"The filmmakers scrapped the original ship, which wasn't really a ship at all. It was a set built from the hull up on top of a barge, which was towed into position for filming. ... the producers felt it was in their best interest to build The Black Pearl as a seaworthy vessel.
"... To speed its construction, Heinrichs built the Black Pearl around an existing 109-foot-long ship named Sunset; which was docked in Bayou La Batre, Alabama. "The result ... was that from the waterline up you had this beautiful pirate ship. The Sunset is still in there somewhere, with engines, fuel and water tanks, a galley and bunks."
The 'real' Black Pearl Sue