- "So this is the famed HMS Endeavour. It looks larger than life."
- ―Pirate captain
The HMS Endeavour was the flagship of Lord Cutler Beckett of the East India Trading Company. The Endeavour led the EITC Armada during the War Against Piracy. Beckett maintained an expansive cabin in the Endeavour, which contained a large globe to complement the map of the world that was painted in his office in Port Royal.
History[]
Headquarters of Beckett[]
- "What is the East India Trading Company doing in the Caribbean?"
"Well, we are East of India. Just the long way around. After all, when goods do not cross borders, then armies will." - ―Will Turner and Cutler Beckett
The HMS Endeavour was a first rate ship of the line, notable for its service as the flagship of the East India Trading Company.[1] It was specifically commissioned and paid for by the EITC as an enforcement vessel to protect the financial interest in all their other ships,[5] though the prefix HMS and the blue commissioning pennant on the mainmast also indicated a service in the British Royal Navy. With three enclosed gun decks and a fourth exposed gun deck the Endeavour carried over 100 guns, making it one of the most dangerous vessels on the Seven Seas.
The Endeavour ferried Lord Cutler Beckett to Port Royal for the arrest of William Turner, Elizabeth Swann, and James Norrington. It remained moored at the harbor while Beckett asserted himself in command of Port Royal.[1]
When Beckett assumed control of Davy Jones and the Flying Dutchman, the Dead Man's Chest was brought aboard the Endeavour with Jones’ heart inside, though it was ultimately returned to the Flying Dutchman to keep Jones under a tighter leash and to ensure he acts in the interests of the company. Former commodore James Norrington was stationed onboard the Endeavour, during which time he was promoted to Admiral for the Company's naval forces, making the Endeavour his flagship. It was on the Endeavour that Norrington was reunited with his sword from his days serving in the Royal Navy.[3]
Flagship against Piracy[]
Temporary capture of the Black Pearl[]
- "I'm sorry, Jack. But there is an old friend who wants to see you first."
"I'm not certain I can survive anymore visits from old friends."
"Here is your chance to find out." - ―Sao Feng and Jack Sparrow
Jack Sparrow was later brought aboard the Endeavour when Sao Feng betrayed the crew of the Black Pearl. Upon arrival, Beckett and Jack struck a deal after much jostling and bargaining. Jack Sparrow asked Beckett to square his debt with Jones and guarantee his freedom. In exchange, Jack promised to give the location of Shipwreck Island to Beckett.[3]
However, just as the deal was almost sealed, the Black Pearl, now back under pirate command launched a broadside on the Endeavour, damaging it and allowing Sparrow a chance to escape, without giving time for the Endeavour to return fire with her 55 gun broadside. He shook Beckett's hand, quickly finalizing their accords, then he rigged a cannon to launch him onto the Black Pearl, and at the same time damaging the Endeavour's mainmast, causing it to collapse, crippling the vessel and ensuring it wouldn’t be able to immediately follow the Pearl, allowing Sparrow and the rest of his crew to safely escape and rendezvous with the Brethren Court.[3]
Battle with the pirates[]
- "The armada's still out there, the Endeavours coming up hard to starboard, and I think it's time we embrace that oldest and noblest of pirate traditions."
- ―Joshamee Gibbs to Jack Sparrow in the Battle of Calypso's maelstrom
The vessel was ultimately repaired, and, with the aid of William Turner, Beckett charted a course to Shipwreck Island. With the armada assembled, the Endeavour acted as the flagship of the fleet, though it would be the Flying Dutchman that would lead the fleet into battle against the Pirate Lords. The Endeavour hung back while the Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchman fought in Calypso's Maelstrom, entering the battle on Beckett's order only when (unknown to Beckett) Davy Jones was killed by Turner and the Flying Dutchman sunk.[3]
Disregarding his deal with Jack, Beckett ordered that the Endeavour's guns be run out, and move to attack the Pearl. Suddenly, the Flying Dutchman rose from the ocean, now captained by William Turner, and joined the Black Pearl in assaulting the Endeavour in a double broadside from either side, pummeling her with cannon fire.[3]
Beckett, knowing he was out-played and utterly out-maneuvered, froze in shock. His officers could only watch as the pride of the EITC was devastated before their eyes. Although the Endeavour possessed more than enough guns to obliterate both ships, the shock of having the Dutchman turn against him made Beckett unable to give any order to fight back. Theodore Groves, seeing that Beckett could not give any orders, ordered the crew to abandon ship. However, Beckett simply descended onto the deck as the vessel was slowly blown apart in front of him, and was consumed by the explosion of the powder magazine that destroyed the Endeavour. The remains of the vessel were left to slowly sink under the waves.[3]
Design and appearance[]
- "Lord Beckett’s flagship and the symbol of the Crown’s power, HMS Endeavour is the most impressive warship on the sea."
