I wouldn’t say she’s old. The Surprise is not old; no one would call her old. She has a bluff bow, lovely lines. She's a fine sea-boat: weatherly, stiff and fast... very fast, if she's well handled. No, she's not old; she's in her prime.

"...after all, Surprise is on our side." A magnificent film, and a beautiful star!

Master and Commander is in that rare pantheon of films that I find to be perfect. There is literally nothing wrong about it. More of them would have been great in theory but...maybe it's fitting there is only the one. Without Peter Weir in total control I wouldn't trust the final product.

A real pity they didn’t make more movies from the source. The movie only scratched the surface of the source material. That’s one beautiful ship.

That magnificent ship is now Immortalized by that magnificent movie !

Time to rewatch Master and Commander 😊😂

I have immensely enjoyed this movie. So natural, so evidently true, just great. A shame that there was no second one to follow up!

I have been lucky to be onboard the Surprise many times.

I spent many a year visiting this ship. I miss her so.

Master and Commander is one of my all time favorite movies. I have the DVD and have watched it maybe 2 dozen times over the years.

I certainly hope to get to San Diego in the not too distant future. I've been aboard Star of India when she was the only ship there. I really enjoy "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World." My family doesn't because the battle scenes are too loud. They just can't accept that battle at sea is VERY loud.

I’ve gotten on the ship down in San Diego and the biggest impression was how small it was on deck and below deck. Being on a ship like that for months at a time is an experience that’s hard to imagine.

"No, she's not old; she's in her prime" -Captain Jack Aubrey.

My favorite movie and my favorite ship!! THREE CHEERS FOR LUCKY JACK!! 😄

A beautiful ship with incredible history.....thanks to the ship builders and refurbishes and especially thanks to Patrick O'Brian who brought up wonderful stories on board HMS Surprise.

Ships like her are like a good whiskey, they get better with age. These ships, even though they're replicas, capture a snapshot of a time forgotten. A time before fossil fuels, a time before the huge floating iron boxes we call ships today. I wish I won the lottery, I would set up a cruise line with a difference!. I'd set up one where it's like a working holiday, the passengers must play their role in crewing and sailing a sailing ship. Much more interesting than sitting next to a pool for two weeks catching Salmonella from the buffet, no, I would rather do something, be a part of something, and sailing, everyone is a part of the job, everyone must cooperate, or that ship is not going to reach it's destination. The HMS Surprise is a beautiful ship, she has soul and life, a spark in her eyes, where a lot of modern ships seem 'depressed'. I LOVE that sound of creaking wood whenever you're around a sailing ship. The creaking wood and the sound of the ship's bell chiming slowly with the gentle rolling of the water, the sound of the wind filling the sails, it gives me the image of redcoats clambering over the decks with their spyglasses, shouting 'SAIL!' 'SAIL!' or 'LAND!' etc lol, or pirates waving swords or traders sailing the seven seas, bringing exotic spices, fabrics and animals etc from all over the world.

You know the ship is in safe hands when the geezer looking after the refit has a beard like that! Just needs a pipe filled with tobacco laced with a dash of Navy rum :-)

So glad they are looking after the Surprise. It's a great looking ship. I remember first seeing her docked on Shelter Island as the Rose. No way it looked like a replica ship. Thru and thru she was the real thing. It was going thru hard financial times before it was acquired by the Museum. Then the Museum didn't have the funds to keep her up properly. Then covid brought the Museum to its knees. Now she is on the mend. She never got up to full sail in the movie because of light wind. Maybe someday she will get a bone in her teeth once again. Nothing like a tall ship under full sail.

I remember when I used to visit my family in Connecticut and the Rose was anchored in Bridgeport. Every year they used to turn one of the decks into a haunted house. One of the coolest experiences EVER. So glad to see the ship alive and well

Thank you for bringing us news of this majestic Lady!

It will always be one of my most favorite films, masterpiece! The characters, the ambiance, the uniforms, the story. I hope when the world is turning a little normal again this or next year they will make some great historical movies of the napoleonic/regency age!

i was on this ship right after it was built. i worked for Hood Sailmakers back in the 60's when they made all the sails for the ship. at the time the name of the ship was the Rose. the Rose was docked at Newport Rhode Island and was used as a training ship. the last time i was on it they had it up for sale for the price of $100,000, a little while later they took it for the movie and changed the name to Surprise.

