HMS Providence

For other uses, see Providence (disambiguation)

Career information
Port of registry	London, England
Owner(s)	King George II
Captain(s)	Hector Barbossa
Notable crew members	Crew of the HMS Providence
Fate	Sunk in 1750 by mermaids off of Whitecap Bay
Technical information
Type	Frigate Square-Rigged Barque Warship
Speed	9 knots
Weapons	36 cannons
Affiliation	British Royal Navy
Behind the scenes
First appearance	On Stranger Tides
Last appearance	On Stranger Tides
Cause	Sunk by mermaids
Portrayed	HMS Surprise

"I'm on a tight schedule, Gibbs. The HMS Providence sets sail at first light, and if you do not care to watch it hanging here dead with a mouthful of flies...speak now."

―Hector Barbossa to Joshamee Gibbs

The HMS Providence was a three-masted ship-of-war in the British Royal Navy serving under King George II, most notably under the command of pirate turned privateer, Captain Hector Barbossa. With its oversized Union Jack billowing in the breeze, the Providence was the pride of the King's fleet.

Built for battle, square-rigged for speed, and equipped for long tours of duty, there was no frigate better prepared or commissioned into His Majesty's service. Although the ship's main purpose was to patrol the seas and eradicate piracy, the Providence was most notably used during the perilous quest for the Fountain of Youth. With the help of navigator Joshamee Gibbs, Captain Barbossa led his crew to provide he most formidable task force His Majesty could assemble as this worthy vessel sailed forth on its quest without fear. Throughout the voyage to find the Fountain, the Providence encountered the Spanish Armada through the Atlantic Ocean and sailed to the mysterious Whitecap Bay, where she met her end at the webbed hands of the mermaids who lived there.

History

Early use

It is unknown when the Providence was built, but she would eventually serve the British Royal Navy as the pride of the fleet of King George II of Great Britain. The Providence's usual job was to patrol the seas, searching for pirates to eradicate. The Providence was most notably under the command of Captain Hector Barbossa, an ex-pirate who had received a Royal Pardon and became a privateer in the King's court. After that, the Providence was ruled with an iron fist, with no rum, no smoking, and no uncouth songs. With the Providence crew, the finest officers the Admiralty could produce teamed up with the best-drilled crew to provide the most formidable task force His Majesty could assemble. Under the command of Captain Barbossa, this worthy vessel sailed forth as a privateer, acting under letters of marque from the King. The crew could take any action, except fire upon nations with which Britain was not at war.

Quest for the Fountain of Youth

The Providence in pursuit of the Fountain of Youth.

King George II would be given a report from his ministers that King Ferdinand of Spain had located the Fountain of Youth. In an attempt to solve the issue of finding the Fountain, the King and the Royal Navy tried to enlist help from the notorious pirate Jack Sparrow, who had knowledge of the route to the Fountain. After the elusive pirate escaped St. James's Palace, the reformed pirate and privateer Hector Barbossa was sent to find the Fountain in the King's behalf. Barbossa was given a formidable crew for the Providence, including officers Theodore Groves and Gillette. As he knew the route to the Fountain of Youth, Joshamee Gibbs was forced to come aboard the Providence as well, serving as the navigator during the voyage.

Spanish encounter

"The Fountain is the prize. It appears we be not even worth the time it take to sink us. Now, we've fallen behind! All hands! Make more sail!"
"All hands! More sail!"
"Ride hard between wind and tide!"

―Hector Barbossa and Theodore Groves

As the voyage progressed, Barbossa needed a heading from Gibbs, who was brought to the helm. After looking through the ship's maps and charts, Gibbs was sure they were on the right course, as he saw three galleons of the Spanish Armada on the horizon, following them from a distance. Knowing that they were led by The Spaniard, Barbossa ordered the crew of the Providence to get into battle stations. But before they could fire, the Spanish galleons simply passed by the Providence without fire, bewildering Barbossa's officers. Barbossa deduced that the objective to find the Fountain was why the Spanish didn't attack, and that they weren't worth the time it'd take to attack and sink them. Barbossa was determined more than ever to reach their destination.

Whitecap Bay

"Aye! Hands all off, and bear away! Stave on ahead to Whitecap Bay!"

―Hector Barbossa to his crew

While the HMS Providence was slashing through the waves on a course for the Spanish Main, rumors of their destination spread amongst Barbossa's disgruntled crew. Barbossa himself sat back on the poop deck of the Providence and relaxed, eating slices of apple from a fine silver plate before Groves stood by to inform him of the crew's complaints. Seeing that the Providence crew, including Gibbs, were so eager for this knowledge, Barbossa revealed the ship's immediate course: Whitecap Bay, perilous waters where mermaids have gathered. Murmurs of fear spread through the assembled members of the crew, leading one of its members to race to the side of the ship, jump overboard and start swimming to a distant island on the horizon. However, Barbossa managed to inspire confidence into the men by asking if they were King's men. And so the Providence set sail for Whitecap Bay.

The Providence attacked by mermaids at Whitecap Bay.

The Providence arrived to Whitecap Bay. As a storm erupted, Barbossa brought a team ashore, consisting of a handful of men, including Groves, Gillette, and Joshamee Gibbs. While Barbossa's men found remains of deceased mermaids, they became aware of screams and shrieks from the water: the Providence was under attack by the surviving mermaids from the previous night. Concerned for the men aboard, many of whom were being plucked off the ship itself by the mermaids' seaweed ropes, Groves urged Barbossa to help them, but Barbossa denied the idea. Leaving Barbossa and the remaining crew to watch, the Providence soon fell to its attackers and sunk beneath the waters.

