Terror on ships, punishment or amputation

The harsh and cruel discipline on the warships and the fierce filibusters. Sometimes amputations were the only solution to avoid death.The medicine of the time was very limited.

Amputations were sometimes the alternative to death. Antibiotics did not exist. to fight possible infections from within.

Discipline and Surgery

Life on merchant and pirate ships was hard and dangerous.

Having a group of men cooped up in a small space, unable to go ashore sometimes for weeks at a time, was a problem. Rivalries, differences of coexistence, competing for sleeping space and even for some of the meals caused continuous arguments.

Surgeon or Butcher?

Faced with wounds and the fear of gangrene, the ship’s doctor performed painful amputations.

It was quite a butchery, but it was done because it was the only thing that saved lives. Moreover, on many ships it was the barber who, in addition to extracting teeth and molars, performed the amputations.

The barber acted as a doctor or healer and did not hesitate to amputate.

Death or Amputation

To be left without an eye, arm or leg, in exchange for continuing to live.

Few survived amputations, it was very easy for the wounds to become infected. The lack of medical alternatives made them unavoidable. The choice between life or a life of total dependency and misery was the decision they had to make.

The horror of amputation

Antibiotics did not exist and gangrene could spread.

Any infection could lead to death. A wound from a stab wound or an accident on the ship, combined with the filth on board, could leave you without an arm or a leg or even your life.

Drinking water could only be used for drinking. If they wanted to wash themselves, something that many did not crave, it had to be with salt water. This resulted in dry skin and discomfort in the medium and long term.

The Surgeon, almost a Butcher

But he saved lives by amputations

The instruments for amputation or pruning as the sailors from more rural areas called them ranged from scalpels, knives, scissors to saws.

At that time the instruments were not disinfected and were used as needed by the surgeon. Sometimes from one operation to another they were simply cleaned quickly to remove the pieces of flesh stuck to them.

And at most the blood was wiped off the instruments, if they were soiled, so that they would not slip into the surgeon’s hands.

The danger of boarding

The pirates lived only a few years because the risk of boarding a ship was so great. In each boarding, some were wounded or killed. Sometimes from gun, musket, sword or knife wounds. Others from blows and falls when they were thrown from the top of the ladders or sails. The landing was not always soft. Other times they did not reach the other ship in one piece because they had been stabbed or shot with a pistol or musket.

If the ship came to defend itself, a single cannon shot falling on the deck could cause certain splinters of wood to be hurled at them as deadly projectiles.

Even if this did not happen during the boarding, when they jumped from one ship to the other, they were exposed. A group of sharpshooters stationed in the quarterdeck or on the top of the sails could be very dangerous.

Amputation was common on warships.

And it was practically the way of life on many occasions.

As a table for the surgeon, they used to use a large one, where the sailors usually ate. A large space where the sick person could lie down and be held by several men. The pain was enormous and it was very difficult to hold him.

It was usually located in a safer area of the ship. On large warships, the helm area of the Sollado was used. As it was above the hold of the ship, it usually had no windows or ventilation, so it was dark and suffocating. A lantern was used as light.

A thrilling spectacle after the battles

The scene was like a real horror movie. A dark place, almost without light, full of shadows, without ventilation, suffocating and hot.

Screams of the patients who were being amputated, one after the other. Moans of the wounded waiting in line for their turn and seeing what awaited them.

The floor full of blood that the spilled sand and the tarpaulins that covered it could barely soak. Buckets full of bullet-riddled limbs and mutilated bombs were the best sign of what had happened.

The last, but very feared solution

The horror spread with the painful amputations and without anesthesia as it was unknown at the time. At most, they were given, a few drinks of rum or brandy, to leave the patient a little bewildered.

Most of them did not manage to survive. Therefore, surgeons performed them only as a last resort. Others preferred to risk death, trying to avoid the future life of misery that awaited them as a mutilated person in such a violent world.

Punishment of Sailors and Pirates

Heartbreaking whippings

Rigid and cruel discipline

Punishment by whipping was common on ships and the multi-headed whip multiplied the punishment. A very frequent punishment among pirates and navies

The dreaded tearing of the whip

And marks on the skin that would last in many cases for life.

For the Pirates, some punishments could mean death.

Flogging and the cat of 8 tails

Flogging was a frequent occurrence and usually a dozen. This number of floggings left the skin shredded. A greater amount could cause death.

On many occasions it was carried out with a whip made of a stripped rope, the strands of which were full of knots. In the English navy it was called the cat of eight tails.

When the punishment was to be exemplary, the sailor was whipped on every ship in the fleet. This, if only because of the number of lashes received, resulted in death.

Under the keel

A widespread custom was to pass a rope from one side of the ship to the other under the water. The pirate or sailor was tied to one end of this rope. After throwing him into the water, he was pulled from the other end of the rope.

This meant that the punished person had to pass under the ship submerged until he reached the other side and could breathe.

There was a good chance that he would drown along the way. Even if this did not happen, the skin would end up destroyed because the keel of the ship usually had a multitude of mollusks whose shells would tear.

If he was also tied up, the blows with the keel could be brutal. There was also the possibility of getting hooked.

Without rum it was not the same

It was the usual drink if there was no beer.

Drinking and smoking a pipe was entertainment.
In order for the sailors to endure the harsh conditions of life at sea, alcohol was given to them.

A ration was usually given at lunchtime at 12 o’clock and another at dinnertime at 5 o’clock in the afternoon,

Since the water was almost undrinkable after a while, its taste was disguised by adding some alcohol. On English ships, the so-called Grogg used to be served. This drink consisted of a ration of rum diluted in 4 parts of water. This prevented great drunkenness.

It used to be given a ration at lunchtime at 12 o’clock and another at dinner time at 5 o’clock in the afternoon,

No Rum or Tobacco

In the case of a minor offense, it was normal to punish without Rum and Tobacco, which was a bigger punishment than it may seem. These two products were the relief of the sailors and pirates.

In the English warships these products were not distributed to the sick of the ship. In view of this, many sailors avoided going to the infirmary and going without their ration.

English and French customs

All were brutal but some were more so

Brutality was not the patrimony of any particular nation, the navies of all countries were brutal. It was a way of maintaining order in a crew that continually risked their lives and in many cases were on the ship against their will.

However, since most of the pirates came from England and France, some of the customs of these countries predominated.

The Grogg drink was English, it was put into practice for the first time by the English Admiral Vermont to prevent the sailors of the warships from being drunk. For this purpose, he distributed rum diluted in water.

The brutality of the punishments on the English ships was famous in order to maintain order and prevent them from deserting.

Such was the fear they had of desertions, that although the English won the battle of Trafalgar against the Franco-Spanish combination, for many months they were not allowed to disembark.

La entrada Punishments and Amputations, discipline pirate, merchant and military vessels se publicó primero en .

Sargasso Sea, white lights, fires, Dangers and Mysteries of the sea

The seafarer’s life in addition to sailing encountered mysteries, dangers and strange occurrences. Lightning, fires, white lights. Sargasso and windless seas

Dangers at Sea: Lightning, Fires, White Lights, Sargasso .. Surprising mysteries, seas where the wind does not blow, and full of sargasso.

Sargasso, the Sea of Lost Ships

To enter it could mean the end of the voyage. Unknown facts since the time of Christopher Columbus, the voyages, the seafarers and the strange events that occurred in the Sargasso Sea.

Fear at sea

Trapped at sea

A clump of sargassum on a beach, which when found in large quantities in the sea made navigation difficult and even impossible
Abundant marine vegetation could block ships,
And prevented them from sailing, if there was not enough wind.

If this happened, they were probably lost and had no salvation.  Their only hope was that the wind would return in time, before they ran out of water and provisions.

The enormous distances and the sea being full of sargassum prevented them from being towed by rowing boats, which would take the ship out of the area.

The mysteries of the sea and the sky

In an age of religiosity and superstition, everything was a mystery. There were real dangers that they could not control and that made those sailors who undertook a long sea voyage risk their lives. Many died in the course of the voyage between Europe and America.

Sargasso, The Sea of Fear
Cemetery of the Lost Ships.

In its waters many of the ships that passed through the sea had trouble getting out. Some would never get out. Entering this sea and stumbling upon some other ship long ago trapped, foreshadowed a doomed future and agony in its waters.

Danger a deadly calm

In their desire to hide so that their prey would not know where they were. The Pirates chose islands of the Bahamas and Bermuda, in what is now called the Bermuda Triangle.

Unaware at that time of the size of the currents, they could end up without realizing it in the Sargasso Sea. A sea so calm that it practically did not allow the ships of the time to sail, which depended on the wind to move forward.

Even in boats propelled by oars, it was very difficult because the enormous amount of seaweed got caught in them.

It has been known for centuries

The Sargasso Sea owes its name to a seaweed abundant in the area called Sargassum.