Master and Commander was such a great movie. They left it wide open for a sequel but failed to follow through. What a shame.

They should have made more of the Master and commander movies. full stop.

Russell Crowe would appreciate all of you are doing to keep the HMS Surprise in top shape! Hope he does a sequel!

Who else thinks Swanny is a bloody legend! He'd be a fantastic educator. Maturin would approve.

Great little tour. Thanks for showing us around! I'll be sure to drop a ten-spot in the jar next time I'm down in SD.

I am really happy you guys are still taking good care of this ship, 20 years after the movie. I recently finished the books and it is a special gift to know that the Surprise is still afloat.

I’m not sure what I was expecting when I clicked into this story, but I’ve been a fan of wooden warships since I read my first CS Forester Hornblower novel in 10th grade. It’s fantastic to see the Museum taking such wonderful care of this ship. I especially enjoyed Mr. Swanson’s tour of the work going on in restoring the decks-it’s wonderful to see that modern technology can be applied to keep a vintage artifact like this ship in good, even better-than-original condition. And I’m sure that the Museum staff and volunteers are happy to not have to holystone the deck every day, as Mr. Swanson mentioned!!

I was lucky to have the chance to sail on ROSE as a trainee in 1992 from Puerto Rico via Philadelphia to Bridgeport and back to New York to take part in the final parade. It was a 4-week journey I will never forget. Regards to Captain Richard Bailey for this experience. Heino von Tettenborn, Munich/Germany

Thanks very much for taking care of Rose/Surprise. Patrick O'Brian's novels are classics too, great stories which take the reader around the world.

"Yes, I am a pirate two hundred years too late The cannons don't thunder there's nothin' to plunder I'm an over forty victim of fate Arriving too late, arriving too late" Jimmy Buffet

I HAVE to visit!!!!

If you have read the Jack Aubrey books, research Thomas Cochrane, he was the real life Jack Aubrey of his day

In 2024, the Surprise is severily weathered. Hopefully they will do a complete dry dock restoration.

" And over here we can see the...SAW ! BANG ! WHIZZ ! SAW ! SAW ! CRASH ! BANG !.. all the time, yes "

Loved the movie....this was very interesting.

Look forward to a visit!

"Never mind the manoeuvres, just go straight at 'em."

That's the future, what a fascinating modern age we live in.

When our cruise ship docked nearby we visited your ship and enjoyed it. Thanks

Now that’s a nice surprise

This is exactly why tradesmen are so important

Although there was an HMS Surprise, the film "Master and Commander" is based on HMS Phoebe. The mission shown in the film was the pursuit of USS Essex, a 'privateer' appointed by the US Government in 1812 to take 'prizes' (ie British merchant ships) in the Caribbean - pursuant of the War of 1812. Both ships in the company of sloops, the Phoebe chased the Essex around Cape Horn to Valparaiso Bay in the Pacific. There, in an action Phoebe captured the Essex, and then sailed her home as a prize! My forebear, then Midshipman Gardiner was an officer in the prize crew, having distinguished himself in the action. He then went on to command a similar frigate around the Pacific, landing in Chile. In 1830, Gardiner was "beached" as many warships were 'laid up' after peace had broken out. There is more about Alan Francis Gardiner (1799-1851) on U Tube.

Surprise is on our side.

That's AMAZING!!! So cool!!!

I was SURPRISED by this

Hey Crowe, stop killing off your best characters ! Including Maximus ! When we want a sequel , the leads are all dead ! 😆💰❤️ 👍 LIVE 👍LIVE 👍 LIVE......😆

Glad to see the cannon still on the gun deck.

when the suprise have nice wood (naval action) i love this ship !

I did not know that ship was in SD! I gotta go see her.

Excellent mate 👍👍👍

thank you so much for the restoration work hope to see the ship in person in near future.

BRILLIANT, loved it what a great vid

Wonderful!

She is in her prime.

So cool. Thx for sharing

Very interesting and a very professionally made video!!! You make the best!!!

I am looking forward to making a visit to the Surprise soon!

Loved the movie, just trying to comprehend what life must have been like for the crew. This was such a wonderful video and great craftsmanship to rejuvenate her beauty. I would have love to have participated in the restoration of the the deck. Beautiful

I didn't see Killick. Maybe he was polishing the silver again.

Master & Commander is the perfect film. Makes me feel so proud to be British 🇬🇧❤

Nicely done that new deck!

