Pop culture is full of unique and memorable vessels! Join us at Diesel Services of America as we count down some of our favorites!
JAWS – Orca
“We’re gonna need a bigger boat.” It’s a classic movie line that’s ingrained in all of our memories forever and has led the Orca to its place as possibly the most famous fishing boat in film history. Originally a lobster boat known as the Warlock before being purchased for the film’s production, she was eventually shipped back to Universal Studios Hollywood after filming wrapped in 1974, where she was apparently purchased by a Los Angeles fisherman. However, when the film became the first true blockbuster to hit cinemas a year later, the studio had to repurchase the boat from him at ten times what they sold it for. It was then placed on the Universal Studios backlot as part of the original Jaws attraction where director Stephen Spielberg himself became fond of visiting it, allegedly intending to repair the diesel vessel eventually, until one day it had simply vanished. There are still some urban legends circulating about what really happened to the Orca, but the mystery of its true fate only adds to the fishing vessel’s popularity.
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN – The Black Pearl
Originally a merchant vessel named the Wicked Wench, it’s no wonder this infamous fictional ghost ship ended up with her foul reputation. Captained by the damned and with sails as black as night, The Black Pearl is just as unique a character to the film franchise as is Johnny Depp’s iconic performance as the outlandish Captain Jack Sparrow. There was no real ship involved, of course. The final product seen in the film is combination of sets, miniatures, and computer generated special effects. When your ship can outrun The Flying Dutchman, you probably don’t have too much to worry about, damned or not.
THE AFRICAN QUEEN – The African Queen
Many know this beloved classic for starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn, but the eponymous steamer has also gone on to become one of the most famous boats in the history of Hollywood films. Built in 1912, the boat was in service for more than 50 years until she was decommissioned in 1968. After undergoing a significant restoration in 2012, she can now be chartered as a tour boat in Key Largo, FL.
TITANIC – RMS Titanic
So you knew we had to include this one. Having made over 2 billion dollars at the box office at the time of this article, James Cameron’s epic about the eponymous doomed luxury liner is still one of the highest grossing films of all time and has become a well established part of pop culture. As you can imagine, there was no way to film on the actual ship, but the pioneering digital effects in the film resulted in an extremely accurate and realistic replication. Now over a hundred years since the actual ship’s sinking, we may still never be able to successfully raise the original from its watery grave. But hey, we still have a pretty good movie.
ROMANCING THE STONE – Angelina
This one may not be as well known as some of the others, but this beautiful 43-foot Mason yacht Angelina still makes it onto our list. And even though its appearance in the film’s final scene is relatively brief, it’s a still a memorable Hollywood moment.
DEXTER – Slice of Life
Alright, so this one isn’t exactly from a film per say, but it’s still well known enough to make the list. And the fact that the beloved series takes places in our native, albeit fictionalized, South Florida, how can we not love it? For those unfamiliar, Showtime’s Dexter follows the violent exploits of Dexter Morgan – Miami Metro PD blood-spatter analyst by day and vigilante serial killer by night. As the TV show was primarily shot in both Miami and California, two different fishing boats were used throughout the popular series’ 8 season run – a Whitewater 28’ for the Florida locations and a similar Century 2901 Center Console while shooting in California. They’re both nice boats, but you’d think a serial killer would consider a Volvo Penta IPS Drive if he really wanted to make a quick getaway.
LOST – Elizabeth
So this is another television-oriented pick, but it’s still a beautiful boat. From planes to submarines, there have been a wide variety of vehicles factoring significantly into the plot of LOST over the popular mystery’s polarizing six-season run, but this one really stands out. Named Mowee in real life, the sail boat is a Nautor’s Swan 57’ from Newport Beach, California.
APOCALYPSE NOW – Erebus
While not exactly a feel-good family picture, Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 Apocalypse Now is widely regarded as one of the finest films of the 20th century despite its notoriously long and difficult shoot. Essentially a retelling of Joseph Conrad’s classic novella Heart of Darkness, the adaptation shifts the setting from turn of the century Africa to the height of the conflict in Vietnam, though the basic premise remains intact – a reluctant narrator must travel by river to find the renegade Kurtz. While the original novel prominently features steam-powered vessels of the late 1800s, the film instead focuses on smaller military craft for its protagonist’s mode of transportation. The boat’s name, Erebus, is a reference to the Greek god of darkness, a direct reference to the film’s source material. With its dual M2. 50 caliber turrets, this memorable movie vessel is a force to be reckoned with.
SPEED 2: CRUISE CONTROL – Seabourn Legend
Yeah, maybe some ships are better sunk. Or films, anyway.
This movie may be a steaming pile of hot garbage, but the featured cruise liner has fortunately outlasted the film’s own sinking at the box-office. Renamed the Star Legend in 2015, the German-constructed cruise liner continues to operate today under the Windstar Cruises banner. Although, after what she went through in the screenshot above, you can imagine she needed some pretty extensive maintenance beforehand.
