people who have served on sailing ships and worked aloft on square riggers say master and commander was the most technically and historically correct movie about seamanship in that time period ever made.... (a few members of my family are among them - plus a few guys from down at the dive barge).... ...i think we saw the movie at least 5 times when it was still in the theaters... and we have all the dvd versions of it that came out too... . the directors cut with deleted scenes and out takes is really cool......