A nautical dark theme collection for developers
Navigate the depths of code with colors inspired by the legendary ghost ship
Install from Marketplace | View Screenshots | Theme Variants | Multi-Platform | Contribute
A nautical-inspired dark theme collection for terminals and code editors, inspired by the legendary ghost ship and Davy Jones himself. This theme captures the mysterious atmosphere of the deep ocean, with colors reminiscent of nautical charts, aged brass instruments, and the haunting beauty of a ship sailing through eternal fog.
Now featuring three distinct variants: Standard, High Contrast, and Soft.
Three Theme Variants
- Standard: Perfect balance of nautical colors for everyday coding
- High Contrast: Enhanced accessibility with stronger contrast ratios
- Soft: Muted, traditional nautical palette for a calmer experience
Rich Syntax Highlighting
- 150+ semantic tokens for precise code coloring
- Language-specific optimizations for JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, React
- Smart error and warning indicators
Nautical Design System
- Consistent color palette across all UI elements
- Deep ocean backgrounds reduce eye strain during long coding sessions
- Brass and gold accents highlight important code elements
Multi-Platform Consistency
- Available for 7 popular editors and terminals
- Identical color schemes across all platforms
- Seamless workflow integration for your entire development environment
Accessibility First
- WCAG AA compliant contrast ratios (4.5:1 minimum)
- High Contrast variant for enhanced accessibility (WCAG AAA where possible)
- Colorblind-friendly design tested with accessibility tools
Advanced Configuration
- Built-in theme variant switching commands
- Customizable semantic highlighting preferences
- Terminal integration settings
| Platform | Description | Installation |
|---|---|---|
| VS Code | Complete syntax highlighting theme with modern features | One-click install |
| Ghostty | GPU-accelerated terminal with native theming | Copy to themes/ |
| Warp Terminal | Modern Rust-based terminal with comprehensive theming | View guide |
| iTerm2 | macOS terminal with full color palette support | Import .itermcolors |
| Windows Terminal | Modern Windows terminal theme | Add to settings.json |
| Vim/Neovim | Terminal-based editor with complete syntax support | Copy to colors/ |
| Sublime Text | Cross-platform editor with TextMate grammar | Import .tmTheme |
The Flying Dutchman theme offers three distinct variants to match your coding preferences and accessibility needs:
The original Flying Dutchman experience.
- Balanced nautical color palette perfect for everyday coding
- WCAG AA compliant contrast ratios
- Ideal for most users and general development work
- Access:
Ctrl+Shift+P→ "Preferences: Color Theme" → "The Flying Dutchman"
Enhanced accessibility and visibility.
- Stronger contrast ratios (WCAG AAA where possible)
- Brighter whites and enhanced color differentiation
- Perfect for users with visual accessibility needs
- Ideal for presentations and pair programming
- Access:
Ctrl+Shift+P→ "Preferences: Color Theme" → "The Flying Dutchman High Contrast"
Muted, traditional nautical experience.
- Softer color palette with reduced saturation
- Traditional nautical colors with a gentler feel
- Perfect for long coding sessions and reduced eye strain
- Ideal for users preferring subtle, understated themes
- Access:
Ctrl+Shift+P→ "Preferences: Color Theme" → "The Flying Dutchman Soft"
- Quick Switch:
Ctrl+Shift+P→ "Flying Dutchman: Switch Theme Variant" - Theme Info:
Ctrl+Shift+P→ "Flying Dutchman: Show Theme Information" - Settings: Configure preferred variant in VS Code settings under "Flying Dutchman Theme"
The Flying Dutchman theme draws inspiration from:
- Deep Ocean Blues: The primary background colors (#0d1117, #0b1119) echo the depths where the Dutchman sails
- Aged Brass & Gold: Syntax highlighting uses warm brass tones (#d1a458) like those found on ship instruments
- Sea Foam & Mist: Variable and function colors (#b0c4de, #5dade2) mirror the ethereal sea spray
- Weathered Elements: UI elements feature muted tones (#94a3b8) of a ship worn by centuries at sea
- Bioluminescent Accents: Special highlights (#4dc1b5) glow like creatures of the deep
- Background: Deep ocean black (#0d1117) with darker abyss tones (#0b1119)
- Foreground: Sea spray (#b0c4de) and aged parchment (#a8c3d8)
- Keywords: Storm blue (#7aa3c1) - the color of approaching tempests
- Strings: Seaweed green (#45b097) - life clinging to the hull
- Functions: Caribbean blue (#5dade2) - tropical waters the ship once sailed
- Constants: Aged brass (#d1a458) - the gleam of old nautical instruments
- Properties: Turquoise (#4dc1b5) - shallow reef waters
- Errors: Danger red (#e53e3e) - danger on the high seas
- Comments: Fog grey (#546e7a) - whispers in the mist
- Click here to install directly ← One-click install!