Spanish sailors suffered from it for 500 years. Christopher Columbus encountered this large, floating, bush-like seaweed. He mistakenly believed that the land of America must already be nearby.

Some sailors suffered from it before Columbus. There are chronicles that relate that Phoenicians and Carthaginians encountered them. They were known since ancient times, but neither the exact place where they were located nor their extension was known.

Under the sea, underwater abysses

Under these desperately calm waters, lie the abysmal plains of Hatteras and Nares. Chains of submarine mountains that end in plains as if they had been islands in the past, now submerged.

Shrub-like algae

They slowed down the ships and sometimes prevented them from sailing.

These marine vegetations could be of great extension. The ships were not too large, and if they were, it could become a problem as they were driven by the wind. Being sailing ships, the absence of wind, left them immobile in any place, when the air stopped. They had to wait for the wind to come back to sail again. If the wind was scarce, the marine vegetation slowed down the ship’s progress.

Rotten ships on the sea

A windless sea full of obstacles slowed the ships’ progress.

When the ships were practically immobilized by algae, lack of wind and currents, disaster struck. Soon they were covered with seaweed, algae and vegetation that made navigation even more difficult.

As the ships were made of wood, they could be infected by the dreaded screwworms that little by little made countless small holes in the hull.

The result over time was a half-rotten ship manned by skeletons of the sailors who died of hunger and thirst.

The Spaniards and the Horse Latitudes

When Spanish galleons making the voyage to America were stranded in this area, they had to comply with strict orders.

They had to sacrifice their war horses before they ran out of water and provisions. This was the only way they had a chance of getting out of the dreaded Sargasso Sea alive.

Mysteries of space

Mysterious lights and fires in the skies

The sea voyages surprised them with lights and fires from the sea or the sky.

The Fire of San Telmo could be seen well in the darkness of the night.
In an age of superstitions, any surprise in the middle of the sea created terror.

Sometimes mysterious lights appearing in the dark night in the middle of the sea was a real ray of hope for sailors who felt relieved and considered themselves accompanied by gods or saints.
Fires, Lights and Pirates. There are some areas of the seas where electrical and magnetic phenomena occur that can not always be explained, and often occurred in areas where pirates acted.

San Telmo Fire

A phenomenon already known since ancient times. More common than in other areas due to the characteristics of the Caribbean Sea and the great electrical storms of the Bermuda Triangle and the Sargasso Sea.

After a thunderstorm the ionization of the air by the created electric field produces this phenomenon.

A white or bluish glow with a glow that looks like it is starting to burn can appear on the sharp areas of the ships.

Although for some it was a bad omen, it was generally considered a good omen and they were considered to be under the protection of San Telmo. When the sailors saw them, they used to pray to thank the patron saint of the seafaring world, San Telmo. Pirates and sailors contemplated mysterious lights in the sky.

Christopher Columbus and the mysterious lights

Already in the voyage of Columbus in the year 1492 there was evidence of mysterious lights. In his journal he reports that the crew of the Caravel saw a ball of fire falling from the sky.

A few hours before the discovery of America, new lights appeared. And given the distance of about 80 km to land, it is not possible that a bonfire was perceived on land. In addition, the light went up and down as if someone was signaling.

Bermuda and the strange lights

The Fire of San Telmo could be seen in the long voyages and was observed with curiosity and suspicion by the sailors.
There have always been mysterious events without explanation. The culture of seafarers at the time of sailing was scarce. Fear among sailors and pirates for strange occurrences

While the Fire of San Telmo was known and had its explanation, the other phenomena were not.Mysterious lights, lightning, fireballs, beam of lightning, bunch of fire, etc. some of them remain unexplained.

Even in the 20th century, this area has been called the Bermuda Triangle where ships and airplanes disappear. The causes of the loss of an entire squadron of U.S. military aircraft are still unknown.

Mysterious Luminous Waters

Another unexplained mystery in Bermuda: Luminous White Waters in the Caribbean Sea. From the ships they watched in awe the appearance of the White Waters.

The astonishing white waters

An unexpected phenomenon could trigger superstition among the crew and complicate daily life on board. White Waters, a surprise for Pirates and Sailors.

The Caribbean Sea area also has another mystery, that of the White Waters that Pirates and navigators have been contemplating with fear since the times of Christopher Columbus.

Luminous unknown white waters

Pirates and sailors who sailed in the area of the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Sargasso Sea never ceased to be surprised. Sometimes luminous white waters would appear and glow clearly during the night, filling them with surprise and fear. For centuries their origin was unknown, and there were many theories, both terrestrial and divine.

Columbus also saw them in the 15th century

Christopher Columbus actually stumbled upon many of the surprises of the Caribbean Sea. Although he had enough with the superstitions of the time, huge monsters, huge cliffs at the end of the world, huge storms, etc.

But this phenomenon of the White Waters also surprised him by its size and luminosity.

Astronauts and mysterious lights

The mysterious phenomenon of the White Waters in the sea

They saw the last lights of the Earth

A person contemplates the mysterious White Waters

A vision that the astronauts of the Apollo Mission did not expect in their space travels was to contemplate some mysterious lights.  To their surprise, they watched from space as the last thing they saw of Planet Earth was these luminous waters.

The mystery uncovered

According to scientists, the mystery is not so mysterious. The conditions in the area are very special.

It is an area of volcanic activity, where large pockets of gases sometimes appear. If a ship or plane is engulfed by one of them, communications and all electronic systems could collapse. Therefore, the track of so many missing ships and planes would be lost.

Not everything can be explained and is so clear

The doubt persists in spite of the scientific explanations.

Why have no traces of the ships or planes been found? No survivors have been found from most of the missing ships and planes. But neither have any personal or ship’s belongings, such as a life preserver, been found.

The mystery continues today. Perhaps this explanation can explain the color of the waters, but not the disappearances of ships and planes.

La entrada Dangers and mysteries for seafarers on the pirate sea: what are they? se publicó primero en .

When and why did Piracy end?

A sudden agreement between countries brought about the end of pirates. They all pursued the pirates, and many were killed. Some were captured and hanged as an example, others fled to other seas.

All countries united against pirates

A pirate was most likely to end up hanging or on a prison ship, in conditions rarely bearable for a human being.

Sending supply boats to each island was a very common and usually necessary operation.

Pirate ships depended on whatever supplies they could get, and better if these were free. Therefore, they were forced to look for safe places where they could anchor and get supplies without danger. Stops were made on islands to fetch fresh food and water.

The end of the Pirate Age

Their decadence and exemplary punishments, hanging or life imprisonment their fate

Running out of places of provisioning protected by some country, they were an easier prey.

Every peace treaty between countries, ending marine or territorial disputes, was a step towards their demise. They lost their protection and their ports. Pirates and privateers were allowed to carry out their boardings and raids as long as they were useful to any country.

All European countries against pirates

And this protecting country, allowed them to provision and shelter in its ports. When they were no longer needed, they were isolated and later persecuted. When possible, they were annihilated. They could do little against warships.

The Treaty of Utrecht, although it initially created a great number of pirates, when the sailors and corsairs were left without occupation at the end of the war, nevertheless it deprived them of the main supports.

From that moment on, all countries turned against them, because they hindered maritime traffic and trade. Moreover, they were no longer needed to be used against another country, since each country had its own navy.

Having spent some time without maritime wars in Europe, pirates are a nuisance for all countries, since they attack their ships. All countries unite against pirates, buccaneers, filibusters, …

The Pursuit of Pirates

Pirates in search and capture

Rewards for Pirate’s hunting and capture

The persecution was continuous during the following centuries.

The fortifications of the coastal areas made it more difficult to assault towns, which at this time were usually more populated and had more garrison troops.

The progressive technification of the navies of all countries created an unequal struggle between wooden and metal ships. Modern warships with powerful cannons could defeat them at a distance, without allowing them to board.

As it would happen later in the Cuban War between the Americans and the Spaniards, it was modern metal military ships that fought against old-fashioned wooden and sail-powered pirate ships.

Exemplary punishments for pirates:

Hanging or life imprisonment.

Hanging was the punishment for every pirate. Captain Kidd’s corpse remained for 4 years at the entrance of the River Thames. In view of every ship that passed by, with a very clear message for anyone thinking of becoming a pirate.

Prison ships full of Pirates

Old wrecked ships were installed in the River Thames and used as prisons, where inmates lived in subhuman conditions. These prison ships could be seen on the river at the entrance to London. They served as a chastisement and warning to the crews of all incoming and outgoing ships.

The message was clear, the future of anyone who engaged in Piracy would be an exemplary punishment. Usually the gallows, or a dreaded prison ship from which almost none would leave alive.

Refugees in the seas of China, India, Japan, etc.

Flight to Africa and Asia

The large number of islands made it difficult to locate the pirates and allowed them to stock up on water and food.

As maritime navigation increased and new trade routes appeared, pirates moved to areas where there were possible booty. The new sea routes of India, China, Japan, Malaysia, etc. with ships full of cargoes of silk, ivory, spices, are their new targets.