Fantastic work !!!

it was also used in Pirates of the Caribbean 4 (2011)

Possibly the best movie

so bloody cool...

I was a crew member of the Lady Washington, and I now NEED to at LEAST board the hms surprise

The figurehead needs to have more of a surprised look on its face.

The real HMS Surprise was a captured French corvette Unite which was famous for recapturing HMS Hermione from the Spanish when Hermione mutinied and the crew slaughtered her officers.

Very good all going a shore.

Bellizimo. Precioso. Increible

I like this ship since 2003

Nice to see she's being well looked after, I served as a Marine on HMS Victory in 89 and the dockyard shipwrights were using similar techniques on her top deck as well. On a side note I believe powder monkeys got their name not only due to their small size and gunsmoke blackened faces but also due to them scrambling up nets, by that I mean during battle the biggest threat was from splinters so all unnecessary wooden items were stored below in the hold. This included the steps/gangways between decks and in their place rope climbing nets were rigged, subsequently you'd see boys with powder charges from the magazine below scurrying up the nets 'tween decks' like monkeys to get to their guns.

I live in San Diego and see it all the time.

I have watched Master and Commander 50+ times. I think they rushed in and made a holy mess. The acting and characters are awesome, as is most of the photography. Yet the movie in no way does justice to the stories told in Patrick O’Brian’s legacy. Were I rich I would spare no expence an create an epic over 10 movies.

I have a photo of HMS Surprise under sail in the foreground with USS Ronald Reagan in the background taken one sunny day off San Diego. I use it as a screen saver on my computer both at work and at home. People don't believe me when I tell them it isn't Photoshopped. Surprise is still a beautiful Lady. It's good to see that she is being well taken care of. USN retired. No, I've never been aboard the Reagan.

it would be nice after all the refit, they should use it as a training ship again. that was what they used it for when it was the Rose.

So beautiful

So fascinating! So much skill with everyone!! :) Thank you so much! Wish i could learn from Swanny :)

Thankyou have see old ship 👍🙏

The yanks have taken the surprise Let’s get her back (I wonder if victory could handle sailing,and I’m sure there is a new HMS bounty in Whitby sooooooo.......) 😂

Great Video! Love this movie, and have heard the books are great as well

Was there an actual ship used as the Acheron, just recently watched the movie again, one of the best ever made.

I have some photos or her before she was HMS Surprise, she was a replica of HMS Rose and i have photos of her in the Careenage in Bridgetown Barbados. Love the movie and yes , think they could have done more with it, maybe even a series.

I was playing a game called naval action and my first 5th rate ever was a french ai Surprise and i took it! Shes been with me since i got her weve takening other 5th rates down abunch of 6th rates elite navy rattlesnaks and elite navy brigs iv helped 3rd rates sink even more ships. Shes been a faithful companion and im glad that her real world counter part is still kicking and i hope she lasts even longer!

Neat to see. An ancestor of mine was a powder monkey on the USS Constitution. Died from splinters against the Java.

Heard their making a prequel!

Where did all the officers sleep? In the movie, the doctor/naturalist seems to have a special cabin, where he analyzes the specimens he collected, where would that be? And the kitchen?

I'm overjoyed that Surprise is still well and sailing, just sad that they didn't use the soundtrack from the movie 😂

I hope you call the carpenter, "Chips". : )

7:00 How many times a day during the tour do you think someone cracks that "lesser of two weevils" pun when they get to that room?

If you enjoy wooden boat building you'll love Samson Boat Company on KZfaq. Fantastic craftsmanship.

GOD, HOW I'D LOVE TO DO THIS STUFF. PITTY IS THAT I KNOW HOW TO.

You here and see people in movies talk about their vessels having a soul. For some reason this ship proves that to be true. Vessels which show signs of being used just have that little something.

I expect they will paint the topsides white or pale grey if she’s going to lay alongside a quay for a long period, as it will stop the hull planking heating up. I know white’s not a traditional colour but black paintwork can get very hot in the sun, causing the planks to expand in the heat leading to fresh water getting in and the dreaded rot. I hope they make another Master and Commander film one day.

Just saw this beautiful ship had a hell of an accident against the breakwall. Hope the ship is ok.

If I may ask, what is the topside decking material? I think I recognize it from a display at an Annapolis boat show, but its been a few years.

Was this the at one time called HMS Rose That was in Black Rock CT. for many years being refitted? If so I remember her well.

“Stand tall on the quarter deck, son”