- ―Unknown
Originally a ship of the King's Navy, the HMS Endeavour was a first rate ship of the line. Mounting one hundred and ten cannons, the Endeavour represented the power of the East India Trading Company, particularly its Director and head of the Armada, Lord Cutler Beckett. She carried thirty cannons on her lower deck, thirty cannons on her middle deck, and twenty-eight cannons on her upper deck. Six cannons were located on her stern, right below the quarterdeck, close to Cutler Beckett's cabin. She also had four cannons on the main deck near the mainmast, two cannons on the forecastle, very close to the foremast, two bow chasers, and two cannons on the quarterdeck, right behind the helm. Despite her great firepower, the Endeavour was slower in comparison with other ships, like the Black Pearl.
The rigging of the HMS Endeavour consisted of three masts: the fore, the mizzen, and the main. The ship was propelled by fifteen sails. The foremast was rigged with a fore course, a fore topsail, and a fore topgallant sail, the mainmast with a main course, a main topsail, and a main topgallant sail, and the mizzenmast with a spanker, a mizzen topsail, and a mizzen topgallant sail. There was also a spritsail on the bowsprit. Main staysail and main topgallant staysail were spread between the main mast and the foremast, fore topmast staysail and inner jib between the foremast and the bowsprit, and the mizzen topmast staysail between the mizzen mast and the main mast.
The Endeavour was decorated with symbols of the English monarchy, boldly proclaiming the ship's allegiance to the Crown of England. The Endeavour's figurehead showed an English lion and a Scottish unicorn holding together a red shield with three identical gold lions, the Royal Arms of England. The masthead pennant flying from the top of the mainmast reflected the fact that the Endeavour was a ship of war, signifying its status of a commissioned Royal Navy warship that belonged to the blue squadron. The giant EITC flag flying from the stern flagstaff revealed the Endeavour's position in the fleet of the East India Company - that of Lord Beckett's flagship.
Behind the scenes[]
- For filming At World's End, fully half of the Endeavour was constructed for filming in Grand Bahama Island. However, most of the Endeavour was added by CG imagery.[6][7] The lavish Endeavour captain's cabin was built on Walt Disney Studios soundstages.[6]
- The design of Cutler Beckett's cabin reflected his vaunted view of himself as someone taking over the entire world. "There's sort of a Chaplinesque Great Dictator aspect to Beckett,” says Rick Heinrichs, "which we can see in the huge globe that's in his cabin, kind of a counterpart to the big map of the world that's in his Port Royal office. On Beckett's desk in the cabin are toy ships and navigational devices which intentionally resemble instruments of torture. He not only has the world in a vise, but he's going to flay it as well."[6]
- The Endeavour is given the designation "HMS" in the 2006 rough draft of Dead Man's Chest screenplay–though here it uses the US spelling, "Endeavor". The spelling of "Endeavor" was also used in the Pirates of the Caribbean Monopoly game and The Journey to World's End: Storybook with Compass. The ship was officially called HMS Endeavour in the At World's End comic book, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End: The Movie Storybook, the Pirates of the Caribbean PocketModel game, and the video game Pirates of the Caribbean: Tides of War.
- The HMS Endeavour appears in the Pirates of the Caribbean PocketModel game, but there she has only 22 cannons on one gun deck and flies the Blue Ensign instead of the EITC flag.
- The HMS Endeavour was likely named after the HMS Endeavour, an British Navy research vessel commanded by the explorer James Cook in the mid-1700s (1768 to 1771).
Appearances[]
- Pirates of the Caribbean Online (Mentioned only)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (First appearance)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (First identified as Endeavour)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (video game)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (comic) (First identified as HMS Endeavour)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (junior novelization)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End: The Movie Storybook
- Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (Penguin Readers)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Tides of War
- Pirates of the Caribbean PocketModel game
- LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game (Non-canonical appearance)
- Kingdom Hearts III (Non-canonical appearance)
Sources[]
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 DisneyPirates.com - Archived
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
- ↑ Pirates of the Caribbean PocketModel game
- ↑ 2020 Interview with Terry Rossio
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 POTC3 Presskit
- ↑ Video:ILM - Pushing the VFX Envelope on Pirates 3
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East India Trading Company ships in Pirates of the Caribbean | ||
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British Royal Navy ships in Pirates of the Caribbean | ||
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