verbinski
Starring Chow Yun-fat, Keira Knightley, Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush
The ship of Sao Feng, pirate lord of Singapore. After his death Elizabeth Swann becomes her captain and sails her to Shipwreck Cove.
The Marea scene Elizabeth Swann taking command of the Empress with her Chinese crew kneeling on deck.
On set Studio set and CGI; no surviving vessel recorded.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Queen Anne's Revenge Real ship
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
Directed by Rob Marshall
Starring Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Ian McShane, Geoffrey Rush
Blackbeard's ship, fitted with blood red sails, fire weapons and skull decorations, and home to his collection of ships in bottles. It carries the hunt for the Fountain of Youth.
The Marea scene Blackbeard on the quarterdeck commanding the rigging to seize a mutineer, flames spurting from the bow.
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Hispaniola Fictional
Treasure Island (2012)
Created by Steve Barron
Starring Eddie Izzard, Toby Regbo, Elijah Wood, Donald Sutherland
A two-part British and Irish adaptation with Eddie Izzard as Silver. The Hispaniola carries the treasure hunters and Silver's mutineers to the island.
The Marea scene Eddie Izzard's Silver leading the mutiny on the Hispaniola's deck.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Walrus Fictional
Black Sails (2014)
Created by Jonathan E. Steinberg and Robert Levine
Starring Toby Stephens, Luke Arnold, Hannah New, Zach McGowan
Captain Flint's ship, the flagship of his crew out of Nassau in this prequel to Treasure Island. It carries Flint and Silver through the hunt for the Urca de Lima's gold.
The Marea scene Flint on the Walrus's quarterdeck as his crew runs out the guns to take the Urca.
On set Full-size ship built on a gimbal at Cape Town Film Studios, South Africa; over 300 workers per ship.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Ranger Fictional
Black Sails (2014)
Created by Jonathan E. Steinberg and Robert Levine
Starring Zach McGowan, Clara Paget, Toby Schmitz
The ship of Charles Vane, and later associated with Jack Rackham and Anne Bonny. It is one of the main pirate vessels of Nassau.
The Marea scene Charles Vane standing on the bow of the Ranger as it slips out of Nassau harbour.
On set Built at Cape Town Film Studios, South Africa.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Urca de Lima Real ship
Black Sails (2014)
Created by Jonathan E. Steinberg and Robert Levine
Starring Toby Stephens, Luke Arnold
The Spanish treasure galleon whose gold drives the first two seasons. It is based on the real Urca de Lima of the 1715 treasure fleet.
The Marea scene The Urca de Lima stranded on the beach with her treasure chests hauled ashore.
On set Built at Cape Town Film Studios, South Africa; the real Urca de Lima wreck lies off Florida.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
HMS Petrel and Blackbeard's fleet Fictional
Crossbones (2014)
Created by Neil Cross, James V. Hart, Amanda Welles
Starring John Malkovich, Richard Coyle, Claire Foy
In the pilot the pirates of Santa Compaña, led by the Commodore, a Blackbeard who faked his death, attack HMS Petrel to seize a chronometer.
The Marea scene Malkovich's Commodore stepping aboard the captured Petrel through the smoke.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Blackbeard's flying pirate ship Fictional
Pan (2015)
Directed by Joe Wright
Starring Hugh Jackman, Levi Miller, Garrett Hedlund, Rooney Mara
In this prequel, Blackbeard's pirates snatch orphans from London and fly them to Neverland to mine fairy dust.
The Marea scene Blackbeard's ship lifting out of the London night during the Blitz with orphans hanging from the rigging.
On set Studio and CGI.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Silent Mary Fictional
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)
Directed by Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg
Starring Javier Bardem, Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Brenton Thwaites
The ghostly warship of the undead Captain Salazar, a pirate hunter cursed in the Devil's Triangle. It hunts Jack Sparrow and destroys pirate ships across the Caribbean.
The Marea scene The Silent Mary rearing up, its skeletal bow opening like jaws over a smaller pirate ship.
