This is me at the helm of the HMS Surprise, a fictional ship that is, in fact, real.
This is complicated, but here's how I think it works.

The HMS Rose was built in 1970 as a replica of the 18th century Royal Navy frigate. She was an attraction and sail training ship up until she was converted to the HMS Surprise for the film "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World." For the film, the ship was made over into an authentic recitation of a 24-gut frigate in the style of a vessel in the British Royal Navy during Nelson's era.

Although she's full-rigged, she also contains twin-diesel 300 hp engines, and is steered from a control room under the quarterdeck. She's also appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean: Stranger Tides.

Thirteen ships in the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Surprise or HMS Surprize. The HMS Surprise that's docked at the San Diego Maritime Museum is not one of those ships, and technically is not entitled to hold the honorific HMS title.

That doesn't mean, however, that it's not exhilarating to stand on her quarterdeck and feel the San Diego breeze sweep across her. And it doesn't mean that you shouldn't kick your shoes off and run along her decks and feel her planking dig into your feet. She's a fantastic wooden ship regardless of her pedigree, and as close as you're likely to get to standing atop the decks of a tall ship.

And the magic and majesty that comes with the ship being part of a fictional universe as great as Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series is just gravy on the icing.