HMS Endeavour

"Lord Beckett’s flagship and the symbol of the Crown’s power, HMS Endeavour is the most impressive warship on the sea."

- Unknown

The HMS Endeavour was the immense flagship of Lord Cutler Beckett of the East India Trading Company. It was this vessel that led the EITC Armada during the War Against Piracy. Beckett maintained an expansive cabin on the Endeavour, which contained a large globe to complement the map of the world that was painted in his office in Port Royal.

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, hundred gun ship of the line, notable for its service as the command ship of the East India Trading Company. It convoyed 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 set himself in command of Port Royal. 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. Former commodore James Norrington was stationed onboard the Endeavour, for a time, when he was promoted as an admiral for the Company. It was on the Endeavour that Norrington was reunited with his sword from his days in the Royal Navy.

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.

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 over thousand pound 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, further crippling the vessel. The Endeavour was thus unable to pursue the Pearl, allowing Sparrow to safely escape to join the Brethren Court.

Battle with the pirates
"The armada's still out there, the Endeavour's 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 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.

Beckett then had every gun port opened on the Endeavour, as it moved in to attack and destroy the Pearl, disregarding his deal to let Jack stay free. Suddenly, the Flying Dutchman rose from the ocean, now captained by William Turner, and joined the Black Pearl in assaulting the Endeavour in a dual broadside.

Beckett, utterly out-maneuvered, could only watch as his ship was devastated before his eyes. Although the Endeavour possessed more than enough guns to make a stand against 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.

Design and appearance
Formerly a ship of the King's Navy, the HMS Endeavour was the first rate ship of the line. Mounting about a hundred cannons, the Endeavour represented the power of the East India Trading Company, particularly its Director and head of the Armada, Lord Cutler Beckett. Despite her great firepower, the Endeavour was slower in comparison with other ships, like the Black Pearl.

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. The lavish Endeavour captain's cabin was built on Walt Disney Studios soundstages.
 * The design of Cutler Beckett's cabin reflected his vaunted view of himself as someone making 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."
 * 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.
 * The Endeavour appears in the Pocket Model game, but there she has only 22 cannons on one gun deck.

Appearances

 * Pirates of the Caribbean Online
 * Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
 * Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
 * Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (video game)
 * Pirates of the Caribbean PocketModel game
 * LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game