Interceptor (Pirates of the Caribbean)
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| Name: | HMS Interceptor |
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| Captained By | Jack Sparrow, formerly James Norrington |
| Weapons: | 16 guns + 2 swivel guns |
| Port of registry: | Port Royal |
The HMS Interceptor is the name of a fictional ship in the 2003 movie Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
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[edit] Fictional History
Hailed as the fastest ship in the Caribbean, the HMS Interceptor is first seen when Jack Sparrow attempts to board it (with the intention of stealing it) while most of the Royal Navy is attending Commodore James Norrington's promotion ceremony. After Will Turner frees him from prison, Jack schemes to commandeer the Interceptor by pretending to hijack Norrington's command ship, the Dauntless, anchored in Port Royal's outer bay. While witnessing Jack's seemingly inept attempt to steal his vessel, Norrington proclaims Sparrow the worst pirate he's ever seen and sails out on the Interceptor to apprehend him. As he and his men storm the Dauntless, Jack and Will swing over to the unattended Interceptor and set sail. Norrington attempts to chase them, but Jack has disabled the Dauntless' rudder, rendering the ship unmaneuverable. As the Interceptor sails away, an officer admiringly remarks, "That's got to be the best pirate I've ever seen." To which Norrington grudgingly concedes, "So it would seem."
Will and Jack sail to Tortuga where they recruit a crew that includes Jack's old friend, Joshamee Gibbs and Anamaria, whose boat Jack stole and sailed to Port Royal in. To sway his new crew into joining their adventure, Jack (prompted by Will) offers Anamaria the Interceptor in exchange for the boat he "borrowed" from her. The crew accepts, and they set sail for Isla de Muerta.
Upon arriving, Jack and Will row ashore to rescue Elizabeth Swann from Barbossa. Will saves Elizabeth but, distrusting Sparrow, leaves him behind unconscious. The Interceptor escapes, but the Black Pearl overtakes them, and the two ships engage in battle. The better prepared (and immortal) Pearl crew defeats the Interceptor and take the crew captive. The Interceptor is destroyed when the pirates set off her gunpowder stores.
Because of this, the ship does not appear in the sequel Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.
[edit] Armament
The Interceptor is armed with twelve main deck cannons, six on deck and six in the cabin, and four cannons on the poop deck (the high deck with the steering wheel). Along with the sixteen main guns, it also has two small swivel guns on the poop deck.
[edit] Filming
The Interceptor is portrayed by the tall ship Lady Washington, a full-scale replica of the real Lady Washington, an 18th century sloop that was later refitted as a brig. More information about it is on the Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl Collector's Edition DVD featurette called "Diary of a Ship."
While the Interceptor was a real tall ship, the other two vessels were fakes; the Dauntless was a barge with an outer wooden shell simulating a ship, and the Black Pearl was actually a set on land. A floating (non-authentic) Pearl was built for the second and third movies.
In displacement vessels, hull speed increases with waterline length. Since the Interceptor/Lady Washington is a relatively small boat with a hull speed around 10 knots, the idea that it would be the "fastest ship in the Caribbean" is comical.
[edit] In Other Media
The Interceptor was one of the ships that could be ridden in Kingdom Hearts II. In the game, it was destroyed by Luxord and his Nobody troops in an attempt to eliminate Sora, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Jack Sparrow.
