Wheel of the HMS Cape

The Wheel of the HMS Cape is a powerful magic item in Ultima IV that makes a frigate much stronger in ship-to-ship combat. The wheel would glow blue when mounted on a ship.

HMS Cape was a mighty vessel, constructed by the grandfather of the ship builder Master Hawkins. It was said that its wheel was magically enhanced to make the ship stronger and more durable, but even this couldn't prevent the Cape from being sunk by a terrible storm.

Years later, the Stranger heard about the wheel, and managed to recover it from the ship's wreckage in the Cape of Heroes, southeast of the Shrine of Honor. Later, when the Stranger faced the overwhelming pirate fleet guarding the Isle of the Avatar, the mounted wheel made it a simple task to break through the blockade and reach the Abyss.

It is technically possible to defeat the pirate fleet without the wheel, although extremely difficult to accomplish. This marks the wheel a useful, but non-critical item in Ultima IV; it is not required to win the game.

In Ultima V, the construction plans for HMS Cape can be found and serve a similar purpose in the game, but rig the sails for faster travel rather than improving the structural strength of a ship.