Tall Ships, Forts and Tropical Islands

Three ships, three eras

No 17th-century pirate ship survives to be photographed. What does survive are later ships and careful replicas that use the same basic language: masts, yards, standing and running rigging, deadeyes, belaying pins and capstans. Knowing which era each ship represents helps you borrow the right parts.

• 18th century. The HMB Endeavour Sailship pack shows a fully working replica of James Cook's ship in Sydney. It has 86 exterior and 114 interior photos: cannons, sail rigging, barrels, storage compartments, the galley and the officers' rooms. This is the closest match in the collection to the ships of the classic pirate period.
• 1869. The Tea Clipper pack covers the Cutty Sark at Greenwich, London, in 207 photos at 5184 × 3456. She is the only tea clipper that survives, with 3 very tall masts and a great deal of rigging. Use her for the scale and density of a big sailing rig.
• Late 19th century. The Iron-Hulled Sailing Ship pack has 182 exterior and 191 interior photos at 6000 × 4000, shot in Australia. The hull is iron, but the deck fittings, rope work and cabins are rich reference for any sailing ship.

Below decks

Interiors are what most online searches miss. Between the Endeavour and the iron-hulled ship, you have 305 interior photos: cabins, compartments, the galley, officers' rooms and storage. For a game level or an illustrated cabin scene, they show how tight the space was and how the hull shapes every room.

The forts that watched the harbour

A pirate story needs something to attack or escape. Several packs document colonial-era coastal forts:

• Spanish Colonial Fortress: 543 photos of a fortress first built in 1571 in Manila, with thick walls, moats and dungeon cells, plus drone photos for the overall layout.
• Colonial Spanish Round Bastion Fort Ruins: 185 photos of a late 16th-century round fort in Manila, now a ruin open to the weather.
• Fort Sentosa: 233 photos of a 19th-century fort in Singapore, with mechanical ammunition lifts still in place.
• Island Medieval Fort Mamula: 64 photos of a small 19th-century island fort in Montenegro.

For more walls and bastions, see castle and fortress reference.

The island itself

The Tropical Island pack has 498 photos of tropical landscapes in India, shot on a Canon EOS 5D Mark II. For close study of the tree every pirate island needs, the Coconut Palm Tree pack follows coconut palms on Niue from seedlings to tall trees and groves in 156 photos. For rocks, surf and beaches, continue to coastline reference. For ships that did not make it home, see shipwreck photos.

Frequently asked questions

Are these real ships or film props?

They are real ships. The Endeavour is a modern replica that sails, and the Cutty Sark and the iron-hulled ship are preserved original ships. All were photographed on location by Fotoref contributors. Each product page names the photographer, the location and the camera.

I build model ships. Are these useful for rigging a kit?

Yes, especially for how lines run to the deck, how they are belayed and how blocks and deadeyes are grouped. Remember that a preserved ship shows its current, restored rigging. For a specific historical vessel, check plans and period sources as well. Our walkaround packs for scale modelers cover more ships and vehicles.

Can I use these photos for a commercial game or book cover?

Artwork you create from the reference is yours to use and sell. Every license is royalty-free, covers unlimited projects and does not expire. If you want to place a photo itself in an ad or on a product, check the pack's content type: Commercial content allows it, Editorial content does not.