What ship Type most Effected Pirate's Life?

[Captain_Python]

Here is a very good historical question, what ship most effected Pirate Life? What is your opinion? Explain your choice. There are many ship types out there, but which one changed life or tasks considerably? I'll give the poll 20 days. Also, the choices are realalistic choices. The 3rd Rate and above ships aren't in there because, they were rarely ever seen by pirates. I get this from the last Hornblower book. The Caribbean was only guarded by 13 or so ships, the biggest a Frigate, which makes sence.

 

[Captain_Python]

Let me start. I picked the Sloop because, when this ship was created around the second half of the 17th Century, it was almost the ultamite ship for pirates. This vessel was a little small, but was fast, had a shallow draft, had enough size to scare merchants, could carry anywere from 8 to 14 guns, and a crew of probably around 100. It was the perfect combination for pirates. A big ship is great, but a small ship is good for taking a merchant, due to it is more likely to be fast enough to catch it, and more likely to get away from a enemy.

 

[Mad_Jack]

I agree, in me drunken haze... The sloop, due to it's shallow draft and relatively large deck area (whereby a large number of able bodied crewmen could press), would be the ideal craft for chasing down and boarding a merchant ship. And also given that that bulk of pyrates were experienced seamen, and the vast lot of merchant crewman were rookies at best; a small ship flying the Jolly Roger could have easily overtaken a better armed merchant ship. Psychological warfare at it's best, eh? <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />

 

[capt cookie]

i chose galleon as it is the main prey of any good pirate.

 

[Admiral8Q]

I say schooner, because the schooner was designed primarily as a deep sea fishing vessel, but at the same time it was fast and maneuverable, easy to handle, so less crew needed to sail her, however large enough to hold a decent number of boarding pirates, and plunder after chasing down and boarding a merchant.

I disagree with the sloop unless they were used in numbers. Also in many cases pirates would not dirrectly grapple a merchant, but launch small dingies and overwhelm the merchant while the mother ship stayed back and provided cover fire from a safer distance.

 

[Admiral8Q]

As a thought, I think that Schooners and Cutters are similar and basicaly serve the same purpose and could be one choice, A Frigate and Corvette should be one choice since Corvettes are realy just light Frigates, And Fleut, Caravel and Other Merchant Ships should be one choice since they are all of a similar class of ship.
<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="icon_wink.gif" />

Just a thought.

 

[Captain_Python]

Very good so far. So you know, I don't know how to combine the categories, and I don't want them combined. Also, I don't think that the schooner is not the best choice as in effected pirate life, due to fact that it was created toward the end of the pirate golden age, around 1725 I believe. So it sort of just missed the big time. Let's keep it going.

 

[Admiral8Q]

Hmm, you may be right, though they did well with rum smuggling! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="icon_wink.gif" />

Maybe they brought the end to the pirate life too, eh? Because they were to big and too fast to fight? Hmm??? <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/william.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":will" border="0" alt="william.gif" />

 

[CatalinaThePirate]

Yep, I'd go with the sloop, myself. If the pirates wanted to capture a bigger ship (to help carry cargo), they could, but the quickness and ease of concealment makes the sloop a ship I'd rather use to pirate... <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="yes.gif" /> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />

 

[CatalinaThePirate]

<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_eek.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":" border="0" alt="icon_eek.gif" /> Rico!!! So that was YOU! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_eek.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":" border="0" alt="icon_eek.gif" />

<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />

I really do like the smaller ships - I sail them in PotC a lot, and I think using them is more difficult yet more rewarding since you have to think up a lot of different strategies to beat a group of bigger ships.

Smaller, quicker ships can easily overtake the big fat wallowing merchant ships laden with the goods a pirate would need - food, clothing, essentials for life. Remember, a lot of pirates became so because of desperate straits.

 

[William Red Wake]

I voted for Galleon, because I be drunk...



I should of said sloop.

 

[Ravenheart]

Usualy they had small ships but i think that a frigate woad be the best.

 

[Captain_Python]

It is odd to me on how you have opinions on these ships. I think the only way I can try to explain your answers is that you guys are mostly thinking of the games you have played for answers to this question.

The Galleon is a very important ship to pirates, due to they are the one ship that merchants use alot, hold a lot of cargo to steal, yet do not require a lot of crew for the smaller ones, maybe around 40 men for a crew.