- Reload VS Code when prompted
Ctrl+Shift+P→ "Preferences: Color Theme" → "The Flying Dutchman"
code --install-extension DavyJones.the-flying-dutchman-theme- Open VS Code Extensions sidebar (
Ctrl+Shift+X) - Search for
"The Flying Dutchman"by DavyJones - Click Install → Reload → Select the theme
# Quick install script
mkdir -p ~/.warp/themes && \
curl -o ~/.warp/themes/the-flying-dutchman.yaml \
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ADWilkinson/the-flying-dutchman-theme/main/warp/the-flying-dutchman.yamlThen: Settings → Appearance → Themes → "The Flying Dutchman"
- Download
The-Flying-Dutchman.itermcolors - Double-click the file to import, or:
- iTerm2 → Preferences → Profiles → Colors → Color Presets → Import
- Select "The Flying Dutchman" from presets
mkdir -p ~/.config/ghostty/themes && \
curl -o ~/.config/ghostty/themes/The-Flying-Dutchman \
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ADWilkinson/the-flying-dutchman-theme/main/ghostty/The-Flying-DutchmanAdd to your Ghostty config:
theme = The-Flying-Dutchman
- Copy JSON from
The-Flying-Dutchman.json - Open Windows Terminal settings (
Ctrl+,) - Add to the
"schemes"array in settings.json - Apply in Profiles → Appearance → Color scheme
# For Vim
curl -o ~/.vim/colors/flying-dutchman.vim \
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ADWilkinson/the-flying-dutchman-theme/main/vim/colors/flying-dutchman.vim
# For Neovim
curl -o ~/.config/nvim/colors/flying-dutchman.vim \
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ADWilkinson/the-flying-dutchman-theme/main/vim/colors/flying-dutchman.vimAdd to your .vimrc or init.vim: colorscheme flying-dutchman
- Download
The-Flying-Dutchman.tmTheme - Sublime Text → Preferences → Browse Packages
- Copy theme file to
User/folder - Preferences → Color Scheme → User → "The Flying Dutchman"
The Flying Dutchman theme showcasing its nautical color palette with React components, TypeScript interfaces, and JSX syntax. Notice the deep ocean background, aged brass constants, sea foam variables, and Caribbean blue functions.
For the best experience sailing with The Flying Dutchman, consider these settings:
{
"editor.fontFamily": "'Fira Code', 'Cascadia Code', Consolas, monospace",
"editor.fontLigatures": true,
"editor.fontSize": 14,
"editor.lineHeight": 1.6,
"editor.renderWhitespace": "selection",
"workbench.iconTheme": "material-icon-theme"
}| Feature | The Flying Dutchman | Standard Dark Themes |
|---|---|---|
| Eye Strain Reduction | Deep ocean blues reduce fatigue | Often harsh contrasts |
| Multi-Platform | 7 editors/terminals supported | Usually single platform |
| Accessibility | WCAG AA compliant contrast ratios | Often poor contrast |
| Cohesive Design | Nautical theme throughout | Inconsistent styling |
| Active Development | Monthly updates with community feedback | Often abandoned |
| Professional Quality | 150+ semantic tokens | Basic syntax support |
- VS Code Engine: ^1.74.0+ (supports latest features)
- Color Tokens: 150+ semantic tokens for precise highlighting
- Languages: Optimized for 20+ programming languages
- Theme Type: Dark theme with selective high contrast elements
- File Size: <50KB for instant loading
- Maintenance: Actively maintained with monthly community-driven updates
Frontend: JavaScript • TypeScript • React • Vue • Angular • HTML • CSS • SCSS • LESS
Backend: Python • Node.js • PHP • Java • C# • Go • Rust • Ruby
Data: JSON • YAML • XML • SQL • GraphQL
DevOps: Docker • Shell Scripts • PowerShell • Kubernetes YAML
Documentation: Markdown • reStructuredText
- Enhanced VSCode Theme: Added modern features (Command Center, Sticky Scroll, Inline Chat)
- Expanded Semantic Tokens: Better TypeScript/JavaScript support with decorators, enums, interfaces
- Improved Language Support: Enhanced Sublime Text theme with comprehensive JavaScript, TypeScript, CSS, Python, JSON, and Markdown support
- Color Consistency: Fixed discrepancies between iTerm and Windows Terminal themes
- Better Documentation: Complete AI development context and improved installation guides
We welcome contributions! Here's how you can help improve The Flying Dutchman:
Found a bug or color inconsistency? Open an issue with:
- Screenshots of the problem
- Your VS Code version and operating system
- Steps to reproduce the issue
- Include screenshots showing current vs. desired colors
- Explain how changes would improve the nautical theme
- Test suggestions against accessibility standards
Help expand our screenshot gallery:
- Screenshots of different programming languages
- Terminal integrations across platforms
- Before/after comparisons with other themes
Want to port the theme to a new editor?
- Fork the repository
- Create a new directory (e.g.,
atom/,emacs/) - Follow our color palette standards
- Submit a PR with installation instructions
See our Contributing Guidelines for detailed information.
Why doesn't the theme look right in my terminal?
The VS Code theme only affects the editor interface. For terminal integration, install the appropriate terminal theme from our multi-platform collection. Each terminal has its own theme file format.
Can I customize specific colors?
Yes! Add custom overrides to your VS Code settings.json:
"workbench.colorCustomizations": {
"[The Flying Dutchman]": {
"editor.background": "#your-color-here",
"terminal.foreground": "#custom-text-color"
}
}Is there a light version planned?
We're considering "The Flying Dutchman: Dawn" - a light variant inspired by sunrise over the ocean. Vote for it here or contribute ideas!
How often is the theme updated?
We release updates monthly, incorporating community feedback and supporting new VS Code features. Critical bug fixes are released immediately.
Does this theme work with all VS Code extensions?
The theme is designed to work seamlessly with popular extensions. If you notice compatibility issues with specific extensions, please report them and we'll address them in the next update.
- Bug Reports: GitHub Issues
- Feature Requests: GitHub Discussions
- Documentation: This README and individual platform guides
- Show Your Setup: Share screenshots in Discussions
- Performance: <50KB package size, instant theme switching
- Compatibility: Tested on VS Code 1.74+ across Windows, macOS, Linux
- Coverage: 150+ color tokens, 7 platforms supported
- Updates: Monthly releases with community feedback integration
- Accessibility: Automated contrast testing in development workflow
MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.
"Part of the ship, part of the crew"
Enjoying the theme? Star us on GitHub and leave a review to help other developers discover it.