On set Partial constructs in Queensland, Australia, some on a hydraulic rig, finished with CGI.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Dying Gull Fictional
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)
Directed by Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg
Starring Johnny Depp, Brenton Thwaites, Kaya Scodelario
The small, shabby ship that Jack Sparrow, Henry Turner and Carina Smyth use to search for the Trident of Poseidon.
The Marea scene Jack Sparrow at the helm of the tiny Dying Gull with Henry and Carina beside him.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Revenge Real ship
Our Flag Means Death (2022)
Created by David Jenkins
Starring Rhys Darby, Taika Waititi, Ewen Bremner, Samson Kayo
The ship of Stede Bonnet, the gentleman pirate, with its library and genteel cabin. Blackbeard joins its crew and falls for its captain.
The Marea scene Stede Bonnet reading aloud to his crew in the Revenge's cabin surrounded by books.
On set Season 1 filmed on a soundstage using StageCraft LED volume; season 2 filmed in New Zealand.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Pirates
Jolly Roger Fictional
Peter Pan & Wendy (2023)
Directed by David Lowery
Starring Jude Law, Alexander Molony, Ever Anderson, Jim Gaffigan
Captain Hook's ship in Disney's live action remake, where Wendy and her brothers are held. The final confrontation between Hook and Peter plays out aboard it.
The Marea scene Jude Law's Hook duelling Peter Pan on the Jolly Roger's yards against a Neverland sky.
On set Visual effects model by Framestore and DNEG, nominated for Outstanding Model at the 22nd VES Awards; filmed in Vancouver, Newfoundland, the Faroe Islands and Ireland.
Photo: Fandom wiki
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Royal Navy and the Napoleonic wars
HMS Bounty Real ship
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
Directed by Frank Lloyd
Starring Charles Laughton, Clark Gable, Franchot Tone
The Royal Navy ship sent to Tahiti to collect breadfruit, where Captain Bligh's cruelty drives Fletcher Christian to lead a mutiny.
The Marea scene Bligh and his loyalists being lowered into the launch while Christian holds the rail above.
Photo: Dan Kasberger, CC BY-SA 3.0
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Royal Navy and the Napoleonic wars
HMS Pandora Real ship
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
Directed by Frank Lloyd
Starring Charles Laughton, Franchot Tone, Clark Gable
The frigate sent to hunt down the Bounty mutineers, with Bligh aboard in the film's version. Byam and other crew are taken prisoner and wrecked with her.
The Marea scene Pandora aground on the reef with prisoners chained below as the ship breaks up.
On set The replica Nanuk, sold between 1941 and 1946 to the Pacific National Shipping Company of Mexico, where her masts were removed.
Photo: Etching by Robert Batty (1789 to 1848), Public domain
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Royal Navy and the Napoleonic wars
HMS Victory Real ship
That Hamilton Woman (1941)
Directed by Alexander Korda
Starring Vivien Leigh, Laurence Olivier, Alan Mowbray
Nelson's flagship at Trafalgar, where Olivier's Nelson is mortally wounded in the film's great battle scene. The story is told through Emma Hamilton's love for him.
The Marea scene Nelson falling on the Victory's quarterdeck at Trafalgar, Hardy kneeling beside him.
On set Studio sets designed by Vincent Korda. The real HMS Victory is preserved at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, flagship of the First Sea Lord, under restoration 2022 to 2032.
Photo: Cimosteve, CC0
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Royal Navy and the Napoleonic wars
HMS Lydia Fictional
Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951)
Directed by Raoul Walsh
Starring Gregory Peck, Virginia Mayo, Robert Beatty, Terence Morgan
Hornblower's frigate on a secret mission to the Pacific coast of Central America, where he captures and then must fight the Spanish two decker Natividad. Later he commands HMS Sutherland.
The Marea scene The little Lydia raking the larger Natividad at close quarters in a Pacific calm.
On set The Hispaniola set from Disney's Treasure Island (1950) reused as Lydia; the Italian brigantine Marcel B. Surdo doubled as Witch of Endor at sea, and HMS Victory was used during filming.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Royal Navy and the Napoleonic wars
HMS Avenger Fictional
Billy Budd (1962)
Directed by Peter Ustinov
Starring Terence Stamp, Robert Ryan, Peter Ustinov, Melvyn Douglas
The warship on which the innocent sailor Billy Budd, pressed from the merchant ship Rights of Man, is persecuted by the master at arms Claggart, with tragic results under Captain Vere.
