Historically Accurate Hurricane Chase Animation

I’m producing a scene that shows an 18th-century slave ship fighting to outrun an oncoming hurricane, and I need it brought to life through a realistic, historically faithful animation. The rigging, hull proportions, clothing, lighting, even the way the sails strain in the wind all have to line up with period references; drama is welcome, but accuracy is paramount.

You can work in Blender, Maya, Houdini, Unreal Engine, or a comparable pipeline—whatever lets you deliver a clean 4 K render and the full project files. I’ll supply research notes and reference images as soon as we start.

What I’m looking for:
• Real-world scale modeling, texturing, and lighting that match late-18th-century Atlantic slave ships
• Believable hurricane water, wind, and cloud FX that heighten tension without veering into fantasy
• Cinematic but respectful camera work that captures the desperation of the chase

Deliverables:
1. Storyboard and quick animatic for sign-off
2. Fully textured, lit scene files
3. Final 4 K video (MP4 or ProRes)
4. Short write-up citing the historical sources you leaned on

I’ll review each milestone quickly and provide consolidated feedback so we stay on schedule. Please share links to comparable work and tell me roughly how long you’d need to take this from layout to final render.