The activity of the Colonies of North America, make that many pirates move towards them. Soon the North American privateers will be famous, attacking the English Crown this time.

La entrada End of the Golden Age of Piracy and the fate of pirates se publicó primero en .

Pirate islands and their hideouts

Although the largest islands in the Caribbean were controlled by the Spanish, there are almost 1,000 other small islands in the Caribbean Sea. Perfect hideouts where pirates used to hide out

Nests of Corsairs, Buccaneers, Filibusters, etc.

The Caribbean Sea became a refuge for pirates. The riches that circulated through this sea were immense. Merchant ships transported all kinds of products and merchandise. In addition, the dream of capturing a Spanish galleon full of riches was always present, something almost impossible.

Islands and their relationship with the Pirates: Hispaniola, Tortuga, Cayman, Jamaica, Barbados, Bahamas …

The Caribbean Sea was full of pirate havens. From them they could attack the ships that sailed those waters and seize the riches they were carrying.

Many of these islands are now tax havens, and are visited by modern pirates.

Pirates’ Nests in the Caribbean

Its hundreds of islands found their refuges

The immensity of the Spanish Empire of America, and its great riches, made them coveted by all kinds of adventurers. These became Pirates, Corsairs, Buccaneers and Filibusters.

The impossibility for the Spanish to control such vast territories made the pirates take refuge in strategic places.

In these places they had their shelters, arranged their ships and prepared for piracy. Since the discovery of the New World, the Caribbean Sea has been one of the world’s major centers of piracy.

Fleeing from island to island

Until they found safety

Initially Spain, was expelling them from the islands where they took refuge. But the pirates moved to other islands. If they were expelled again, they moved on to others, and so on.

For this reason, Spain, seeing it impossible to expel them completely, stopped chasing them around the islands for some periods of time.

Tortuga Island, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, etc, were some of the most famous Caribbean islands where pirates, corsairs, buccaneers and filibusters lived.

The establishment of English, French and Dutch colonies were used by pirates as repair and supply centers for their ships.

Main Pirate Islands

Tortuga Island

Safe haven for filibusters, buccaneers and corsairs.

The Filibusteros pirates were so named because of the type of ship they used.
Its shape and location, the most famous.

Tortuga Island, refuge of pirates, the Brotherhood of the Coast. Tortuga Island is located north of the island of Hispaniola in the area of present-day Haiti. It is a small island of about 180 km2, 37 km long and 7 km wide, where pirates, French, English and Dutch took refuge.

In addition, all kinds of adventurers and escaped slaves settled there. From there they attacked the ships of the Spanish fleets that sailed through the area.

Since the XVI century, it was one of the first bases of pirates and filibusters. Although the Spanish expelled them, they returned again and again.

In the end, when they managed to expel them, the pirates and buccaneers moved to Jamaica seeking the support of England. They returned years later when Spain abandoned it and they counted on the support of France.

On the island of Jamaica the main city was Port Royal and then Spanish Town.
Santiago Island

Discovered in 1494 by Christopher Columbus on one of his expeditions, during his second voyage. The Spaniards named it Santiago, and it was a colony since 1509. It was a Spanish colony for many years, before passing into the hands of the English.

Inhabited by Arawak Indians, it was called Xaymaca (Land of waterfalls and forests). It is one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean. With an extension of 240 km long and less than 80 km wide.

By the Treaty of Madrid in 1670, this island, along with the Cayman Islands, passed to England. It became a hideout for pirates and buccaneers.

Its capital was Port Royal, where the ships of pirates and corsairs were supplied. A place full of pirates, adventurers, taverns and prostitutes, it was probably the largest leisure center in the Caribbean. Here the pirates and buccaneers spent their profits from their raids on ships and cities, mainly Spanish.

An earthquake destroyed Port Royal in 1692.

+ Jamaica Island

The Cayman Islands

The large number of islands made it difficult to locate the pirates and allowed them to stock up on water and food.

Islands currently famous for their tax havens. Pirates’ islands, where they felt safe.

Discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1503, on his fourth voyage to America. The Cayman Islands were a center of pirates, especially during the 17th century.

Located in the northwest of Jamaica, between Cuba and Honduras, it was a good place as a base for attacking Spanish galleons.

Initially it was occupied by the English and French, who divided the territory. In the battles for the occupation of the island, the Indians were practically exterminated.

A Spanish fleet expelled them all, and they took refuge in Tortuga Island and Hispaniola. But as in so many places in the Caribbean, they returned later and it became a base for buccaneers.

+ Caimon Islands

The Islands of the Bahamas

Bahama Islands, between the Florida peninsula and the island of Hispaniola.

It is believed to be one of the islands where Christopher Columbus landed for the first time. It is located between the Florida peninsula and the island of Hispaniola.

There are about thirty islands and more than 600 islets. After the destruction of Port Royal by an earthquake, some pirates moved to them.

Its time of splendor was when in 1713, in compliance with the Treaty of Utrecht, the English forbade pirates to enter Jamaica. These pirates looked for new refuges among the islands of the Caribbean Sea, and chose these islands of the Bahamas.

The most famous island is New Providence, which became the base and capital of pirates during the XVI-XVIII century. Nassau was their capital and was the place from where they prepared their raids, repaired and conditioned their ships. An island ruled by pirates.

+ Bahamas Islands

Small Antilles

P. Antilles the ideal refuge for pirates.

Discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1493, on his fourth voyage to America. They were one of the many islands impossible to colonize by Spain, as they did not have enough human resources due to the immensity of the New World. A century later by the English and French. However, they occupied a strategic position because they were a passing place for the Spanish galleons loaded with riches that departed from Cartagena de Indias. The riches extracted from Peru and South America were loaded in this port,

The islands of Martinique and Montserrat stand out for their rugged coastline and lush forests. An ideal place as a refuge for pirates.

+ Antilles Islands

Puerto Rico

(San Juan Bautista)

Discovered by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to America. One of the strategic places of the Caribbean.

The frequent pirate incursions, made that one of the first defensive armies of the Caribbean was created and fortified. It was one of the Spanish control points in the Caribbean. It ended up being a base for corsairs at the service of Spain when its maritime decline began.

+ Puerto Rico Island

Mocha Island

The entrance to the Pacific Ocean

Located in the south of Chile, it was the first stop after crossing from the Atlantic. A safe place to stock up on water and fresh food. It was also a place to repair the ships that were usually damaged after such a difficult and hard voyage.

For Francis Drake it was salvation, when he was surprised by the cannons of Valdivia, which he did not expect, he sought refuge on this island. To avoid this and so that the pirates could be supplied, years later it was depopulated, and its inhabitants were taken to the mainland.

+ Mocha Island

Island of England

Cradle of pirates and corsairs

Piracy was a common practice on the English Channel coast. They were dedicated to boarding the ships that crossed it, some loaded with treasures, others with fabrics and other appreciated elements. Some nobles controlled this profitable business.

With time, Queen Elizabeth I of England favored the appearance of privateers, as a way to get rich without great problems. This departure to the sea and this practice, helped the creation of a navy, which was eventually the wealth of the country.

The most famous pirates and privateers have been English. A whole business whose wealth from robbery filled the coffers not only of pirates, but also of nobles and kings.

+ Island England

La entrada Which pirate islands are they and where were they? se publicó primero en .

Gold and silver in the rich colonies, the ambition of the pirates

For 300 years the Spanish Viceroyalties of America controlled the riches. Attacking the colonies, by land and sea, pirates and privateers tried to seize them.

Pirates watch from nearby islands

The Spanish colonies had great wealth, but at the beginning of the colonization of America, they were unprotected against the presence of European pirates.

One of the rich Spanish colonies in America, Trinidad on the island of Cuba.

Spanish colonial architecture in America. Throughout the duration of the Empire, Spain built great works of urban architecture, as well as churches and fortresses.

Prepared to attack and board

Each era had its sea and its pirates.

Strategic zones all over the world, always on the prowl

The bow was a good place to observe the maneuver of approaching another ship or the coast.

Always lurking in islands and places where they could hide and surprise, in places of the Caribbean Sea, waiting for their opportunity. Places of obligatory passage of ships.

At one time the Caribbean Sea was the place of passage of ships with treasures and riches. Then it passed to the Indian Ocean and the Malay Peninsula. Nowadays, the coasts of the Horn of Africa, especially in Somalia, are the favorite place for pirates.

To be a pirate was to be a free man

Some dedicated themselves to piracy as their salvation in the face of their extreme living conditions, others for greed and power.

The prize in the face of risk

Pirates used very fast ships to obtain the maximum speed to catch up with other ships.

The hard life on board the ships and their chances of being wrecked.

The living conditions at sea were very hard, dangers of all kinds and diseases. Just the fact of traveling from Europe to America was in itself a great risk. Few nobles dared to do it and no king. Only civil servants, military and adventurers did it.