The Marea scene Billy Budd striking Claggart in Captain Vere's cabin.
Photo: Reynold Brown, Public domain
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Royal Navy and the Napoleonic wars
HMS Defiant Fictional
Damn the Defiant! (1962)
Directed by Lewis Gilbert
Starring Alec Guinness, Dirk Bogarde, Anthony Quayle, Maurice Denham
A fictional frigate of 1797 in which the humane Captain Crawford clashes with his sadistic first lieutenant Scott-Padget, against the background of the Spithead mutinies.
The Marea scene Alec Guinness's Crawford on the quarterdeck as the crew rises to take the ship.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Royal Navy and the Napoleonic wars
HMS Bounty Real ship
Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)
Directed by Lewis Milestone
Starring Marlon Brando, Trevor Howard, Richard Harris, Hugh Griffith
The same breadfruit voyage retold in widescreen colour, with Brando's Christian set against Howard's Bligh. The mutineers finally burn the ship at Pitcairn.
The Marea scene The Bounty ablaze off Pitcairn Island as Christian tries to save the sextant.
On set Full-size replica built in Nova Scotia for 750,000 dollars; it survived the film after Marlon Brando protested plans to destroy it, then sank off the Carolinas during Hurricane Sandy in October 2012.
Photo: Dan Kasberger, CC BY-SA 3.0
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Royal Navy and the Napoleonic wars
HMS Bounty Real ship
The Bounty (1984)
Directed by Roger Donaldson
Starring Mel Gibson, Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Olivier, Daniel Day-Lewis
A more sympathetic retelling of Bligh's voyage, framed by his court martial. The ship carries the story from England to Tahiti and the mutiny.
The Marea scene Christian confronting Bligh on the Bounty's deck at dawn, the breadfruit pots lining the waist.
On set A replica built in Whangarei, New Zealand for about 4 million dollars, described by Donaldson as the most expensive movie prop ever built; later reported to be in Hong Kong.
Photo: Dan Kasberger, CC BY-SA 3.0
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Royal Navy and the Napoleonic wars
HMS Indefatigable Real ship
Hornblower (1998)
Created by Andrew Grieve (director)
Starring Ioan Gruffudd, Robert Lindsay, Paul McGann, Jamie Bamber
Sir Edward Pellew's frigate, on which young midshipman Horatio Hornblower learns his trade in the war with revolutionary France.
The Marea scene Pellew on the quarterdeck of the Indefatigable as Hornblower leads a cutting out party at dawn.
On set The Grand Turk, a 1997 replica frigate built in Marmaris, Turkey; sold in 2010 to Étoile Marine Croisières, renamed Étoile du Roy and moored in Dunkirk, France (registered Saint-Malo). The series also used HMS Victory for quarterdeck and gun deck scenes, the brig Phoenix of Dell Quay and the schooner Julia, plus 4.5 to 7 metre models.
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Royal Navy and the Napoleonic wars
HMS Hotspur Fictional
Hornblower (2003)
Created by Andrew Grieve (director)
Starring Ioan Gruffudd, Robert Lindsay, Paul McGann
Hornblower's first command in the later films of the series, blockading the French coast during the Napoleonic wars.
The Marea scene Hornblower at the Hotspur's rail watching the French coast through a telescope.
On set The Earl of Pembroke, a former civilian vessel converted for filming.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Royal Navy and the Napoleonic wars
HMS Surprise Real ship
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
Directed by Peter Weir
Starring Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, Billy Boyd, James D'Arcy
Captain Jack Aubrey's small, ageing frigate, sent to intercept a French privateer off South America during the Napoleonic wars. The ship is the whole world of the film, from surgery on the gun deck to rounding Cape Horn.
The Marea scene Aubrey and Maturin playing violin and cello in the great cabin, or the crew hauling the Surprise off a lee shore at the Galápagos.
