The information on dueling was extracted from From Dawn to Decadence, 1500 to the Present, by Jacques Barzun.
GPS, Sextants and Astrolabes
Global Positioning Systems (GPS), used by most navigators today, began replacing the sextant on June 26, 1993. A system of satellites allows a receiver on the ground to calculate its position, expressed as a latitude and longitude, to within 30 feet.
Harrison’s Clocks
John Harrison built four clocks in his attempt to win the Admiralty’s prize for the first person to accurately calculate longitude at sea. In 1773, 31 years after he began trying, he proved that he could find longitude at sea within the required half a degree.
HMS Sheffield
HMS Sheffield was a Type 42 Guided Missile Destroyer, sunk during the Falklands war in 1982.
HMS Temaraire
HMS Temaraire is the Royal Navy’s gymnasium and sport grounds located near the Royal Dockyards in Portsmouth, UK.
Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance, or Slave of Duty, was written by Gilbert and Sullivan and premiered in New York on December 31st, 1879.
Portsmouth Naval Research Center, PNRC
The Portsmouth Naval Research Centre (PNRC) was invented for my story.
Portsmouth, or Pompey
Portsmouth is called Pompey by all members of the Royal Navy and by its locals. It is today one of the RN’s principal ports.
Speedy vs. El Gamo
In one of the most brilliant single-ship actions ever fought, Thomas captured El Gamo in the Mediterranean in 1801, while a young Master and Commander of the Speedy.
The Royal Navy
Charles II formed the Royal Navy in 1670.
The Titanic and Unsinkable Boats
Modern catamarans are unsinkable unless they are rammed by a tanker and disintegrate.