Black Pearl

Pirates of the Caribbean ship
name = "Black Pearl"


caption =
captained by = Jack Sparrow—3 years total (rightful Captain)
Hector Barbossa—10 years (due to a mutiny against Jack Sparrow)
ship type = East Indiaman
weapons = 32 cannons
appearances = "
"
sails = jib, forestaysail, foresail, foretopsail, foretopgallant, mainsail, topsail, topgallantsail, mizen course (lateen sail), mizentopsail, main staysail, topmast staysail, topgallant staysail.The "Black Pearl", originally HEIC "Wicked Wench", is a fictional ship in ', ', and "". The "Black Pearl" is easily recognised by her distinctive black hull and sails. This turns out to be an advantage in more than one way. Not only do the black sails act as a sort of intimidation tactic, but the "Pearl's" crew can put out the deck lamps for added stealth at night. The ship was originally named "Wicked Wench" before she was ordered burned and sunk by Lord BeckettFact|date=July 2008. It was later raised from the sea floor by Davy Jones after making a pact with Jack Sparrow who rechristened her the "Black Pearl". She is said to be, "nigh uncatchable". Indeed, in the three films she either overtakes or flees all other ships, including the "Interceptor" (regarded as the fastest ship in the Caribbean) and the "Flying Dutchman" (which is actually faster against the wind). Her speed is derived from the large amount of sails she carries. She is noted in "At World's End" as being "The only ship as wot (which) can outrun the Flying Dutchman."

Disney wanted to rename the "Wicked Wench" on the ride to "Black Pearl" but were denied licensing rights.Fact|date=April 2007

There is actually a ship named "The Black Pearl"; a brigantine located in Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA. [ [http://www.amschooner.org/node/156 Brigantine Black Pearl - I need information | American Schooner Association ] ]

The "Black Pearl" is one of the locations that can be visited in the Port Royal world of Kingdom Hearts II.

In Icewind Dale II, the player's party begins its quest aboard a Luskan vessel called the "Wicked Wench".

Background

Originally named the "Wicked Wench" (the "Wicked Wench" is the ship from the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, which is shown shelling a fort), the "Black Pearl" was a ship that was registered to the East India Trading Co. and owned by Lord Cutler Beckett. It was commissioned to Jack Sparrow, who was asked to bring some cargo over from Africa. However, when Captain Sparrow learned that the "cargo" was West African slaves, he set them free. The furious Beckett had the "Wench" sunk, removed Sparrow from his position, and branded him a pirate. Sparrow eventually grew to like his new position, but wanted his ship back. He made a deal with Davy Jones, captain of the "Flying Dutchman": if he would resurrect the "Wicked Wench", Jack would owe Jones his soul after being captain for thirteen years. Jones kept his end, and the resurrected ship was rechristened the "Black Pearl".

Jack then went to Tortuga to find a crew for his ship. Two years after, the "Pearl" was heading to the mysterious Isla de Muerta where the legendary "Chest of Cortés" was hidden. Captain and crew agreed to equal shares of the treasure, but First mate Barbossa persuaded Jack that equal shares included knowing the treasure's location. Jack complied, and soon after Barbossa led a mutiny and marooned Jack on an island.

The crew found the Aztec gold, which they quickly frittered away on food, drink and prostitutes, not believing in the curse placed on it by an ancient Aztec overlord: that anyone who stole the coins would become an undead being, unable to taste or feel anything, and that only Moonlight would reveal their true form. The cursed pirates were soon hideous living skeletons with tattered flesh and clothing clinging to their bones. Even the "Pearl" was affected by the curse upon its crew, becoming constantly shrouded in an eerie mist.

Appearances

"The Curse of the Black Pearl"

The curse could only be lifted when every coin was returned to the chest along with a trace of blood from each pirate who stole one. William "Bootstrap Bill" Turner, the only crew member who defended Jack during the mutiny, sent a coin to his young son Will Turner, believing the crew deserved to remain cursed. Barbossa, as Pintel put it, "strapped a cannon to old Bootstrap's bootstraps and the last we saw of old Bill Turner, he was sinking to the crushing black oblivion of Davy Jones' locker", in retaliation. Only later did they learn they also needed his blood to break the curse and had, in fact, doomed themselves to continued damnation. Over the next decade, the "Pearl" menaced the Caribbean as the pirates searched for the coins until all but one was found. As a boy, Will Turner brought the gold medallion with him on his journey to the Caribbean, although Elizabeth Swann, the governor's daughter, came into possession of it and kept it hidden. The "Pearl" later attacked Port Royal and abducted Elizabeth, believing she was Bootstrap's child—the only source of Turner blood.

The "Pearl" is eventually commandeered by Sparrow with a new crew. While its pirates are battling the Royal Navy at Isla de Muerta, the crew make off with the "Pearl", leaving Jack behind. However, they later rescue him after he escapes execution in Port Royal.

Between The First and Second Installments

The "Black Pearl" was pursued by Commodore James Norrington and the Royal Navy. Off of Tripoli, a large hurricane battered the "Pearl" (though she survived) and the "Dauntless", which sank, along with most of its crew. Norrington survived, and was discharged from the Navy in which he is seen as a pirate in Tortuga.