With the Providence ultimately destroyed, the crew was without a ship. Nonetheless, Gibbs was able to lead the crew to their next heading, thereby continuing their journey through dense jungle.

Design and appearance

"She's built and rigged for hard driving."

―Hector Barbossa

The HMS Providence was a three-masted frigate class vessel, captained by Hector Barbossa. With its outsized Union Jack billowing in the breeze, there was no ship better prepared to take on sanctioned missions for King George II. Sleek, clean, and professional, a proud vessel of the Royal Navy, the Providence was the pride of the King's fleet. The secret files of British Prime Minister Henry Pelham revealed his analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of his own force—and its pirate foe—most notably during the race toward the Fountain of Youth. The Providence had the advantage on paper, but there were supernatural factors to be taken into account when it came to Blackbeard's world-renowned vessel, the Queen Anne's Revenge.

Built for battle, square-rigged for speed, and equipped for long tours of duty, the Providence was the best vessel in the British fleet. With the Navy's strongest officers on board, it was reputed to be nigh unbeatable. The Providence had a furled jib on the bowsprit. The crow's nest afforded a view of the horizon twice as far as can be glimpsed on deck. On the back of the Providence, there was a seven-windowed Great Cabin that afforded Barbossa a view of the seas. It was within this cabin that Barbossa had secret naval charts safely stowed there.

The Providence was heavily armed, carrying dozens of twelve-pound cannons and six swivel guns. The Providence had two stern chasers below the captain's cabin, but no cannons on the bow, leaving her at a disadvantage during a pursuit. However, her armament was sizable enough that Hector Barbossa didn't hesitate to order his crew to prepare for battle against the three Spanish galleons, though he was heavily outnumbered.

Behind the scenes

On Stranger Tides

The Providence was portrayed by the HMS Surprise, a beautiful replica of the 1757 British frigate HMS Rose.

The H.M.S. Providence was first detailed in the reference book Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides: The Visual Guide before making a full appearance in the junior novelization for the 2011 film Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. In the film, the Providence was portrayed by the HMS Surprise, a ship replica of the 1757 British frigate HMS Rose, filming off the coast of Long Beach, California, about 120 miles up the coast from where the ship is usually docked at the Maritime Museum of San Diego.

In Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio's screenplay for On Stranger Tides, the H.M.S. Providence was described as a two-masted frigate class sailing ship. The Providence was described as a "three-mast ship-of-war" and a "Square-Rigged Barque" in the film's visual guide, as well as both a three-masted frigate and warship in the junior novelization. The Art of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides describes the HMS Providence as a replica of the 1757 British frigate HMS Rose, which supports the Providence being frigate class.

According to Terry Rossio's post on Wordplay, the original name for the Providence was to be the Perseverate, a homage to the dangers of shooting sequels. This was to accompany the Providence's appeared in On Stranger Tides, the fourth film in the Pirates film franchise.

Video games

The HMS Providence appears in LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game in only one scene, where the mermaids sink the Providence immediately after Hector Barbossa and Joshamee Gibbs arrived onshore.

Other media

The portrayal of the HMS Providence and her crew contains several historical inaccuracies.

• The small White Ensign displayed on the longboats of the Providence implies that the ship belongs to the White Squadron of the Royal Navy. However, the ship flows a large Union Jack from the peak of the gaff, instead of the big White Ensign. Historically, the Union Jack was flown from a small flagpole on the bowsprit.
• The version of the Union Jack used for the HMS Providence wasn't designed before the beginning of the 19th century, at least fifty years after the events of On Stranger Tides.
• The ship does not fly the commissioning pennant from the masthead of the mainmast.
• The crew of the Providence does not include any Royal Marines.

A Royal Navy ship remarkably similar to the Providence appears in the trailer for the video game Port Royale 3.

Appearances

• Pirates of the Caribbean: Tides of War (Mentioned in flashback(s))
• Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (junior novelization) (First appearance)
• LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game (Non-canonical appearance)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Master of the Seas Strategy Game (Non-canonical appearance)

Sources

• Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides: The Visual Guide (First identified as HMS Providence)
• The Art of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Notes and references

British Royal Navy ships in Pirates of the Caribbean
Royal Navy ships Albion – HMS Achilles – HMS Adventure – Arabella – Battle-Royale – Bastion – Belette – HMS Blazer – British galleon – British warship – Bulwark – Centurion – HMS Century – Colossus – HMS Comet – HMS Dauntless – HMS Diamond – Dreadnought – Elite – HMS Endeavour – En-Garde – Essex – Ferret – Goliath – Greyhound – HMS Hound – HMS Hyena – HMS Interceptor – HMS Invincible – Jack Sparrow's corvette – Kingfisher – Lawrence Norrington's ship – Man O' War – Monarch – HMS Newcastle – Panther – HMS Peregrine – Perseverance – HMS Phoenix – Predator – Pride of London – HMS Providence – HMS Raven – HMS Resistance – HMS Rose – HMS Success – Tally-ho – HMS Trepassey – Vanguard – HMS Victor – HMS Victory
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