On set The replica HMS Rose (built 1970, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia), bought by Fox and altered to resemble Surprise; now a dockside exhibit at the Maritime Museum of San Diego. A gimballed full-scale replica in the tank at Baja Studios, Mexico, and a Weta scale model were also used.
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Royal Navy and the Napoleonic wars
HMS Interceptor Fictional
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
Directed by Gore Verbinski
Starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Jack Davenport
The fastest ship in the Royal Navy in the Caribbean, which Jack Sparrow and Will Turner steal from Port Royal. It is later caught and sunk by the Black Pearl.
The Marea scene Jack Sparrow and Will Turner commandeering the Interceptor while the Dauntless crew is trapped aboard the other ship.
On set The full-scale replica brig Lady Washington from Aberdeen, Washington, repainted and sailed 40 days to the location; still operated by the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority, sailing the US Pacific coast (active as of 2019).
Photo: Miso Beno, CC BY-SA 3.0
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Royal Navy and the Napoleonic wars
HMS Dauntless Fictional
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
Directed by Gore Verbinski
Starring Jack Davenport, Jonathan Pryce, Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush
Commodore Norrington's flagship and the most powerful warship in the Caribbean. It carries the navy's pursuit of the cursed pirates to Isla de Muerta.
The Marea scene Skeleton pirates climbing aboard the moonlit Dauntless during the night battle off Isla de Muerta.
On set Studio build: constructed on barges with CGI finishing the upper works; not a sailing ship.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Royal Navy and the Napoleonic wars
HMS Endeavour Fictional
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
Directed by Gore Verbinski
Starring Tom Hollander, Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Keira Knightley
Lord Cutler Beckett's flagship, leading the East India Trading Company's war on piracy. It is destroyed in the climactic battle after the maelstrom.
The Marea scene Beckett descending the stairs of the Endeavour as the Black Pearl and Flying Dutchman fire into it from both sides.
On set Studio set and CGI; the maelstrom battle was shot in a former air hangar at Palmdale, California.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Royal Navy and the Napoleonic wars
HMS Providence Fictional
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
Directed by Rob Marshall
Starring Geoffrey Rush, Johnny Depp, Kevin McNally
The British ship commanded by Barbossa, now a privateer in the King's service, racing the Spanish to the Fountain of Youth.
The Marea scene Barbossa with his peg leg on the quarterdeck of the Providence as it sails for the Fountain.
On set The replica frigate HMS Surprise (ex Rose) of the Maritime Museum of San Diego; its scenes were filmed at Long Beach because the ship could not sail to Hawaii.
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Royal Navy and the Napoleonic wars
HMS Porpoise Fictional
Outlander (2017)
Created by Ronald D. Moore
Starring Caitríona Balfe, Sam Heughan
Claire is taken aboard HMS Porpoise to treat a typhoid outbreak and separated from Jamie, whom the ship must then pursue.
The Marea scene Claire in a surgeon's apron in the Porpoise's sick berth below decks.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Royal Navy and the Napoleonic wars
HMS Erebus Real ship
The Terror (2018)
Created by David Kajganich and Soo Hugh
Starring Ciarán Hinds, Jared Harris, Tobias Menzies, Paul Ready
Sir John Franklin's flagship on the lost 1845 expedition to find the Northwest Passage. Trapped in the ice, its crew is stalked by a mysterious creature.
The Marea scene Erebus locked in pack ice under a polar night, lanterns glowing on the snow covered deck.
On set Sets at Origo Studios, Budapest, extended with heavy visual effects; the real wreck was found in 2014.
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Royal Navy and the Napoleonic wars
HMS Terror Real ship
The Terror (2018)
Created by David Kajganich and Soo Hugh
Starring Jared Harris, Tobias Menzies, Paul Ready
Captain Francis Crozier's ship, the second vessel of the Franklin expedition. The crew abandon it and march south over the ice.
The Marea scene Crozier on the ice beside the frozen Terror, men hauling sledges away from the ship.
On set Sets at Origo Studios, Budapest, with extensive visual effects; the real wreck was found in 2016.
