| The ship sails billowing in the distance spread panic | | | | faster sloops, brigantines and schooners. |
| across the seas. The skull-and-crossbones flags | | | | Schooners were two-masted ships with narrow |
| were enough to strike terror in the bravest of | | | | hulls and large spread of sail that made them fast, |
| hearts. As the ships drew nearer, so did images | | | | sometimes going over 11 knots. |
| of flashing swords, plunder and bloodshed. | | | | The brigantine had a foremast, usually with |
| The ships that pirates used were stolen or | | | | square-rigged sails. The main masts with a |
| obtained in a mutiny. Some were even acquired | | | | fore-and-aft and square-rigged topsail could move |
| from privateers as these ships were fast and | | | | in any wind condition. It was about 80 feet long, |
| specially designed for the purpose of pursuit. A | | | | 150 tons and could carry up to 100 men and 12 |
| pirate could command several ships, the most | | | | guns. |
| famous multi-ship pirate being Bartholomew | | | | The sloops were small, single-masted craft with |
| Roberts, who owned six ships through his colorful | | | | an enormous sail spread which made them fast |
| career. | | | | and agile. In the Caribbean, sloops were popular |
| A pirate ship was an interesting place to be in. It | | | | for their speed and ability to enter shallow waters, |
| was a place where they lived, and it was always | | | | where larger battleships could not chase them. |
| battle-ready! Though the crew lived together, | | | | These vessels were also easy to remove |
| there were special cabins for the captain and the | | | | barnacles from and were easy to keep in fighting |
| quartermaster. The ship also had a storeroom | | | | fit shape. Warships, battleships and frigates |
| where the booty was kept. It carried plenty of | | | | became popular because of their weapon-carrying |
| weapons and it was oh, so fast! Though some | | | | ability. |
| pirates used large ships, many preferred the | | | | |