"Dead Man's Chest"

The "Black Pearl" is still being captained by Jack Sparrow, although his crew is not content with him; they want to do more "pirating" and are upset about the hurricane. Davy Jones sends Bootstrap Bill Turner to remind Jack that he owes his soul and the "Black Pearl" to Jones, and his time is now up. Jack is marked with the black spot, which means that the Kraken is now out to pull him and the ship into the Locker.

Jack has the ship sailed to the nearest land - Pelegosto, the cannibal island. Jack and the surviving crew escape the cannibals with Will Turner, and travel to Tia Dalma's shack for advice. When Jack sends Will over to the "Flying Dutchman", the "Pearl" is briefly commandeered by Jones' crew. Jack makes a deal with Jones: 100 souls in three days. The crew (minus Will, who is a good-faith payment) travel to Tortuga to find 99 more souls.

Jack meets Elizabeth and Norrington at Tortuga, and travels to Isla Cruces, the island where the "Dead Man's Chest" is buried. After Jack steals the Heart (which is stolen from him by Norrington) the "Black Pearl" is attacked by the Kraken and is heavily damaged. After figuring out that the Kraken is after Jack and not the "Black Pearl", Elizabeth kisses Jack, and (while she's kissing him) chains him to the ship and leaves him behind. He is swallowed whole by the kraken, and the ship is dragged down into Davy Jones' Locker as the surviving crew watches.

"At World's End"

Will, Elizabeth, the surviving "Pearl" crew and the newly resurrected Barbossa vow to rescue Jack and his ship. After acquiring navigational charts that will lead them to "World's End", the crew meets Jack in Davy Jones' Locker, along with the "Pearl". Jack uses a clue from the map (Up is Down) to return the "Pearl" to the Living World. They flip the ship upside down in the water at sunset, and it shoots up into the Living World at sunrise.

After the "Pearl" is resurrected, it is desired by many characters: Jack, as it is his ship; Barbossa, as it "was" his ship; Pintel, who just wanted to throw his name into the hat (and implied a future mutiny at the end of the film); Feng, who wants a new ship; Will, who desires to free his father from Jones; and Beckett, who wants the only ship that can outrun the "Dutchman". The "Pearl" sails to the fourth meeting of the "Brethren Court", and becomes the flagship of the Pirate Armada, led by Pirate King Elizabeth Swann and Jack Sparrow, the 'real' captain of the "Black Pearl".

The "Pearl" and the "Dutchman" engage in a sea battle in a maelstrom during the battle between the pirates and Lord Cutler Beckett's armada. The "Pearl" comes out of the maelstrom, alive but severely damaged. After the battle, the "Black Pearl" and the "Flying Dutchman" (now captained by Will Turner) sail alongside each other towards the East India Company Fleet and destroy the "Endeavour", killing Lord Cutler Beckett, and forcing the massive armada to flee, as they no longer have somebody to lead them.

Afterwards, Jack loses his ship and crew yet again to Barbossa, with the exception of Gibbs who ends up staying behind in Tortuga.

Armament

The "Black Pearl" is moderately armed, she carries 32 twelve-pound cannons: 18 on the gun deck and 14 on the upper deck. Its full broadside contains 16 cannonballs and weighs 192 lb (87 kg). Strangely, the "Pearl" has no bow chasers or stern chasers (cannons used while being chased or chasing, as one cannot use a regular broadside volley in this situation), which is very unusual for a pirate ship, giving her a grave tactical disadvantage during a chase; the "Pearl" isn’t able to shoot the ship she chases or to reply her hunter’s fire. Her high speed only partially negates this handicap. In "Dead Man's Chest" another advantage the "Black Pearl" has over her enemies is her ability to hide in the sea at night, if all the ship's lamps are blown out then the ship is no longer visible on the sea thanks to her black hull and sails. This is also seen in "Curse of the Black Pearl" where she is able to sneak into Port Royal under the cover of darkness, unhindered.Also, to allow the ship to maneuver in shallows, Captain Barbossa implemented an ingenious system of oars on one of the lower decks. It allowed a detachment of his pirates to act as a galley crew during one scene of The Curse of the Black Pearl, propelling the Pearl a short distance by rowing. She flies a jib, forestaysail, foresail, foretopsail, foretopgallant sail, mainsail, topsail, topgallant sail, mizzen lateen sail, mizzen topsail, main staysail, topmast staysail, topgallant staysail. It's unknown if she has studdingsails.

Filming

In the first movie, the "Black Pearl" was a steel barge with wooden structures built on top to resemble a real ship. In addition, a soundstage set was used to achieve better control over fog machines. For the second and third movies, a floating sailing ship was actually built in the shipyards at Bayou La Batre in Alabama on the hull of ship "Sunset" to serve as the set, though it is not an authentic tall ship. [ [http://www.keeptothecode.com/pdf/POTCprodnotes1.pdf Pirates of the Caribbean presskit] , accessed Dec 9, 2006] [ [http://www.the-bahama-islands.com/piratesofcaribbean.html Pirates of the Caribbean page at the-bahama-islands.com] , accessed Dec 9, 2006] . Another version, mounted on a gimbal, was built for filming the Maelstrom battle. The ship formerly known as the sunset is in storage in Ensenada, Mexico.

References

External links

* [http://pirates.wikia.com/wiki/Black_Pearl Black Pearl] at the [http://pirates.wikia.com "Pirates of the Caribbean" wiki]