#tallships

A note on some of the references used:

Yes, his uniform is modeled after the regency era British uniform, taking especial inspiration from a portrait of Captain Gilbert Heathcote.

The design for his ship-of-the-line references three real ships, including the HMS Victory for her distinctive curved prow, because it was good at ramming things and I thought it might work well with some Gan-ish motifs.

The pose reference is from the 1995 BBC adaptation of Persuasion, which source text is the whole reason this AU exists. I highly reccomend both the novel and the movie if you’re not familiar.

Oh and the portraits from last year’s event are here

Star of India

The Star of India is perhaps the most noticeable vessel of the fleet, as it makes it seem like there is suddenly a barque driving down the road next to you.

Built in 1863 on the Isle of Man, the iron-hulled ship was originally christened Euterpe and sailed as a full-rigged cargo ship. In 1901, she was purchased by the Alaska Packers Association (the Balclutha in San Francisco also sailed for this company) converted to a barque, and sailed for them until 1923. The Star of India was laid up for many years after her retirement, until money was raised for her restoration. Today, the Star of India is the oldest active sailing ship in the world. She houses exhibits along with her restored original cabins, and when I was there she held an exhibit on sea monsters, as you'll see in the pictures. :)

According to my friend, this is sort of close to a liopleurodon skeleton, but made up to be more of a generic "sea beast" skeleton. Below is apparently an archelon, and not just Big Turtle.

San Salvador

The San Salvador is a replica of Portuguese "explorer" Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo's flagship galleon. Cabrillo was the first European to explore and describe (and also claim land) along the California coast in 1542. The Maritime Museum of San Diego built this replica of the full-rigged galleon between 2011 and 2015, which now hosts regular sightseeing tours around San Diego Bay as well as traveling up and down the California coast. You can also make a paper model of this ship, if you want.

Berkeley

The Berkeley is a propeller steam ferry, launched in 1898. She was the first propeller-driven steam ferry on the West Coast when she began regular service in the San Francisco Bay. She operated as a ferryboat for sixty years, and was removed from service in 1958. She was purchased by a ferryboat enthusiast, who used her as a gift shop for many years before selling her to the Maritime Museum in 1973. Today, the Berkeley serves as the main building of the museum, which is why the pictures are not quite as dramatic on the inside--it is entirely things like museum exhibits, a restaurant, and bathrooms.

I was unable to access the higher deck of the Berkeley when I attended, the reason for which can be noted in this last photo.

HMS Surprise

The ship currently called HMS Surprise was originally built in 1970 be a replica of a 18th-century Royal Navy frigate called HMS Rose. The Rose spent years as a sail training vessel before being sold to 20th Century Fox and undergoing extensive modification to become the set of the film Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, as Captain Aubrey's HMS Surprise. The Surprise has been with the Maritime Museum since 2004, but has also appeared in the film Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides. Today, she continues to be a detailed reconstruction of a Royal Navy frigate, and is filled with easter eggs from the film Master and Commander.

Little bonuses: the Californian and Medea.

I don't have enough photos of either of these for a full section.

The Medea was built in 1904 to be a luxury steam yacht, originally used for hunting trips and excursions around the Scottish coast. She was converted into a convoy escort vessel for use of the French Navy in World War I, and then served in the British Navy in World War II. In 1971, she was purchased and restored to her original use, before being donated to the Maritime Museum in 1973.

[Loud cannon noise warning!]

The Californian is the state tall ship of California. She was built in 1984 and launched during the Summer Olympic games of that year. She is a replica of a 19th-century revenue cutter, and carries passengers on both day sails and multi-day voyages.

In this video, she is firing her cannons as she returns from a day sail. She has already fired one cannon, setting off seemingly every car alarm in San Diego, and fires a second in the video.

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