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Slave ships
Lord Ligonier Real ship
Roots (1977)
Created by Marvin J. Chomsky, John Erman, David Greene, Gilbert Moses
Starring LeVar Burton, Ed Asner, Ralph Waite
Kunta Kinte is taken from the Gambia aboard the Lord Ligonier to Annapolis in 1767. Ed Asner plays Captain Thomas Davies, a man troubled by the trade he commands. Based on the book by Alex Haley.
The Marea scene Captain Davies alone on the quarterdeck of the Lord Ligonier at sea, the ship under full sail.
On set A sailing ship used for filming.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Slave ships
Madagascar Real ship
Amazing Grace (2006)
Directed by Michael Apted
Starring Ioan Gruffudd, Albert Finney, Benedict Cumberbatch, Romola Garai
The story of William Wilberforce's campaign to end the British slave trade. In one scene he takes society guests on a pleasure boat alongside a slaver in harbour so they can see and smell what the trade means; Albert Finney plays John Newton, a former slave ship captain.
The Marea scene A small pleasure boat full of guests in fine clothes drawn up beside a dark slave ship in a quiet harbour.
On set Tall ships Kaskelot, Earl of Pembroke, Johanna Lucretia and Phoenix were used for harbour scenes.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Slave ships
Brig Orleans Real ship
12 Years a Slave (2013)
Directed by Steve McQueen
Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Lupita Nyong'o, Benedict Cumberbatch
After being kidnapped in Washington in 1841, Solomon Northup is shipped south aboard the brig Orleans with other captives to be sold in New Orleans, where he plans an uprising with fellow prisoners that never takes place.
The Marea scene The brig at sea off the Virginia coast, the paddle of a small boat alongside.
On set A sailing vessel filmed in Louisiana.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Slave ships
Zong Real ship
Belle (2013)
Directed by Amma Asante
Starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Tom Wilkinson, Sam Reid, Emily Watson
Dido Elizabeth Belle, raised in the household of Lord Mansfield, becomes involved as he weighs the insurance case over the Zong, whose crew threw more than 130 enslaved Africans overboard in 1781. The ship is the subject of the court case rather than shown at sea.
The Marea scene A young clerk reading the Zong papers in Lord Mansfield's library at Kenwood House.
On set Not shown at sea; the real Zong was a Liverpool owned slaver.
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Slave ships
Lord Ligonier Real ship
Roots (2016)
Created by Phillip Noyce, Mario Van Peebles, Thomas Carter, Bruce Beresford
Starring Malachi Kirby, Forest Whitaker, Anna Paquin
The remake follows Kunta Kinte across the Atlantic aboard the Lord Ligonier, including a failed rising by the captives, to his sale at Annapolis.
The Marea scene The ship under sail on an open Atlantic, sailors aloft in the rigging.
On set Ship and sets used for filming.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Television series
Sultana Fictional
The Buccaneers (1956)
Created by Hannah Weinstein and Sidney Cole
Starring Robert Shaw, Peter Hammond, Brian Rawlinson, Paul Hansard
The Sultana is the ship of Captain Dan Tempest, a reformed pirate who sails from Nassau in 1722 with a crew of former buccaneers on behalf of the Crown. Every one of the 39 episodes turns on her voyages.
The Marea scene Robert Shaw as Dan Tempest standing at the rail of the Sultana, cutlass in hand, as she closes on a pirate prize.
On set A real schooner based at Falmouth, Cornwall, with a reproduction of part of her built in a studio corner.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Television series
Ghost Fictional
Der Seewolf (1971)
Created by Wolfgang Staudte
Starring Raimund Harmstorf, Edward Meeks
The four part German television adaptation of Jack London's The Sea-Wolf puts the brutal Captain Wolf Larsen aboard his sealing schooner Ghost. It became one of the most famous German TV productions of its era.
The Marea scene Raimund Harmstorf's Wolf Larsen crushing a potato in his fist in the Ghost's galley.
