Pirate ships were not custom-built in special shipyards. Instead, pirates stole fast merchant or naval vessels and modified them for speed and manoeuvrability. Common types included light sloops, flexible brigantines, and heavy captured galleons.
Famous examples include Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge and Sam Bellamy’s Whydah Gally.
See our Galleys and Galleons rules for the special ship sheet for this Pirate Ghost ship. This ship is included in our rules for those warmers that like a bit of fantasy .
Pirates of old used many types of ships, anywhere from a small sloop to a large warship. With a preference to those with the greatest speed as it would do no good to spot a potential target only to have it out-sail you. Also pirates wanted a quick escape if needed. The pirates kept their ships in good order, careening them regularly to keep the hulls smooth and clear of seaweed and other marine life. The speed and shallow draft of these ships enabled the pirates to hide in relative safety in shallower coastal waters where larger warships could not enter. However some pirates preferred a captured warship which could defend itself if cornered.