HMS Surprise at the San Diego Maritime Museum - 2008

Again, this is from the Maritime Museum of San Diego, aka the Star of India. Quick explanation of the place (and some really neat interior ferry pictures!) and a link to other adventures here.

Perhaps the most impressive ship at the museum was the HMS Surprise, as seen in Master and Commander (and evidently it was the Providence in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides?). It's a replica of a 1700s British sailing ship.

It's also where my profile picture came from!



This was around 4 PM late November.


From outside:


If no one had done this before, there wouldn't be a sign...






The number of lines on the ship is RIDICULOUS.


For some reason 2008 Julie said:
"The lines on a ship aren't labeled, but if you ask a sailor new to your ship to find a particular line, the odds are very good that they will find it on the first try.  :)  The lines tend to be in the same place on every ship, of course, and I'm sure they see where the lines run to and stuff."




The ship was originally named the Rose, but it was re-christened after its role in Master and Commander.


Displays below deck!

This "powder monkey" does look pretty happy, despite his stump-hands.


They explained "knots"--around 1600 they came up with a "chip log" that would float in a fixed position if thrown overboard. So they threw it overboard and reeled out a knotted line to measure how many 48-foot-spaced "knots" the ship traveled in 28 seconds.

Tools to measure speed:


They had a few notes on grog (rum and water--dates back to 1740 from the Royal Navy) and salmagundi (a gross-sounding stew).



Also info on hardtack (also gross). They noted that men often ate in the dark so they wouldn't see the weevils in their hard tack!


Captain's room! I had probably a minute here all to myself. It was amazing.






Movie costumes if you were interested.


This was where they'd keep the chickens (and as the voyage progressed, presumably eat some). It must be late in the voyage....just one hen (and one rat!).


The first sailor to circumnavigate the globe twice was a GOAT! I'd assume a female goat. (And as C.S. Lewis informed us in "Voyage of the Dawn Treader," the smellier parts in a sailing ship would be kept in the FRONT.


Ammunition:


Weapons:


Looking out at the cruise ships.


Outside!


Anyway, it's a lovely ship, full of exhibits. Pretty sure there was a whole deck below the deck I was on, too, but that wasn't accessible to guests.



Next Monday, inside a Russian submarine!