Continuity mistake: When Captain Aubrey's head is bleeding after being hit during the first battle with the Acheron, we see the wound just above his eye. However, when we see him next, the wound is farther down his hairline. (00:11:50)
Continuity mistake: Jack Aubrey's hair changes in consecutive shots throughout the film. For example, when Stephen tells Jack, "Let me take a look at that brow of yours," his hair differs in the following close-up. (00:16:40)
Continuity mistake: When Jack is peering through the magnifying glass at the chart, we see 'Hidden Reef' and 'Dangerous Shoals', but in the previous shot those two things are shown way to the left of where he is looking. (00:18:05)
Continuity mistake: After Stephen asks, "What is the weather gauge?" the table in front of Jack is visible in the following shots. As Jack extols the virtues of the Surprise the position of the nautical dividers in the instrument box differ once Jack is done. When Jack points to the shoals in the close-up, the map's position under another pair of nautical dividers, the log, ink well stand, etc., is different than the previous shots of the table. (00:18:30 - 00:19:55)
Continuity mistake: While Stephen performs Blakeney's amputation, the string on the hinge of Stephen's eyeglasses changes in consecutive shots. (00:21:45)
Continuity mistake: During Blakeney's amputation, the cloth roll in his mouth changes position in consecutive shots. (00:22:15)
Continuity mistake: While performing brain surgery on Joe Plaice, Stephen, whose sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, reaches for a spoon with his freckled hand. In the following close-up it is blatantly apparent that it is not Paul Bettany's hand lifting the spoon, not to mention the bit of sleeve (not rolled up) that is visible at the bottom of the screen at the wrist. Then in the overhead shot the table with the instruments is visible, which includes the two boxes and silver spoon. In the next close-up the dark brown box's position and the spoon's position differ (before he picks up the spoon). (00:23:50)
Continuity mistake: When Jack and Stephen play their musical instruments, the cloth under Jack's chin changes position in the close-up. (00:26:55)
Continuity mistake: While Jack and the rest speak about Lord Nelson, the plate of bread on the table is visible when the wide shots face Stephen. The following two close-ups show the plate of bread on the table, as Stephen looks at the weevils and the bread is positioned very differently in these shots. As Jack slams his hand down on the table, the bread is positioned as in the previous wide shots. (00:32:45 - 00:34:25)
Continuity mistake: When Stephen is pressed to examine the two weevils, in the close-ups facing Jack, even after he slams his hand down on the table, the spoon in the gravy boat leans to the side, yet, in the shots facing Stephen the spoon is at the handle. (00:34:50)
Continuity mistake: When Lofty asks if the Acheron is like a pirate ship, in the wide shot Davies, who holds a pipe, grabs him up. In the next close-up, the pipe Davies holds is positioned completely differently in his hand. (00:43:35)
Continuity mistake: When Stephen comes on deck during the rounding of Cape Horn, Jack yells to him from the quarterdeck. Jack has his boat cloak on. He does not put on his boat cloak for several shots later, just after he tells Bonden to steer SSW. (00:48:30)
Continuity mistake: After Will's death, Joe looks through Will's belongings. As the shot faces Joe he unrolls the parchment and in the next close-up of the parchment, not only do the edges of it differ from the previous and following shots, the way he holds it differs as well. (00:53:55)
Continuity mistake: As Killick trims the wax on the candle, in the close-up his hand is wet. However, in the next wide shot as he says, "He's been at it again..." his hand is dry. (00:54:20)
Continuity mistake: After Killick sets down the platter of the 'Galapagos Islands', Jack says, "Gentlemen, I give you our destination." In the following close-up of the platter, the stack of china is to the left of the candelabra, yet, in the next shot, as Killick hands the spoon to Jack, the candelabra is farther back and the stack of china is towards the right. (00:59:00)
Continuity mistake: As Higgins studies the medical diagrams while sitting next to Stephen, when he turns the page he gasps and covers his mouth. The diagrams on the page in the close-up differ from the ones in the wide shot as Higgins still has his hand over is mouth. (01:27:50)
Continuity mistake: On Galapagos, as Stephen is being carried to the tent, after Jack utters the excuse of needing to stretch his legs, Mowett's position differs greatly in the two consecutive wide shots. (01:29:55)
Continuity mistake: In the tent before and during the removal of Stephen's bullet, the ropes at the top of the tent behind Jack differ in the close-ups and wide shots. (01:30:40)
Continuity mistake: When Stephen removes the bullet, the rope's knot on the pillow, to the right of Stephen's head, appears, disappears and reappears. (01:31:55)
Continuity mistake: As Higgins removes the piece of cloth from the bullet and compares it to the shirt, the blood on his hands and the way he holds the shirt differs in the close-up and wide shots. (01:32:50)
Chosen answer: They stop singing because they hear Hollom joining in. There are very strict ranks in the Navy, and Hollom singing with the lower crew dissipates these ranks, which is undesirable. That Hollom sings with the crew is frowned upon by the captain, as can be seen by his serious/agitated reaction after Stephen mentions that Hollom has such a clear voice.