Surprise is a two-masted wooden sailing schooner. She has a total length of , with a length at the waterline of . She has a beam of and a draft of . Her framing is of oak and locust, with planking of yellow pine, some of it replaced by mahogany during restoration. The deck is fir. The area below decks has been fitted to carry passengers on day trips, and there is a motor chamber in the rear. She normally carries four sails: main and staysails, with club sails that can be set above those two. with
