blpana.blogg.se - How to capture ships in the pirate caribbean hunt

Pirates altered their ships so that they could carry far more cannon than merchant ships of the same size. This meant they could easily outnumber their victims. Pirate ships usually carried far more crew than ordinary ships of a similar size. Often pirates were just trying to find the necessities of life. Things as simple as flour and medicine were treasured steals. They also wanted things they could use, such as food, barrels of wine and brandy, sails, anchors and other spare equipment for their ships. However, pirates did not only seize precious cargoes like these. Coins were especially popular because pirate crews could share them out easily.Įmeralds and pearls were the commonest gems from America, providing rich plunder. The most precious prizes were chests of gold, silver and jewels.

Captain Kidd and John Gow were born in Scotland.

Henry Morgan, Bartholomew Roberts and Howell Davis were Welsh.

Where did pirates come from?Īlthough more British pirates were born in London than other seaports, there is no doubt that the most famous pirates were born elsewhere: There were also long periods without food or medical supplies, and the only option was to go hungry. If you failed to follow the rules, you could be flogged, killed, or marooned.

There was however also tough discipline on board. Pirate crews tended to be less divided by national, religious and racial differences than communities were on land. pirate ships did not have the same hierarchical discipline as navy ships.

Any money that was captured was shared equally amongst the crew. Pirate captains had to be elected, with all decisions made upon the basis that they benefitted the crew. Some historians have described pirate ships as the original republics. We know the legend of swashbuckling, treasure chests and plank-walking, but what was a pirate's life actually like, and who chose to pursue this life of crime?