No treasure chests filled with gold

_Elsa_

‘Boarding Actions and Cutlasses - Through the shroud of smoke and mayhem of carnage, the pirates boarded the enemy ship as a tactical ploy as opposed to bouts of daredevilry. Most boarding actions were formulated by pirates so as not damage the cargo, while at the same utilizing their numerical superiority (if available) or brute force. In that regard, there were techniques to boarding ships, with use of grappling hooks that were targeted at the strategic areas of the opponent’s vessel – which would gain them more coverage during melee fights while also making sure of minimal damage to the rigging (in case they wanted control of the enemy vessel).

The Proverbial Plunder - One of the most popular motifs associated with the pirates pertains to the plundered treasure chest filled with gold coins, precious stones, and jewelry items. However, when it came to actual plunders, as historian Angus Konstam noted, gold coins were pretty rare – since circulated money was in low supply in the Caribbean while the first mint in America was established only after 1776. To that end, most of the coins (or money) were accumulated by selling off the stolen goods, as opposed to finding chance treasure troves or chest-carrying ships.

Honorable Mention – The Pirate Havens - During the era of buccaneering, from the mid till late 17th century, Port Royal in Jamaica was considered as the main base of privateering operations – mostly targeted at the Spanish ships in the area. However, by the turn of the century, the island government had already shifted towards the ‘legally’ profitable business of sugar, while the privateers were left disfranchised by the conclusion of the government-perpetrated wars.

By this period, the now privateer-turned pirates gradually shifted their base of operations towards the Bahamas, namely at New Providence, the nominal capital of the islands that occupied a strategic position between America and the Caribbean. In fact, in the first decade of the 18th century, the pirates tended to operate under the implicit patronage of the local government who were paid timely bribes. Consequently, a significant portion of the region’s trade depended on the effectiveness of piracy – which led to a pseudo-confederacy of various piratical elements dominating the water for years (if not decades). However, as expected, the dubious ‘arrangement’ was soon derailed when the Royal Navy directly intervened in the matter.

Similarly, pirates (like Blackbeard) were also known to operate and maintain relatively safe havens in the Carolinas, under the short-lived ‘protection’ of the local governments. Interestingly enough, the end of the privateering era also forced some of the buccaneers to shift to Madagascar and the ply their trade on the profitable routes of the Indian Ocean. They were later joined by the various pirate factions that had been displaced from their base of New Providence. But once again, a bolstered Royal Navy put an end to many such piratical activities in the area, which forced the remaining pirates to permanently settle on the island as civilians.’ (Source)

Hmmmm ………….. Tiffi is now curious to find out if the present day pirates do the same things as they did back then. 

Let’s continue - Do pirates still exist?

Start at the beginning – Kimmy meets some pirates