Caribbean Tales - Personal Weapons
The pirates of the Golden Age carried a large number
of assorted weapons. This was just as vital in defending themselves as in
gaining their plunder. In order to fight for a prize ship or better yet have
the opposing crew surrender in fear without much of a fight, it was essential
to be well armed. The types of weapons used by pirates were the same as those
in common use among the other seafarers of the times. As pirates were basically
sea robbers most of their weapons were stolen from their victims.
Popular belief is that pirates sailed large warships with dozens of cannon. While some pirates did this most preferred a small, fast ship with less cannons. These large cannon weighed hundreds of pounds and it would take several crew members to effectively operate a single gun. Since most of the pirates' victims were lightly armed or unarmed merchant ships it was not as necessary to carry a lot of this type of firepower which would require the use of larger and slower ships. Most pirates would rely instead on speed and superior numbers of armed men to capture their booty.
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Personal Weapon
Types
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| Axes | Daggers/Knives |
| Pistols | Rifles |
| Swords | |
Miscellaneous Weapons
Bow or Crossbow
These proven weapons had been used for centuries by many countries. When in
range the bow and arrow could be used by the pirates to pick off personnel
from the decks of the victim's ship before boarding.
The Marlinespike (or Marlingspike)
The marlinespike was really more of a tool than a weapon. It was quite
similar to an ice pick. It has a round wooden handle a round blade with a
sharp point. It was used to separate strands in marlines. Marlines are two
lines of tarred rope that are loosely wrapped together in a left hand turn.
So much for the intended purpose. The marlinespikes were also used as anchors
for lines and just about every thing that involved securing lines. They were
also one of the few weapons that a mutinous crew could easily get their hands
on. Most Captains locked weapons away unless a battle was pending for fear
of armed mutinies. However such things as the marlinespike had to remain available
to the crew in order for the ship to function. For this reason the marlinespike
became the favored weapon of mutineers.
Pike
These were long spears with a wooden handle and metal point. They could be
thrown at a target or used held while fighting. Because of their length they
would have been most effective against swords and knives in boarding action.