The civilian boat in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk is named Moonstone.
Moonstone is a small pleasure boat owned by Mr Dawson, played by Mark Rylance. Dawson takes the vessel across the English Channel to help evacuate soldiers from Dunkirk during the Second World War.
The boat’s journey forms part of Dunkirk’s “Sea” storyline, one of three interlocking perspectives in the film. Civilian vessels were among those called to assist the evacuation, which became known as Operation Dynamo in 1940.
Moonstone is sometimes confused with the naval destroyers and other civilian craft seen in the film. Its importance comes from its personal scale: the vessel represents ordinary civilians choosing to contribute to the rescue effort rather than a formal military command.