Jack Aubrey is one of two principle protagonists of the novel and shares the narrative focus with his close friend and confidant, Stephen Maturin. Aubrey is a larger-than-life character with charisma and dash. He is an unchallenged master in his element of the sea; a legendary captain, a masterful navigator, and a superb tactician. He is widely considered by superstitious seamen to be lucky. Although he is intelligent, he relies on experience, insight, and a nearly infallible instinct to carry him through the situations he encounters.