Sailboat exposed to the whims of the wind

When the pirates captured a ship, they asked the other sailors if they wanted to join them. Many of those sailors accepted, fed up with the abuses and poor living conditions on the other ships.

In all European navies conditions were appalling. One of the worst was the English Navy. Those who managed to defect from the harsh discipline of the English Navy found a way out by joining the Pirates.

Spanish colonies in the Caribbean, on alert, before the pirates

Besieged by groups of unscrupulous pirates

For centuries there was an invasion of Pirates in the Spanish Caribbean Colonies. Continuous attacks mainly from the English and French. Initially they attacked only the ships, later on corsairs and filibusters in numerous groups attacked the coastal populations.

Danger in the Spanish colonies

Located on the islands surrounding the colonies, the buccaneers waited for their moment. At first on the island of Hispaniola, then in the entire Caribbean Sea.

The Caribbean invaded by pirates

Real armies of pirates and privateers of undeclared wars, endangered the colonizing effort of Spain in America. Some of these attacks were led by English privateers as was the case of Morgan. who grouped the filibusters and gave them a target.

The discovery of the New World

They settled on Caribbean islands

The flourishing wealth of the Spanish colonies in America, made that other countries looked for the way to seize a part of those riches. In a more or less covert way they used pirates and privateers to steal what they could from the rich new colonies.

In the Caribbean Sea, an area that has hundreds of islands and is impossible to control. They even created their pirate associations and their centers of concentration, provisioning and entertainment. Relying on French and English ports, they set out to raid Spanish ships and coastal colonies.

Later, English pirates

The first pirates to settle around the Spanish Canary Islands were French. Later the French pirates moved towards the Caribbean Sea where they found small islands where they could settle and attack the Spanish ships.

Robert Baal led expeditions that endangered towns such as Cartagena and later Santa Marta, which were attacked in 1544.

The English pirates who became privateers when supported by England prepared expeditions that looked like pirate armies. Such was their number and strength that they successfully attacked important cities of the time such as Cartagena, Portobelo, Santa Marta, Chagres, between 1586 and 1596.

Famous corsairs were Hawkins and his nephew Francis Drake who did not hesitate to attack small or even intimidate the inhabitants of large towns.

Morgan razes some Spanish colonies

The Englishman Henry Morgan, the greatest danger

Led by Morgan, they set out on one of the greatest pirate expeditions.

Morgan landed in Port Royal coming from England and descendant of a military family and in a short time he knew how to make a place for himself among the pirates taking advantage of his military knowledge.

Being a person with few scruples, he did not hesitate to use women and children, priests and nuns to take over cities such as Portobelo, protected by several military forts. Leaving Jamaica in command of more than 3,000 pirates and almost 50 ships, he managed to occupy Portobelo using captured prisoners of the clergy as human shields.

Emboldened by the feat, with the help of French buccaneers and with the support of an English ship, he managed to enter Panama.

Pirates, Corsairs and even Admirals.

French, English and Dutch attacked the coastal towns.

The French did not remain on the sidelines, although they did not have as much importance over time, due to the proliferation of English pirates. The nobility also participated in the French pirate expeditions.

Initially sent by Francis I who encouraged privateer ships. The Baron de Poinise, who attacked Cartagena de Indias, stood out. Pirates such as Spring, Colb, Dampier became famous. Admirals such as Hoosier, Vernon and Kinhiesel also participated in expeditions with more or less success.

Many deserters ended up as pirates

Kidnapped by the Navy and pirates

The English navy had the power to force Englishmen to embark if it needed reinforcements. Raids in the taverns and streets of the ports were common. Once on the ship, they could no longer flee. Many of the new crew did not even know how to swim.

If any of these forced sailors could desert, they would join the pirates. At other times when they finished their time in the navy they also did so of their own free will.

The discipline was so harsh and the living conditions extreme. So they took every opportunity to defect. When pirates took over a ship, sometimes some of the sailors would join them. Others, against their will, were forced to become pirates.

When the English Navy needed sailors, it simply kidnapped them and took them on board. There was a service for the capture of Englishmen near the coastal areas, supported by the Law. The patrols in charge of it, went around the territory and kidnapped any man between 18 and 50 years old.

What was initially supported by the judges to get rid of criminals, became commonplace. These patrols had no consideration and any Englishman who came across them could be taken prisoner to a ship.

In the navy, the few who survived often deserted, especially in the navy. The harshness of seafaring life on warships and the harsh and unforgiving discipline was for many unbearable.

Countries and the obligation to serve at sea

This practice was not only used by the English Royal Navy, similar but not so blatant methods were also the norm in other countries. France also had its Compulsory Conscription Act, but there were many methods for

Leva Patrols, to obtain crewmen.

The Act provided that Englishmen could be conscripted (forced) to join the English Navy. The Compulsory Conscription Act allowed ships to be filled with forced sailors.

If this number of men was not enough, the Captain of the ship himself would mount his own Leva patrol. The kidnapped men disappeared without a trace. Their families knew nothing more about them, nor where they had gone. Sometimes they would find out what had happened many years later if the abductee returned to the place.

Mutinies and continuous desertions

This forced conscription, together with the terrible living conditions on the ships favored discontent and desertions. To such an extent that the men only went ashore in small groups under guard to stock up on water and food.

If they could not swim, they were not taught to swim.

The forced recruits from land to inland were not taught to swim to avoid desertions in the ports.  For this reason, when a man fell into the water, it was difficult to save him, since he could not collaborate because he did not know how to swim.

Caribbean, strategic zone of America

Places of obligatory passage

Main places and zones of Pirates according to the historical epochs, to watch the maritime traffic. Pirates were adapted to the dangers and maritime routes of greater traffic and wealth.

In the seas and oceans there are maritime routes. These routes are sometimes obligatory passage areas for ships, because of their shelters, places of sea currents, others allow to shorten the time of navigation etc..

For this reason the ships are complicated and even lengthened if they do not pass through places like the Horn of Africa, Indonesian Islands, Somalia, Philippine Islands or Malayas.

Many islands full of pirates
Their refuges

Some islands have become famous for their history related to the treasures of America, such as Turtle Island, Bahamas Islands, etc., others for the routes of the Orient, Madagascar Island, etc.

But an infinity of other islands have lived and still live from piracy.  A number of small islands in the Philippines or Malaysian islands have been a refuge for pirates and continue to be so.

Each era and had its own area
Seas and times: Ancient, Middle and Modern times

From ancient times, Greek and Roman, the coasts of Greece and what is now modern Turkey were attacked by pirates. Later, the rich Greek colonies of Anatolia suffered.

Piracy was reduced with the Roman expeditions that cornered the pirates little by little until they were practically exterminated.

During the Middle Ages, as the two shores of the Mediterranean were occupied by two different civilizations, Christian and Muslim, the perfect justification was found for someone from each side to get rich by attacking, robbing and enslaving those who practiced the other religion.

The discovery of America marks the beginning of the Modern Age, and the Caribbean islands were an ideal place to board ships with riches bound for Spain and other European countries. Later the pirates moved on to the Indian Ocean which is the place of traffic between the East and the West.

Many countries participated in piracy

Depending on the time, one nation or another

In each historical epoch there were one or another country that practiced piracy. Some countries succeeded others in the practice of the very lucrative activity of piracy.

In the values of past times, attacking the neighbor, stealing everything you could were even valued, aggressiveness, conquest were rewarded by the Kings. That is why it is not surprising that pirates and privateers were rewarded and became heroes of a country.

In Antiquity: Cilician pirates became famous. The Greeks expanded their territories through piracy and later sent real armies to conquer Asia.

At the beginning of the Middle Ages, Viking attacks from Northern Europe endangered areas of the Atlantic and even reached the Mediterranean. On the other hand, by sailing the rivers from the North, they reached the Black Sea, at the end of the Middle Ages the Turkish and Berber pirates initially. And then the Barbary corsairs in the service of the Ottoman Empire.

In the Caribbean during the 16th and 18th centuries, French and English pirates attacked Spanish ships and possessions in America. The French were the first to discover the great riches carried by Spanish ships and began piracy in the Caribbean Sea.

But the rule was always the same, to try to get rich by stealing from their richer and more powerful neighbors.

The Island of Hispaniola guarded and surrounded by 3 pirate islands.

The island is currently divided into two countries: Haiti and the Dominican Republic. At that time it was the first island, already in the 15th and 16th century, where Spain established populations.
A rich island, surrounded by pirates’ nests.

Being this island a place of passage of the ships to Spain, the pirates sought their refuges in the small nearby islands: Tortuga, Saona and Vache. From these small islands they watched for the passage of galleons returning to Spain with great riches.

These three pirate-controlled islands were a good place to observe maritime traffic. Full of lurking pirates, ready to attack at any moment. The island of Hispaniola was initially the gateway to the American territories. But always guarded and surrounded by Vache Island, Saona Island, Tortuga Island.

