You might have seen these kinds of ships among a pirate fleet. Not very agile, pirates were not likely to choose a square-rigged ship as their first choice, but would be great for stealing large amounts of booty. The large hold meant that they were slow but great for longer crossings. These were more often than not merchant ships, identified by their large square sails and three masts. This kind of boat was favored for longer battles targeting large spoils with its larger hold and great firepower. Oars were also common in some designs that could be employed during low winds. The downside was that it couldn’t hold as much booty or crew.Īnother shallow-draft boat, the brigantine was popular in the Mediterranean thanks to its great maneuverability and speed. A narrower hull and even shallower draft meant it could easily hide in shallow estuaries and escape its enemies. Like the sloop, this boat was fast, easy to maneuver and enjoyed a large capacity for guns and cannons. Another advantage is that it could hide in shallower waters to escape warships because of its shallow draft.Īnother favorite of the pirates of the Caribbean and Atlantic were the two-masted schooner. ![]() The great advantage of the sloops were that they were quick and could attack swiftly and get away fast with a top speed of over 10 knots. A large bowsprit also meant that an increased canvas area added better maneuverability. These were commonly built in Caribbean and were easily adapted for pirate antics. Sloops were the most common choice during Golden Age of Pirates during the 16th and 17th century for sailing around the Caribbean and crossing the Atlantic. Take a look at the different varieties of potential pirate ships below: ![]() ![]() What this generally meant was making more space for a larger crew and cannons by removing cabins and changing the sail arrangements. If there is one thing that all pirate ships generally had in common, that would be the fact that they were not bought and sold as a pirate ship, but rather stolen and conditioned for the purpose of piracy.
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