Comments on: 6 Famous Pirate Ships

By: Jonzer Jackson

Jonzer Jackson — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:30:00 +0000

Well since I am not so much into pirates (because I am an adult), I just can’t justify myself really saying anything at all.

By: hockey zombie

hockey zombie — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:47:50 +0000

@Stew

Aside from a small grou who set out to be pirages, most captured crews were given two choices, die or join and this after a couple of officers were slaughtered in a horrible fashion, this lead most of them to join the pirates. A lot of the original Pirates started out as privateers and developed a taste for more, so they went rogue and became true pirates.

By: Robert Z

Robert Z — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:40:00 +0000

@ Stew
I do believe that Capt. Henry Morgan, Retired as the Lt. Governor of Jamacia, with around 650,000 gold pieces. If that’s all still true. He didn’t, “Live fast, Die young.”

By: airship

airship — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:00:00 +0000

Another interesting pirate is Bartholomew Sharp. I am proud to own a silver ‘pieces of eight’ coin from the hoard of a Spanish ship that was run aground and burned to evade his pirate fleet. The story is here: airship.wordpress.com/2006/07/30/my-pirate-treasure/

By: Stew

Stew — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:59:00 +0000

I’ve noticed how the pirates, made a lot of money and died pretty quickly after wards. Very few got to live on with their spoils. I wonder what motivated them, adventure, freedom, fast living, drinking, womanizing, or all of the above?

Somehow it struck me as similar to the Crack drug trade in big cities. I remember hearing about inner city kids, with bleak prospects for future success, joining the drug trade with the philosophy “live fast, die young”. Accumulating lots of wealth, fast cars, drugs, drink, and women. If they died young they thought it was a small price to pay for the lifestyle.

By: Jim

Jim — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:41:00 +0000

Raphael Semmes (Ralph?) was a lawyer for many years before the war, so he carefully applied his legal knowledge so that what he did could never LEGALLY be considered piracy.

By: Leslie P.

Leslie P. — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:58:00 +0000

The story of Whydah and some of her wreckage and treasure are on display in a traveling exhibit currently at Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History. I went a few weeks ago and it was quite interesting.

By: Dan H.

Dan H. — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:10:00 +0000

Having just finished Pirate Hunter (by Richard Zacks), I feel I have to come to Captain Kidd’s defense. The ship he captured (the Quedagh Merchant) was Armenian travelling under the protection of the French king, which made it a legitimate target under Kidd’s commission. The proof of this (documents from the French East India Company) was seized by Kidd and mysteriously vanished when he was put on trial only to turn up 50 or so years after his death.

By: Tim Lennox

Tim Lennox — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 11:36:00 +0000

I must protest your inclusion of the CSS Alabama in your “Pirate Ships” list. I spent a year researching for a Public TV documentary on the subject (www.cssalabama.tv), though budget cuts shelved it. The Alabama was in fact a warship. Semmes overtook many ships, but burned only those carrying northern commerce. He never harmed a single member of a ships’ crews or any of her passengers. We interviewed Stephen Fox, and I sure he would agree. The “pirate” label was the result of anger from the Northern press. Semmes secret plan, by the way, was to sail into NY Harbor and open fire. He ran out of coal. (The Alabama was a sail/steam ship). Thanks for allowing the comment!

By: Steve C

Steve C — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 21:34:00 +0000

While captain Kidd is a famous pirate, fuel to many stories – I’m pretty glad most people don’t know the name of his ship. Adventure Galley sounds like it belongs in a bad theme park that fancies itself Disney Land. Fancy’s not too intimidating, either. Though, I guess it’d be a little different with 50 guns staring you down.