Vache Island

Pirate refuge

The “Ile a Vache” in French means Cow Island and is located in Haiti a few kilometers off the coast. The proximity to Des Cayes (The Cays) makes it easy to visit the island and its environment full of shipwrecks,

Not in vain was one of the bases of fearsome pirates like Morgan who stalked the ships that were heading to or leaving the island of Hispaniola.

Saona Island

Nest of pirates

This small island, 20 km long and 5 km wide, has some reef areas that made it safer for pirates, since they could not navigate to it without danger. They used it as a base from which to attack the ships of the island of Hispaniola.

Tortuga Island, and the Brothers

The Confraternity of the Brothers of the Coast

Tortuga Island was their favorite place and even had French colonists who supplied and fed the pirates. But later other small islands located on the other side of the island of Hispaniola became important.

The great importance of the Cofradía de los Hermanos de la Costa for many decades made it a safe haven for pirates, among other things because it was fortified.

Tortuga Island, Vache Island, Saona Island

Surrounded by the three small islands

Tortuga Island controlled the passage of ships along one of the coasts of Hispaniola.

Vache Island is located at one end and Saona Island at the other. In such a way that being the shape of the island of Hispaniola similar to a triangle, it is surrounded by these three small islands.

Whichever route the galleons took to enter or leave the island of Hispaniola, they were always in danger. At each of the vertices was the presence of pirate shelters on these three small islands: Tortuga Island, Vache Island and Saona Island.

La entrada Raids on the American colonies by pirates and privateers se publicó primero en .

 When was the Golden Age of pirates?

The peak begins

Thousands of seafarers out of work

The splendor in its golden age, of the Corsair Pirates, Buccaneers, Filibusters. The period of expansion of the Pirates in the Caribbean Sea, Africa, Indian Ocean, …

At this time, navigation was very dangerous due to the high number of pirates and corsairs.

The dreaded appearance of a filibuster ship could be the end of the voyage and sometimes of one’s own life.

End of the war, but rise of Piracy

From crews of privateer ships protected and at the service of France and England to simple Pirates of the Caribbean.

For decades Tortuga Island and Jamaica were the refuge of privateers and pirates under the protection of the French and English Crown.

The end of the European maritime wars
Spain controlled the main Caribbean Islands, such as Cuba, Hispaniola and Puerto Rico, many of the smaller ones were frequented by pirates and corsairs.

Signing of peace between European countries

Main islands of the Caribbean Sea

Because of their size and wealth, the island of Cuba and the island of Hispaniola, in the hands of Spain, stood out. For being a traditional pirate nucleus, the Island of Jamaica, controlled by England.

In the Golden Age of Piracy, many corsairs became pirates. At the end of the war between the European nations, the number of pirates increased in great numbers.

During these years all the navies had been strengthened, multiplying their warships and crews under all flags.

After a 12-year war in which the navies with warships of England and Holland fought against Spain and France, peace came.

Thousands of sailors were left without work, some of them continued with their activity but for their own profit, outside the law of their country.

Peace with the Treaty of Utrecht (1713).

Piracy increases

The end of the war and the massive use of privateers fostered its golden age.

The signing of the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 meant the end of a long maritime war. The end of ships at war had arrived. With peace came the intensification of maritime traffic and trade.

The great powers no longer needed the services of pirates and privateers, nor did they protect them. This had originally been the main cause of the pirates of the Caribbean.

This peace meant that thousands of sailors were left without work and had to make a living, with the only thing they knew how to do, fight at sea.

In this treaty, Spain for the first time recognized and allowed that England, France and Holland had the right to trade in the Caribbean.

This put an end to Spain’s total control over the Americas for more than 200 years. Although, exceptionally, it had allowed Jamaica to exist as an English colony for decades.

Raids on thousands of ships and boats

Enormous maritime traffic

Having an unknown ship nearby could be dangerous as its intentions were unknown.
During this era, thousands of ships from all countries were attacked by pirates.

It was their golden age. The maritime traffic was enormous. English, French, Dutch and Spanish ships, full of goods and precious metals, were crossing the Atlantic. Pirate ships were waiting and ready to attack.

At the beginning it was the pirates of the Caribbean, but later they moved to other seas, looking for merchant ships with valuable merchandise.

There were three routes: From America to Europe, carrying gold and agricultural products. From Europe to Africa they transported weapons and manufactured goods. And from Africa to America, ships loaded with slaves.

All three routes had in common the fact that they were transported on ships. Ships of all kinds with valuable goods.

No flag was respected anymore. Any country could be the victim of attacks by Caribbean pirates and their ships boarded.

Islands of the Bahamas pirate center

The new refuge of the pirates of the Caribbean, in their golden age.

Hundreds of islands in the Caribbean Sea. The Bahamas, with its numerous islands, became the refuge of the Pirates of the Caribbean. Located near the American coast, in the Caribbean, in the supply zone of the Spanish ships.

The Spanish ships and galleons, when leaving the American mainland, made a first stage towards the Caribbean. There they were supplied with water and food, before crossing the Atlantic in the direction of Spain.

The pirates’ ships continued to be at a strategic point, from where they could attack the ships carrying goods.

Whether bound for Europe carrying wealth and treasure or coming from Africa with slaves, the pirate ships were always lurking, waiting for their opportunity to attack.

Pirate flags in New Providence

Forbidden to enter Jamaica will be their new refuge.

The dangers of navigation when approaching rocky areas

England, after the Treaty of Utrecht, changed its policy and prohibited the entry of pirates into Jamaica, its main base. This meant, in part, the decline of piracy, since they no longer had bases where they could provision and repair their ships.

The time when England needed pirates to defend Jamaica and weaken Spain had passed. Until that time, pirates were not only supported, they were even considered privateers and were knighted at the English Court.

These pirates had to find a new refuge and this was the island of New Providence. There they met, provisioned, repaired their ships and spent their booty.

It was an island in the Bahamas, with its capital Nassau, controlled and governed by the pirates. All ships, of whatever flag, were in danger.

And soon it went from a tiny village, to a piracy center. A haven for pirate ships. It was the capital of the Golden Age of piracy in the Caribbean Sea.

La entrada Golden Age of Pirates in the Caribbean se publicó primero en .

What types of pirate ships?

Ships used by pirates, privateers, buccaneers and filibusters. Their ships for boarding. What ships, what characteristics, what were they like, why?

Whether they were Corsairs, Buccaneers, Filibusters, their ships were specially prepared to reach prey at sea. They knew that a ship carrying goods, usually carried few crew and sparsely armed.

Generally light and fast
In order to catch up with other ships

Ships ready for boarding. Therefore they had to take care and maintain their different parts of the ship. These pirate ships were usually very fast and efficient.

Pirates were in the business of stealing

And the more the better.

Although they raided ships of all kinds, their prey was usually heavy merchant ships, loaded with all kinds of riches, gold, silver, etc.

In order to catch up with the merchant ships, they used boats and light boats. Since the pirates did not carry goods, except for stolen booty, they only needed a ship capable of carrying their weapons and provisions.

Nor did they need to be many pirates, about 50 men were more than enough.

They harassed the slow galleons.

Always on the lookout, hidden in discreet docks of the islands through which the route to Spain passed, waiting for the right moment to attack and snatch their riches.

The pirates’ ships: fast ships that chased the slow and heavy galleons.

They were not just any ships

Characteristics of Pirate ships

Some ships soon became famous for being used in Piracy. The mention of their name produced more dread than fear. The possible appearance of one of these ships frightened the crews.

Names of famous Pirate Ships

Their history

Some names of Caribbean pirate ships have been popularized

Queen Anne’s Revenge
Saint James
The Pride
Royal James
The Fancy
Sudden Death
Soldier
Adventure Galley
Ganj-i-Sawai
The Golden Hind
Rebecca
Satisfaction
Kingston
CSS Alabama
Whydah
Sloop William
Flying Dragon
Fame’s Revenge
Bachelor’s Delight
Revenge
Happy Delivery
Speaker
Rising Sun
Royal Fortune
Ranger
Blackbeard’s pirate ship:
Queen Anne’s Revenge:
Incredible pirate ship built for the Pirates of the Caribbean saga.
Fictitious pirate ship, for the shooting of a film by Roman Polanski

The ship of the famous pirate Blackbeard, terror of the Caribbean, was called Queen Anne’s Revenge.

Queen Anne’s Revenge. In the hands of the feared pirate nicknamed Blackbeard, it was the terror of the Caribbean.

On one of his routes through the Caribbean Sea, Blackbeard encountered a French-flagged merchant ship. He hoisted his pirate flag and fired a single volley from all his cannons. The roar was so loud that his own ship moved.

Faced with this fact, the French ship carrying goods surrendered. Her crew were mostly sailors who were neither prepared nor armed to put up a fight.

