What is the setting of The Thirteen-gun Salute by Patrick O'Brian?

The novel features two primary types of settings. The first and most significant is aboard ships, usually Surprise or HMS Diane. Surprise is owned by Maturin and captained by Aubrey and, later, Pullings, and crewed by a highly proficient but rag-tag assortment of seamen. Diane is a Royal Navy vessel and the comparison of the two environments is interesting. One of the novel's achievements it the presentation of shipboard life as something intriguing and even desirable while simultaneously presenting a realistic view of the hardships endured.