HMS Dauntless

"Why don't I want to be doing it?" "Well, because...Because the HMS Dauntless, pride of the Royal Navy, is floating just offshore, waiting for you."

- Hector Barbossa and Jack Sparrow

The HMS Dauntless was one of the strongest ships in the British Royal Navy serving under King George II, most notably used as the flagship of Commodore James Norrington. As one of the Empire's premiere warships and renowned pride of the Royal Navy, this ship was agile, fast, and carried 100 guns.

The Dauntless was used to carry Governor Weatherby Swann and his daughter Elizabeth from England to the Caribbean. From there, the Dauntless served as the power of those waters as the flagship of Norrington's men stationed at Port Royal. After Elizabeth Swann was kidnapped by the cursed pirate crew of the Black Pearl, Jack Sparrow and Will Turner used the Dauntless in their plan to commandeer the Interceptor so they could sail it out to sea to save Elizabeth. The cursed pirates later staged a surprise attack on the Dauntless, in which Norrington's men defeated the pirates. While Norrington was pursuing Jack Sparrow and the Black Pearl, the Dauntless would be destroyed in a hurricane off of Tripoli.

Crossing from England
"Bad luck to have a woman on board, too. Even a miniature one."

- Joshamee Gibbs concerning Elizabeth Swann



The earliest known use of the Dauntless was that it carried Governor Weatherby Swann and his daughter, Elizabeth Swann, from England to Port Royal, Jamaica eight years prior to James Norrington's promotion to the rank of Commodore. At this time, he served aboard as a Lieutenant, with Joshamee Gibbs as one of his crew. It was the Dauntless that happened upon the wreck of a merchant vessel destroyed by the Black Pearl, and its crew saved the only survivor; a young Will Turner floating on debris from the ship, who accompanied those onboard to Port Royal.

Port Royal
"It's a fine goal to be sure, but it seems to me that a, a ship like that makes this one here a bit superfluous, really." "Oh, the Dauntless is the power in these waters, true enough, but there's no ship as can match the Interceptor for speed."

- Captain Jack Sparrow and Murtogg

Based out of Port Royal, the HMS Dauntless became known as the power in the Caribbean over the next eight years, presumably under the command of now-Captain Norrington, and was the scourge of many a pirate organization. Even the cursed crew of the Black Pearl showed fear at the vessel's name, such was its reputation. However, after Norrinton was promoted as Commodore, the Black Pearl launched an attack on Port Royal to secure the last of 882 Aztec coins hoarded at Isla de Muerta. The Dauntless apparently did not participate in the battle, since Commodore Norrington himself remained at Fort Charles during the siege.

Temporarily taking the Dauntless
"Sir, they've taken the Dauntless! Commodore! They've taken the ship! Sparrow and Turner&mdash;they've taken the Dauntless!"

- Gillette to James Norrington

The Dauntless remained anchored at the Port Royal harbor when not in use, and it was from here that Captain Jack Sparrow and his accomplice, Will Turner, attempted to commandeer it following the raid. The pirates boarded and took control of the vessel, forcing Lieutenant Gillette and his men into the longboats, but the two were unable to steer the ship into open water by themselves. The Commodore's men caught up in the HMS Interceptor and boarded the Dauntless, only to find the ship deserted. Stealing the Dauntless had not been Sparrow's intention at all&mdash;as he proved by brazenly commandeering the Interceptor after disabling the flagship's rudder chain to ensure they were not followed.

Isla de Muerta
"Mr. Sparrow...you will accompany these fine men to the helm and provide us with a bearing to Isla de Muerta. You will then spend the rest of the voyage contemplating all possible meanings of the phrase "silent as the grave". Do I make myself clear?" "Inescapably clear."

- James Norrington and Jack Sparrow

The rudder chain was ultimately repaired, in time for Norrington to launch a search for Elizabeth Swann, who had been captured during the Pearl's earlier attack on Port Royal. Her smoke signal was spotted by the Dauntless on a desert island, and both Swann and Sparrow&mdash;marooned along with the girl by Hector Barbossa&mdash;were brought aboard. Sparrow convinced Norrington to pursue and ambush the Black Pearl at Isla de Muerta, but the ambush soon turned against the Navy marines when Barbossa's cursed pirates infiltrated the Dauntlessand engaged its crew in combat. Norrington soon joined the fight, and once Will Turner lifted the pirates' curse, the marines recaptured their vessel and placed the surviving pirates under arrest.

Pursuit of the Black Pearl
"Commodore! What about Sparrow?" "Oh, I think we can afford to give him one day's head start."

- Lieutenant Gillette and Commodore James Norrington

The Dauntless returned to Port Royal to imprison the pirates and convey Jack Sparrow to his execution in Fort Charles, though the pirate again escaped Norrington's clutches. The Commodore, overwhelmed by recent events, forestalled pursuit for a day, but soon continued his chase of the new captain of the Black Pearl.

Destruction
"I nearly had you all off Tripoli. I would have, if not for the hurricane." "Lord, you didn't try to sail through it?"

- James Norrington and Joshamee Gibbs

During one of his later pursuits, Norrington almost had caught the Black Pearl off the coast of Tripoli, until they came across a hurricane. Norrington and most of the crew survived, but the Dauntless was destroyed by the hurricane during the pursuit.

Behind the scenes

 * For filming The Curse of the Black Pearl, the Dauntless was portrayed by a floating set build atop of barges.
 * The HMS Dauntless was inspired by the HMS Victory, a Royal Navy ship of the line which still exists. The Victory was a famous 100-gun ship that won countless battles during its heyday, and the pride of the British fleet. Because no such ships exist as of 2003, the company was forced to recreate portions of the vessel using models of its vintage predecessor.
 * In the non-canonical Disney Adventures comic book The Buccaneer's Heart!, the Cursed crew, led by Bo'sun, commandeers the Dauntless with Weatherby and Elizabeth Swann on board. Fortunately, the combined efforts of Jack Sparrow's crew and the spirits of the Buccaneer's Heart drove the pirates off, and the Dauntless was returned to Norrington.

Appearances

 * Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
 * Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow
 * The Buccaneer's Heart!
 * Pirates of the Caribbean: A Storm at Sea
 * Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
 * LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game