On set Played by the Romanian motor schooner Speranța, converted in Brăila in 1970 from the 90 ton fishing vessel Jirlău; she sank at Constanța in winter 1980 and was scrapped in 1983.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Television series
Niobe Fictional
Graf Luckner (Die Abenteuer des Grafen Luckner) (1971)
Created by Theodor Grädler and others (German French co-production)
Starring Heinz Weiss
Loosely inspired by the real sea adventurer Felix Graf von Luckner, the series follows the captain on voyages between the two World Wars, from Hamburg to the Caribbean, South America and Australia, in his sailing ship Niobe.
The Marea scene Captain Luckner on the quarterdeck of the Niobe as she enters a Caribbean harbour under sail.
On set Played by the French barquentine Amphitrite, built in Southampton in 1887, then home ported at Port Grimaud.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Television series
Charlotte Rhodes Real ship
The Onedin Line (1971)
Created by Cyril Abraham
Starring Peter Gilmore, Anne Stallybrass, Howard Lang, Jessica Benton
The Charlotte Rhodes is James Onedin's first ship, the vessel with which the ambitious Liverpool captain founds his shipping line in the 1860s. She carries the early seasons of the BBC saga.
The Marea scene Captain James Onedin at the wheel of the Charlotte Rhodes as she beats out of the Mersey under full sail.
On set Played by a real schooner of the same name, built in 1904 at Fjellebroen, Denmark; she appeared from 1971 to 1976 and was destroyed by arson in the Netherlands in October 1979. Other real tall ships in the series included Søren Larsen, Christian Radich, Statsraad Lehmkuhl, Kathleen and May and Sagres.
Photo: Wikipedia
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Television series
Duncan Fictional
V poiskakh kapitana Granta (In Search of Captain Grant) (1986)
Created by Stanislav Govorukhin
Starring Nikolai Yeremenko Jr., Lembit Ulfsak, Vladimir Smirnov, Boris Khmelnitsky
The Soviet miniseries of Jules Verne's novel follows Lord Glenarvan's yacht Duncan around the world in search of the shipwrecked Captain Grant. Verne himself appears as a character framing the story.
The Marea scene Paganel peering through his telescope from the deck of the Duncan as the coast of Patagonia appears.
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Television series
Turtle ship (geobukseon) Real ship
Immortal Admiral Yi Sun-sin (Bulmyeolui Yi Sun-sin) (2004)
Created by Lee Sung-joo and Kim Jung-gyu (KBS1)
Starring Kim Myung-min, Choi Jae-sung, Lee Jae-ryong
The 104 episode KBS epic tells the life of Admiral Yi Sun-sin and his campaigns against the Japanese invasions of 1592 to 1598, in which his armoured turtle ships played a legendary part.
The Marea scene Admiral Yi on the deck of his flagship as the dragon headed turtle ship rams into the Japanese fleet.
Photo: Feth, GPL
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Television series
Queen Anne's Revenge Real ship
Blackbeard (2006)
Created by Kevin Connor
Starring Angus Macfadyen, Mark Umbers, Jessica Chastain, Richard Chamberlain
Blackbeard's flagship carries him through the Caribbean as he hunts for Captain Kidd's treasure, pursued by Lieutenant Robert Maynard. The miniseries tells the pirate's last years around New Providence.
The Marea scene Blackbeard, fuses smoking in his beard, standing on the deck of the Queen Anne's Revenge as Maynard's men close in.
On set Played by the brig replica Lady Washington (home port Aberdeen, Washington, still sailing), which also played Hook's Jolly Roger in Once Upon a Time and HMS Interceptor in Pirates of the Caribbean.
Photo: Miso Beno, CC BY-SA 3.0
Pirates and the Age of Sail · Wreckers
Wrecked merchant ship Fictional
Jamaica Inn (1939)
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Starring Charles Laughton, Maureen O'Hara, Robert Newton
A gang of Cornish wreckers based at Jamaica Inn lure ships onto the rocks with false lights and murder the survivors. Mary Yellan discovers that their leader is the local squire.
The Marea scene The wreckers' false lantern on the cliff as a ship drives onto the rocks below.
On set Model ship and studio tank.
Photo: Wikipedia
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