History of the Queen Anne’s Revenge
Her country of origin was England, but her flag was French.

Although the ship was of English construction, she had remained in French hands. Large and sturdy in size, it was from that moment on their pirate ship.

The ship, named Concorde, was renamed Queen Anne’s Revenge. He armed her with all the cannons he could lay his hands on and she eventually had 40 cannons.

Saint James
Ship of the Welsh pirate captain Howell Davis.

This ship of 25 cannons, fell into his power and from that moment was his favorite for piracy. Sufficiently armed and fast, with her he obtained good booty.

He began his adventure as a pirate when his ship fell into the hands of pirates and he joined them. He raced through Brazil, Bahamas and even Cape Verde. He went on to lead other pirate captains under his command.

The Pride
Jean Lafitte’s ship

Famous French privateer of Basque origin (Biarritz), who also participated in the Anglo-American war. He accumulated enormous wealth and took it with him on his ship to whereabouts unknown.

Knowledge of Pirate Navigation and Boarding

Pirates and maritime navigation

The compass, the telescope, the quadrant …

The navigation of the time was very primitive. As long as the pirate ships were watching the coast, with a sea chart they could orient themselves and reach their destination, just as the navigators of Antiquity did. But when they lost sight of the coast, they needed navigational instruments to guide them.

They were usually very simple instruments, but they fulfilled their mission. Some of them were basic. For this reason, they needed to look directly at the sun, which is why many pirate captains ended up losing the sight of the eye.
Instruments such as the compass, which they sometimes made themselves if they had magnetite. And others such as the sundial, telescope, crossbow, quadrant, rotating diagram, astrolabe, etc.

Once across the Atlantic Ocean, the pirates encountered an enormous unknown continent. One of the most precious booty were the Spanish and Portuguese navigation charts, which reflected the positions of the colonies, the places where to get supplies, the dangers and how to overcome them.

These sea charts were a treasure, as they reflected the experience of more than a century of Spanish and Portuguese navigators in America.

Ships prepared for boarding

What were their characteristics and why were they chosen?

A splendid sailing ship of great size.

Sailing at full speed, a well-armed corsair ship with a well-trained crew was much feared.

Speed was of the essence

Since the speed of their ship was so essential to the pirates, in addition to having fast ships, they had to devote much of their time to their maintenance.

A perfect state of the sails and rigging, together with skillful handling, increased speed considerably.

The conservation of the hull of the ship had to be carried out from time to time. Prolonged stays at sea caused marine vegetation and mollusks of all kinds to adhere to the hull. All this layer, subtracted speed to the ship, as it was an obstacle to the waves and sea waters.

Sheltered on the deck, they fired the heavy cannons at their enemy.

After hoisting the pirate flag, a cannon shot was the last warning, otherwise the boarding would come without mercy.

A ship armed with cannons
Light and handy cannons

Not being ships of large tonnage or too big, and not wanting to carry excessive weight, they also avoided heavy cannons.

Most of their guns were light, and they used them mainly to clear the deck of the assaulted ship. The shrapnel literally swept the deck, forcing the crew to take cover.

The pirates used small cannons such as the culebrina, which launched a veritable hail of shrapnel on the deck of the other ship to attack the crew, and cleared it before the boarding of the ship, which was practically deserted.

Some Buccaneers took advantage of living in key places to become pirates, attacking by surprise ships that were being supplied on the islands.

At first, the galleons did not expect pirate attacks and approached the islands to trade with the buccaneers.

+ Buccaneer Pirates

Ships and sailing boats

Even rowing boats or canoes.

Especially in their beginnings the buccaneers also used boats and launches, dinghies, canoes, canoes, etc. Boats and rowboats with oars or sails. Very light to be able to transport the pirates to the ships to assault.

Either from the coast, if the ship was being provisioned. Or from another ship, they would go to them armed to the teeth from ships strategically placed to cut off their retreat.

With long-distance muskets, they would fire at the helmsman and any crewman who appeared on deck. In this way they paralyzed the activity of the ship, which could not even maneuver, and therefore often prevented them from fleeing.

A calm sea was almost a party because of the absence of risk.
The filibustering pirates began by using sloops, which were fast moving and easy to handle. It is believed that their name comes from the name of the type of boat they used.

+ Filibustering Pirates

Pirate preferences

Names of the main ships preferred by pirates

BARQUE : Ship very used by pirates and corsairs, for its speed and medium size, about 80 tons.

BALANDRA : Used by the Filibusters, for its speed.

PINGUE : Preferred by the Dutch, small and light.

PINAZA : Very fast, especially for transporting pirates to the ship or area to attack.

MAN OF WAR : English construction, equivalent to the Spanish galleon. Of great size, about 800 tons.

PIRAGUA : Shallow draft, used for shallow waters.

Galleons: Transport with riches.

Large, sturdy, slow and well armed ships.

But the ships that really carried great wealth were special. The need to transport gold and silver from the mines of Mexico and Peru to the Iberian Peninsula led Spain to build galleons, sturdy ships with a large capacity in their holds. They were heavily armed ships with more than 50 cannons and crews of more than 200 men.

The crew was also escorted by arquebusiers to deal with possible pirate attacks.

It was very rare that pirate ships dared to attack a galleon directly because of the amount of armament it carried. When the danger was perceived that some groups of pirate ships would attack them, which were usually privateers in the service of some country, convoys of almost a hundred galleons were created to protect each other, escorted by warships.

These were the galleons, large and heavy.
Being not very aerodynamic, they were slower.

Robust ships with great cargo capacity but with shallow draft (depth) since there were usually no harbors and they had to be loaded near coves with rocks and beaches.

They had a forecastle that defended the bow and a galleon at the stern with several overlapping decks. They usually had at least two masts from which the main sails hung.

Not very maneuverable, they only reached high speed when the wind blew from astern.  From a post at the top of the mast (cofa), a crewman watched and warned of the presence of pirate ships.

Robust ships, designed to withstand the crossing of the Atlantic Ocean and very useful for carrying a lot of cargo, but slow due to their not very aerodynamic design. But having a high-capacity and comfortable stern quarter was slowing down their progress, especially on windy days.

On the other hand, the ships used by the pirates had a much lower stern quarterdeck, were smaller, lighter and only loaded with the essentials, so they were the fastest.

The Galeaza
The Colossus of the Sea

The largest vessel of the Mediterranean Sea, widely used by the Venetians. It was 70 m long and 16 m wide. Three masts helped to give it thrust, although it had 32 banks of oars.

In order to handle the sails more easily, she had a clear upper deck. The rowing benches were installed below her.

Her afterdeck was high and wide. She was fitted with abundant artillery, which was to make her the feared colossus of the seas in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, her era.

Two hundred oarsmen ensured that no matter what the wind was blowing, she would sail well. Another troop of about 100 officers and soldiers completed the crew.

The Fusta
Small and fast

Used by the Barbary pirates to strike their blows by surprise. Stationed in their bases in North Africa, they took advantage of the proximity to the Spanish coast to carry out their raids. Very useful for sailing close to the coast.

It was 30 m long and 5 m wide. It carried about 20 banks of oars on each side.

The Frigate
The smallest vessel

It was the smallest ship. Sometimes it did not even carry poles for the sails.
It had about 10 banks of oars per side.

Countries, ships and cannons

Spain: Big and slow ships. England: Faster ships

The Spanish Crown, in accordance with its interest in bringing goods from America, designed and built large ships such as galleons especially for this mission. Large ships with great cargo capacity, even if they were slower. Ships armed with large and numerous cannons to be able to defend the valuable goods, the gold and silver extracted from the mines of America.

The English Crown, which had forbidden the traffic with America, through the use of privateers was dedicated to assault the Spanish galleons trying to appropriate part of these American riches. To do so, they designed lighter ships that could outperform the large and heavy galleons in terms of speed.

The same happened with the cannons. The galleons carried many large fixed cannons, which were therefore difficult to move and therefore difficult to reload. In contrast, the pirate cannons were mounted on movable gun carriages, which allowed them to fire a greater number of shots.

They also gave more importance to the ability to fire the projectile at a greater distance, in order to be able to attack from a distance without being in range of the enormous firepower of the Spanish galleons.

Spanish war galleon

Impossible for pirates to board

The Spanish war galleons were heavily armed. In addition to the hundred or so crew needed to sail and maneuver, they were accompanied by many soldiers.

The galleons could normally be between 500 and 1000 tons. However, there were some that could reach 2000 tons, as was the case of those that crossed the Pacific Ocean, between America and the Philippine Islands. The so-called Manila galleons used to be huge, in order to transport more merchandise and wealth. They were heavily armed and guarded by hundreds of soldiers.

Usually at least 150 soldiers protected the sturdy vessel. Sometimes, depending on the size of the galleon and the importance of the goods, they could be protected by up to 250 soldiers.

The light pirate ships did not normally have more than 40 men. It was impossible for them to attempt to board a Spanish galleon no matter how much wealth they knew it was carrying.

