For centuries, pirates have played a crucial role in maritime culture. They were the seafaring robbers which are known for their cunning and intrepid deeds on the high seas, with some even achieving legendary status. They are those ruthless men (and women) who needed good ships to be able to run down their prey and escape from pirate hunters and navy vessels for which these people were always on the hunt of finding good ships.
Pirates are considered to be exiled or criminals, who could not just saunter up the offices of a shipbuilding firm to place an order for the latest ship. They don’t even have additional funds to purchase a ship for themselves neither they will want such thing to be done, because they believed that the things which can be acquired free no amount needs to be invested for such things.
GOLDEN AGE OF PIRACY
The Golden Age of Piracy was a period during 17th and early 18th century. During this time, it is believed that more than 5000 pirates were on boarded in sea. Throughout history, there have been people willing to rob others who were transporting the goods on the water. These people were known as pirates who used to target mainly the targeted ships, though some also launched attacks on coastal towns too.
Thousands of pirates terrorized shipping lanes all over the world, particularly in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans during this period. Pirates have existed since ancient times and have been threatening the trading routes of ancient Greece and seized cargoes of grain and olive oil from Roman ships. The far reaching pirates during the medieval period were the Vikings.
One famous pirate ship was Blackbeard’s “Queen Anne’s Revenge” with 40 guns, spreading fear which was been used by the pirates during this period to capturize the ship.
WHAT IS A PIRATE SHIP ?
A pirate ship is characterized by its crew and sailors participating in acts of piracy. So, any canoe or raft could be considered a pirate vessel. They used to use very small boats, even canoes when nothing else was at hand.
As, pirates could not just saunter up the offices of a shipbuilding firm to place an order for the latest, as they don’t even have additional funds to purchase a ship for themselves nor they will want such thing to be done, because they believed that the things which can be acquired free no amount needs to be invested for such things. One of the famous vessels was the “Queen Anne’s Revenge” with 40 guns present in it to terrorize the other ships.
These vessels are used by the pirates for their seafaring exploits. They use to use these ships in order to acquire or rob other ships. Pirate ships were tinier and quicker than normal ships, which made them good at their pirate work. They had extra weapons like cannons and guns, and they had brave sailors, who were ready to fight and steal valuable things.
HOW DID PIRATES GET THEIR SHIPS ?
As pirates are exiled personalities, no firm will be giving their ships to them for piracy, so they had to somehow capture existing ships. Some pirates were crewmen on board naval or merchant vessels who were taken over by mutiny. Mostly pirates used to simply trade in ships when they used to capture one that was more seaworthy than the one they had been using.
Pirates use a variety of tactics to capture and plunder their targets by capturing the ships ultimately at the end. In the 16th century, they liked “sloops,” which were fast and small. These ships were good for piracy because they could move quickly and turn easily while capturing another ship.
PIRATE SHIP ATTACKS
Pirates used a variety of tactics to capture and plunder their targets. They used various techniques to capture the onseas boarded ships either by surprise attacks, boarding, deception, and diversion. These tactics helped pirates to overcome their targets and acquire valuable loot either of the ships or the valuable items in the ships.
However, these tactics also put the pirates at risk of retaliation and capture by naval forces or other pirate hunters. Although, piracy is a criminal act and causes significant harm to the victims and the wider society. Therefore, these tactics and techniques are only used by these exiled entities to capture the ships.
Also Read: Modern Piracy: Do Pirates Still Exist?