What Is a Pirate Without His Pirate Ship?
To talk of pirates is to talk of murder, plunder and theft on the seas or sea coasts. To talk of pirate ships is to talk of theft in the first instance, because practically every pirate ship in existence was a stolen one.
Pirates did not, as a rule, have shipyards where they could build their own ships. They would typically acquire a new ship after an attack. If a ship was not worth keeping, it would be destroyed or perhaps sold or -- what the barnacles -- just left to rot. Those that were judged to be in good pirate-ready condition were converted to pirate ships, often after alterations such as the adding of extra guns or the removal of bulkheads so as to increase the space for their ill-gotten plunder.
Some ships became pirate ships after a mutiny; and still others saw the Jolly Roger hoisted after a privateering crew, upon reaching the end of their commission, decided that the plundering life was indeed a good one.
Most pirates preferred light, fast ships such as brigantines and schooners, since they were more easily able to enter shallow waters without grounding, whereas the warships sent to hunt them down would fear to enter those same waters.
Schooner
The schooner became a commonly used pirate ship starting in the 18th century. The schooner had two masts, both of which sported aft and fore sails. They were built for speed with their narrow hulls and capable of doing better than 11 knots per hour when the wind gods allowed.
Weighing in at up to 100 tonnes, the pirate schooner could hold perhaps 75 crewmen and 8 cannons. Among the advantages of the schooner was its ability to enter and hide in shallow waters, while one of its disadvantages was its limited storage capacity, which meant that it was frequently compelled to seek land in order to restock its water and food supplies.
Galleon
Often referred to as "treasure galleons," these were tempting targets of pirates despite the large number of men and cannons they contained. But once captured, the pirates would find that they were in possession of a formidable pirate ship. The galleon typically carried 70 guns on two or three decks and required up to 200 men to man the ship. There were three or four masts. The galleon also featured many swing guns as well as platforms on the masts, from where archers might shoot. A broadside discharge could be most deadly.
Among the drawbacks of the galleon were its low speed of eight knots and the square cut of its large, cumbersome sails, which prevented it from being able to sail effectively into the wind.
Brigantine
This two-masted job featured a shallow draft and numerous square sails and fore- and aft-rigged sails,
which ensured superior manoeuvrability and good speed. It weighed up to 150 tonnes, needed 100 crewman to man her and, unlike the schooner, had the advantage of a large cargo hold, making it a reliable vessel for prolonged naval engagements. The fire power of 12 guns was considerably less than what the galleon had to offer.
Other pirate-related articles in this series:
Female Pirates and Their Lovers
Female Pirates on the High Seas
Morgan Plunders the Spanish Main
Captain Henry Morgan's Later Years
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