The Frigate effected pirate life due to in the 18th Century, they were the ship that the Navies used to defend the seas, and they could have a good speed if properly handled, and can bring firepower on a pirate in a sloop easily.

Keep this conversation going.

 

[Admiral8Q]

I guess I'm more thinking along the lines of sailing as priveteers in general. I based my thoughts on the history of Nellie J. Banks, and ships like the Bluenose.

I'm thinking also more of what a pirate would use, rather than attack in this question.

Your point on the galleon and the frigate are logical, Captain Python.

 

[Admiral8Q]

Schooners

An American variation of the sloop, the 'schooner' became increasingly common as the 18th century wore on. Schooners were usually defined as being two masted ships carrying fore and aft sails on both masts. Their narrow hulls and large spread of sail made them fast, capable of exceeding 11 knots in the right conditions. They also had a shallow draft, allowing Pirate vessels to hide amid shallow waters and shoals. Weighing up to 100 tons, pirate schooners could carry around 75 men and eight guns. Their disadvantage for pirates was that they had a limited cruising range, and were forced to put into port to take in water and supplies. The alternative was to take what was needed from other vessels, making success a prerequisite for a pirate captain.



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[Admiral8Q]

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Pirates used many types of ships, anywhere from a small sloop to a large warship. But generally they gave preference to those with the greatest speed as it would do no good to spot a potential target only to have it `out-sail` you. Also pirates wanted a quick escape if needed. The pirates kept their ships in good order, careening them regularly to keep the hulls smooth and clear of seaweed and other marine life. This work was essential in order to maintain their speed advantage. <b>Two of the pirates favorite types of ships were the sloop and the schooner.</b> The speed and shallow draft of these ships enabled the pirates to hide in relative safety in shallower coastal waters where larger warships could not enter.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Also, from what I've been reading, authorities would use sloops and schooners as pirate hunters. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cool.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="8)" border="0" alt="cool.gif" />

As for Galleons, they were large ships meant for transporting cargo. Galleons were sluggish behemoths, not able to sail into or near the wind. The Spanish treasure fleets were made of these ships. Although they were sluggish, they weren't the easy target you would expect for they could carry heavy cannon which made a direct assault upon them difficult.

 

[CatalinaThePirate]

Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge was a `English-build` ship styled after a Dutch fleut - and he also had a small flotilla of sloops that he sailed with.

Black Bartholomew Roberts's flagship of choice was a brigantine.

Stede Bonnet's Revenge was a `ten-gun` sloop he purchased himself.

William Kidd's Adventure was a `34-gun` GALLEY.

Edward Low's Fortune was a `10-gun` sloop.

Drake's Golden Hind was a small galleon.

I think unless the pirate was constantly sailing in heavy seas, they used smaller ships - for the speed and small draft which allowed them to hide or escape to places larger warships could not possibly follow...

 

[Captain_Python]

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Anyways,
In the poll, Sloop is the highest in votes, but Galleons is only one vote behind, which I think is about what it would be in importance. The one thing about the galleon is though that they can be armed heavily. The Galleon use to be the prime ship used in the Navies as Warships. I think that the Fleut is probably Effected Pirate Life more due to that this ship could be crewed by a few crew, which it was alot, and easy to take, and had not as many guns as a Galleon. It also had a good hold.

14 votes so far on this thread, excellent! Lets see if we can't get more.

 

[CatalinaThePirate]

I wonder if the historically recorded "galleons" that pirates used weren't altered in some way, you know, tearing down the fore and sterncastles and creating a long flat upper gundeck... Would you still consider that a galleon?

 

[Meigger]

Pirates prized power and speed. Much better if it was combined into one hull. Pirates favored predatory vessels such as the two masted schooner, as her great virtue was speed. Could reach 11 knots in a stiff breeze. Schooners could carry 8 cannons and four swivel guns. The schooners shallow draft (five feet) was also a plus. That draft allowed the Pirates to navigate shoal waters and hide in remote coves etc. Most pirates in North America and the Caribbean used this type of ship. The swift Sloop was favored by smugglers however it did not have as shallow a draft as the schooner. Some Pirate Captain's liked the two masted Brigantine. This ship carried on her mainmast either square or `fore-and`-aft sails, or a combination of sails, therefore making her extremely versatile. She could also carry 10 cannons for excellent firepower.