Only in some incredible surprise attack, in very special cases, did they manage to capture one.

One of these famous attacks was carried out by Francis Drake, who, flying a Dutch flag and pretending to be a ship in distress (at the time when this nation belonged to the Spanish Crown), managed to surprise the Spaniards, who came to his aid and seized the Spanish galleon.

La entrada Pirate ships: How and why were they like that? se publicó primero en .

Why? What were they looking for at the cost of risking their lives?

This is how the Europeans who arrived in the Caribbean saw it, in an idyllic way. The climate and the great extensions of virgin land, for them it was a paradise. The New World was their paradise on earth.

Pirates, Corsairs, Buccaneers, Filibusters in pursuit of riches. Unscrupulous adventurers, an unfair distribution of the New World and the ambitions of other countries.

Why so many Buccaneers, corsairs and pirates?

The Spaniards were not willing to have their territories attacked by pirates and adventurers from other countries.
Spain asserted its rights with the support of the Church. But also with its army and navy, the greatest military power of the time.

The Spanish soldiers made a huge raid and expelled the buccaneers from the island of Hispaniola.

The Struggle for Hegemony

The covert war of England, France, Holland, all against Spain!

The fear of the enormous power of Spain in Europe and in the World, provoked a war of attrition against her. Corsairs from various countries encouraged by the Kings.

It was not all the work of pirates

Coming from poverty and misery, they had the dream of being able to board a Spanish galleon and seize its treasures.
What were they after and which European countries supported them?

Pirates: from misery to wealth

The Golden Dream of the Europeans

Every European dreamed of the riches of the New World.

And both the common people, as well as the lords with aspirations, made their projects to get rich easily. Some financed expeditions, others embarked on them, but there were many who left for the New World.

The new seafarer had to live very miserably on land to wish to embark, with the risks that this entailed. In most cases it led to death at sea. Only the dream of relatively quick riches encouraged them.

The dream of boarding a Spanish galleon

However, except in the beginning, the capture of a galleon was exceptional.

They easily managed to capture merchant ships, which used to sail alone. But in practice capturing a galleon with gold was almost a dream, only a small part of the Spanish galleons with gold were captured, since the norm was that they sailed in convoys strongly escorted by warships.

The Galleons captured by the pirates were usually by deception and surprise. Very few dared to attack head-on a Spanish war galleon, armed with powerful cannons and its nearly 150 professional arquebusiers on board.

Since a pirate ship was usually smaller and usually had a crew of about 50 men at most.

Except in naval battles, with real armies of corsairs and pirates, the captures of important large ships were exceptions, for more than two centuries.

Spain and Portugal share America

Treaty of Tordesillas:

Almost a Spanish Monopoly

The agreement between Spain and Portugal in this treaty meant in practice the division of the world.

The division of America between Spain and Portugal in the Treaty of Tordesillas meant that the rest of Europe was left out of the lands and riches of the New World.

The incorporation of Portugal into the Spanish Crown created total Spanish control over the Americas.

The support of the Church of Rome for Spain justified the division of America and half the world. Especially during the Papacy of Alexander VI and the Borgias.

–

Naval combat at sea with cannon fire produced a large number of wounded and dead.
Naval combat, pirates did not always have it easy.

Sometimes the pirates encountered more resistance than expected.

If not all of them were sailors and they had a group of well-armed soldiers to protect them, they would put up a fight.

Europe at odds with Spain

They feared their enormous power by annexing Portugal.

The whole of Europe took a dim view of this division. They were in total disagreement with the Church of Rome and Spain. To make matters worse, Portugal, for a time, passed into the hands of the Spanish Crown.

This pan-Liberian union, made that it was incorporating therefore, its fleet and all its colonies. In this way Spain controlled not only the colonies and routes of America, but also those of Africa and Asia.

There was also a religious background between Protestantism in northern Europe and Catholicism in the south. Hence the burning of churches in the colonies when they were raided.

However, they all feared Spanish power and preferred not to confront it directly.

For 200 years this policy of undeclared war was maintained, until the Spanish power declined, while little by little, they fought and weakened it with their privateers and pirates.

–

Ship of the time of explorations and discoveries

The corsairs supported by the countries were better armed and usually had better ships at their disposal.

A privateer ship was armed by a private individual, thanks to a privateer’s patent and shared the booty he got with the King.

Undeclared war

England and France stay out of America

Some European countries like France or England, seeing themselves inferior, decided to wage a war of attrition, without declaring war on Spain, which could invade them.

The power of the Spanish Army and Navy at that time was such that all countries avoided direct confrontation. However, they coveted the riches of the New World, and tried to obtain them without directly confronting Spain.

That is why England, France and Holland allowed and supported numerous corsairs, since in addition to undermine the Spanish power, it provided them with part of the riches of America.

England, France and Holland

Each country encouraged, supported and sent its privateers.

Thus, Elizabeth I of England was enriched by the successes of Sir Francis Drake, and as a reward she knighted him and other corsairs.

In France, Francis I did the same, and supported his privateers like Jean Florin, who had captured the galleon with a fabulous treasure.

Holland, through the Company of the Indies, sought ways both to establish itself in America and to attack Spanish ships and possessions.

William of Orange also organized pirates and seamen to fight against the Spanish and to achieve the independence of the Netherlands.

–

The island of Jamaica was considered one of the greatest places of perversion of the earth, because of the great amount of crooks that passed through it.
The island of Jamaica became a nest of pirates, with the support of England.

Once England had the island, they saw that they could not keep it, in the face of an attack from Spain. Therefore, to defend Jamaica and keep it in their power, they recruited filibustering pirates and gave them a protected base.

Spain cedes some of the Caribbean after 150 years

The Treaty of Madrid divides crumbs between England and France.

The Treaty of Madrid allowed a small part of the Caribbean to pass into the hands of the English and French. They established colonies, which with their support soon became nests of pirates and corsairs.

Thanks to the support given by England and France to the pirates and privateers, they had safe bases where they could stock up and repair their ships.

These pirates and corsairs were the scourge of the coasts of America for 200 years.

They forced the Spanish to fortify the main colonies. Fortifications such as those of Puerto Rico or Cartagena de Indias, can still be seen today as examples of military architecture.

La entrada Why were they pirates, corsairs, buccaneers, filibusters? se publicó primero en .

Pirates on the attack: Every man for himself!

This is how the Pirates, Corsairs, Buccaneers and Filibusters prepared and captured their prey. They approached the keel of the ship as close as possible and jumped on the other deck.

All together to the boarding of the ship

Seeing a group of cruel pirates about to board your ship created panic among the crew. The passengers could already imagine a life of slavery, if someone did not pay their ransom soon. The women paid another price as well, finding themselves in front and in the hands of a group of pirates without any consideration, ready to do whatever they wanted with them.

The warning and the preparation before the Boarding
They warned with a cannon shot of what could happen to them if they did not obey the order to stop sailing.

Preparing the cannons, as a warning

The corsair ships were well armed

Always ready for a brutal and merciless combat, if they did not surrender first. Taking advantage of the speed of their ships, they soon caught up with the merchant ships. And they showed no mercy if they had not surrendered in time and had to fight.

Preparation before the fight

A light and fast ship

In order to capture their prey, they needed to catch up with them first. That is why they chose light and fast ships. Loaded with the essentials, provisions and weapons.

The sails had to be carefully repaired in order to take advantage of the power of the wind.

The hull of the ship had to be well cleaned of mollusks and marine vegetation, so that it could glide easily through the sea.

Weapons tuning

They depended on their firearms

For them, their weapons were their working tools. Their life depended on their perfect preservation. To clean the weapons, to conserve well especially the firearms. Pistols, muskets, blunderbusses, arquebuses, were very insecure weapons.

Being gunpowder weapons, they had to be well cleaned and dry. If they got wet, they could no longer fire. Being in a marine environment, it was very easy for them to get wet or damp.

Not being able to fire the firearms in the middle of the assault or boarding, could mean death.

The flag was the warning of the probable pirate attack.

A warning in the form of a black or red flag

The most common pirate flag was black, although it could also be red.

The Pirate Flag, the last warning

Black or red flag

They used to deceive their victims, using other flags. This way they could get as close as possible without arousing suspicion.

When they were close to the ship, they used the pirate flag to frighten them and make them surrender.

Some used the black flag as a warning. If the ship did not surrender, they would raise the red flag, indicating that they would kill everyone. This caused dread in the crews of the ships.

The ships they raided were usually merchant ships, sparsely crewed, and without soldiers. So they did not usually find in them, people of arms, which could be real rivals in combat.

Masts and rigging were a tangle of ropes, and each one had its own use.
As soon as they could, they would throw hooks to the other boat to catch it.

Among so much rigging it was easy for a hook to become entangled.

