The ship was meant to be a close replica of the original Rose, but still fill a commercial function.
John Fitzhugh Millar who commissioned the ship build gave Bolger copies of the original British Admiralty drawings, Bolger modified the hull shape below the water line, sharpening up her entry so she sailed to windward better.
Unlike some square-riggers, she could sail two points (22-1/2 degrees) on the wind provided that seas remained under four feet or so.
Bolger also changed the arrangement of her decks, at the bank's insistence, so that she could be used as a tavern and restaurant, though she was never used as such.

Rose was built at the Smith and Rhuland shipyard in Lunenburg, a yard which had established a reputation for large and successful replicas such as HMS Bounty in 1960 and Bluenose II in 1963.

The ship was inspected and certified by the United States Coast Guard.
She spent the first ten years of her life in Newport, Rhode Island sailing in Newport Harbor and as a dockside attraction.

In the summer of 1972, Rose was hired for the film "The Man Without a Country", a made-for-television production.
Norman Rosemont Productions couldn't find the money to take the ship out sailing, so all the filming was shot with sails set, as the ship was securely moored to the pier, next to the causeway to Goat Island.
During filming Cliff Robertson had to hide that he had a broken leg at the time.

In 1984, already in serious disrepair, she was purchased by Kaye Williams and brought to Bridgeport, Connecticut, and operated as a sail training vessel in the 1980s and 1990s, run by the HMS Rose Foundation based in Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States.
In her lifetime as Rose, her figurehead had to be replaced twice, each time slightly upgraded.
One was damaged in a storm off Bermuda on her way to Norfolk, Virginia in June 1998.
The figurehead was named in fun as "Chester" by the crew.

Late in the 1990s, the publisher W. W. Norton & Company rented Rose in New York for a pier-side party to celebrate the publication of  Patrick O'Brian's latest novel.
O'Brian himself was present, and he casually mentioned to Rose's captain Richard Bailey that if Rose were painted in an 1805 colour scheme she would be a "dead ringer" for the frigate Surprise that appeared in his books.
Bailey quickly ordered his crew to get out the paint and make the changes.
O'Brian was so impressed that he changed his mind about his prohibition of having any of his books converted into film, and Norton immediately started looking for a Hollywood production company.
The ship was meant to be a close replica of the original Rose, but still fill a commercial function. John Fitzhugh Millar who commissioned the ship build gave Bolger copies of the original British Admiralty drawings, Bolger modified the hull shape below the water line, sharpening up her entry so she sailed to windward better. Unlike some square-riggers, she could sail two points (22-1/2 degrees) on the wind provided that seas remained under four feet or so. Bolger also changed the arrangement of her decks, at the bank's insistence, so that she could be used as a tavern and restaurant, though she was never used as such.
Rose was built at the Smith and Rhuland shipyard in Lunenburg, a yard which had established a reputation for large and successful replicas such as HMS Bounty in 1960 and Bluenose II in 1963.
The ship was inspected and certified by the United States Coast Guard. She spent the first ten years of her life in Newport, Rhode Island sailing in Newport Harbor and as a dockside attraction. 
In the summer of 1972, Rose was hired for the film "The Man Without a Country", a made-for-television production. Norman Rosemont Productions couldn't find the money to take the ship out sailing, so all the filming was shot with sails set, as the ship was securely moored to the pier, next to the causeway to Goat Island. During filming Cliff Robertson had to hide that he had a broken leg at the time.
In 1984, already in serious disrepair, she was purchased by Kaye Williams and brought to Bridgeport, Connecticut, and operated as a sail training vessel in the 1980s and 1990s, run by the HMS Rose Foundation based in Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States. In her lifetime as Rose, her figurehead had to be replaced twice, each time slightly upgraded. One was damaged in a storm off Bermuda on her way to Norfolk, Virginia in June 1998. The figurehead was named in fun as "Chester" by the crew.
Late in the 1990s, the publisher W. W. Norton & Company rented Rose in New York for a pier-side party to celebrate the publication of  Patrick O'Brian's latest novel. O'Brian himself was present, and he casually mentioned to Rose's captain Richard Bailey that if Rose were painted in an 1805 colour scheme she would be a "dead ringer" for the frigate Surprise that appeared in his books. Bailey quickly ordered his crew to get out the paint and make the changes. O'Brian was so impressed that he changed his mind about his prohibition of having any of his books converted into film, and Norton immediately started looking for a Hollywood production company.
HMS Surprise (replica ship)