Ready for a brutal and merciless boarding

A hail of shrapnel before the boarding

If the ship did not surrender, the pirate boarding began after a few cannon shots to break some sails, so as to slow down the ship’s advance. They would throw abundant shrapnel on the deck, with the shrouds so that the crewmen would have to protect themselves and clear the deck of the ship.

They fired at the helmsman and crew to prevent them from maneuvering the ship.

With the deck almost deserted, and watched from afar with their muskets always ready to fire, they could approach and launch themselves into the boarding.

In the boarding, if there had been resistance, they killed and often tortured their victims.

La entrada Pirate boarding, all hands on deck se publicó primero en .

Who were the dreaded pirates?

Many adventurers came from Europe and too many, both sailors and pirates, perished in the attempt to reach America. Who became pirates?

Route between Africa and the New World

A hard journey full of dangers and diseases, from Europe or Africa to America.

People with no future

Fed up with poverty and the abuses of European landowners, since most of them lived in a rural environment, many moved to the New World.

They sought riches at any price

And sometimes also freedom

The caravels were a revolution in shipbuilding, because of their advantages.

At the time of the discoveries, the most common were the caravel and nao.

The first pirates also used caravels, because they were faster
Most of them moved from Europe and too many did not reach America.

There were not only criminals and persecuted by the justice of their countries, adventurers and people with no future.

The situation of great misery in Europe

America, the hope of delinquents, slaves and desperate people

The continuous wars that ravaged Europe for centuries caused a large part of the population to suffer hunger and great hardship.

The discovery of America, with its great riches and a whole new world to explore, brought hope to this population.

In countries like England, rural and undeveloped at the time, the solution was to send the entire surplus population off the island. This was difficult, because the news of the great treasures that the Spanish ships in America were getting and bringing back had spread throughout Europe.

Seekers of booty in a fast way

What did the pirates do?

Some were looking for the easiest way to get rich and others for survival. Some because they had fled from places where they lived in misery.

Islands and fabulous treasures

The Pirates with their ships and their paradisiacal islands, together with treasures with gold and silver would be associated forever and some of them buried by the islands of the Caribbean Sea.

Faced with a miserable life in Europe and a possible life of riches, a whole stream of adventurers followed the premise of “a short but satisfying life”.

And thousands of them set sail for America, despite the horrendous conditions of life aboard a ship sailing the sea.

Thieves of the sea

They dreamed of boarding a ship

There have always been pirates, but trade with America and the opening of new routes that crossed the entire known planet favored their number even more.

Thieves, adventurers, runaway slaves, etc. took to the sea in search of the huge ships laden with treasure and exotic goods.
Capturing the great ships, especially those returning from America or Asia, was the dream of all pirates.

Sometimes majestic ships that showed all their wealth even in the ornamentation of their sterns, sailed the seas guarded by pirates.

Countries, provenance and piracy

French in the Caribbean

France tries to colonize

FRANCE : Jean Frorin’s capture of the Spanish galleon with Montezuma’s treasure made many Frenchmen want to emulate his feat. To be able to get rich easily with a lucky boarding was their dream. Many Frenchmen take their ships to travel to the Caribbean.

A group of adventurers, mostly French, settled on the island of Hispaniola. Initially they dedicated themselves to hunting wild boars, pigs and cattle that lived in freedom. They prepared smoked meat for sale to the galleons.

However the expulsion of these by the Spaniards, made that part of them dedicated themselves to piracy, either as pirates or corsairs of the Caribbean.

In the island of Jamaica the main city was Port Royal and Spanish Town.

England tried to enter America.

But it had to be content with some islands of no special interest to Spain.

The island of Jamaica passed to England and to prevent Spain from recovering it, they supported pirates and corsairs.

English from Jamaica and Bahamas

England tries to gain a foothold

ENGLAND : Drake’s exploits with the capture of the Pacific Galleon and its fabulous treasure, created thousands of imitators who in successive expeditions set sail for the Caribbean.

The island of Jamaica, administered by England, admitted any pirate or not, who helped in the fight against Spanish sovereignty in the Caribbean. Giving protection, and turning its capital Port Royal, in a real nest of pirates, with their ships to protect the island.

Dutch in the Antilles

The appearance of an island was the big news for the crew.

The islands of the Antilles were occupied by the Dutch.

Holland wants new territories where to install factories

HOLLAND : It had suffered from the Spanish occupation. To the rancor towards Spain, commercial interests were added. They started with smuggling and later with the installation of factories. But in order to finance all this, they also became privateers.

The establishment of English, French and Dutch colonies were used by the pirates as repair and supply centers for their ships.

Pirate shelters from where they prepared to attack the galleons.

Seafarers by force

A calm sea was almost a party because of the absence of risks.

The pirates used very fast ships, speed above all.

No choice, recruited by force

It is said that life on board a ship of that time was like being practically in a prison because of the miserable conditions in which they lived and died.

Overcrowding of many people in the small surface of the ship, lack of sanitation and hygiene, scarce and monotonous food when it was available, rationing in case of scarcity, etc. And an excessive and cruel discipline.

It must be taken into account that most of the sailors were recruited by force. That is why terror was applied to avoid mutinies.

Subhuman conditions, corporal punishments, etc., were continuously used. It was the only way to maintain order and discipline.

It is not surprising that if a ship was captured by pirates, some of the crew members joined them, since it improved their living conditions, even if only for a period of time.

From honest sailors to pirates

Forced recruitments in ports

In some countries, especially in England, the harshness of marine life and the many dangers of the sea meant that there was a shortage of sailors to crew and maintain the ships. This was solved by the abduction of young men from seaports.

This forced recruitment turned many young men into sailors through the carelessness of a night of revelry in the taverns of the ports.

Many had to devote their lives to the sea out of obligation. They began their relationship with the sea by waking up on a ship in the middle of the sea without the possibility of setting foot on their land again for a long time or perhaps never.

At other times, people fleeing from the abuses of the nobles in the countryside and the harsh living conditions, saw in the sea a way out of their problems, which turned out to be much worse than they expected.

The conditions in which they lived on these ships, lack of freedom, constant punishments, poor and scarce food, made them think continually of fleeing and changing their lives. For this reason, many became pirates when they saw the advantages of this life.

The pirates, aware of this situation, when they took possession of a ship, recruited the strongest and most capable sailors among their crew, to replace their casualties in the boardings.

Fugitives from justice

In the beginning, buccaneer pirates surprised by attacking supply boats.

At first the buccaneers acted from land.

They sought refuge on the islands and practiced piracy.

Not only the living conditions induced to become a pirate.

All kinds of delinquents and friends of the unwanted, attracted by the innumerable notaries of the

African Slaves

Slave traders had no scruples and crammed Africans onto ships

Black Africans were transported in piles.

Many of the African slaves piled on slave ships died on the way to America.

A large number of Africans were taken to America to work on the plantations of all kinds there.

Despite the efforts of some members of the Church to improve the lives of the slaves, conditions were appalling.

At a time when it was still debated whether Africans had souls, it was not normal to treat them as people.

To live in miserable conditions, or to become pirates, with a possibly shorter but better life.

Slaves who managed to escape, only had the possibility of hiding in remote places.

When they became pirates, they were treated as equals in ship life, since they shared the same living conditions and were companions in the struggle. It is estimated that at that time at least a quarter of the pirates were of African origin.

On the other hand, by capturing slave ships, for some of the Africans to be able to join the pirates was a great opportunity, if we compare with the miserable life they would lead from that moment on in a plantation.

Kings and Pirates

Kings who fostered the Corsairs

Although kings and pirates are always mentioned, in reality they were kings and corsairs, since the former supported the latter with royal protection.

This association gave the pirates protection and allowed them to obtain supplies, and sometimes they even had the status of a royal navy.
The kings benefited from part of the booty and many kings treated their prominent privateers as real heroes.

English kings such as Henry III, who in the 13th century granted the first privateering patents, stood out. Elizabeth I encouraged it in the 16th century and her support for the famous Francis Drake brought her great wealth.

Or in the 18th century, King George III became famous for his distribution of privateering patents.

Thanks to the corsairs, the kings achieved so much wealth that they did not hesitate to reward the most outstanding ones with titles as important as Lord and to pay them their corresponding tributes.

Pirates en route
From Europe to America
In search of Spanish galleons laden with riches

Pirates were looking for ships laden with riches, and the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus provided them with one of the best routes. Places that looked like Paradise, Freedom, Refuges, Gold, Silver, etc.

The kingdom of Spain not only discovered new lands, but also found something that was the dream of every pirate or corsair, huge amounts of gold and silver.

For centuries there was a traffic of ships to Europe of galleons loaded with enormous riches. These ships, mainly Spanish, were provisioned in the Caribbean before setting sail for Europe.

During these centuries these galleons were chased from their departure from the Caribbean Sea to their arrival in Spain.

La entrada Who and from where were the pirates, corsairs, buccaneers, filibusters, etc.? se publicó primero en .