Jobs aboard a Pirate Ship

Join our discord: / discord
Hand over them doubloons: / goldandgunpowder
Fork it over: www.paypal.com/paypalme/Wille...
Channel merch: my-store-ed237e.creator-sprin...
A pirate ship was in many ways, a self-sufficient society floating in the sea. For this reason, a lot of different assignments were necessary to keep the ship and crew in top trim, ranging from the most menial of drudgery, to more specialized professions. In this video, we will look at all the jobs found aboard a pirate ship.
Modern sources:
The Buccaneer's Realm - Benerson Little
The Sea Rover's Practice- Benerson Little
Piratical Schemes and Contracts - E.T Fox
Period sources:
The Sea-Man's Grammar - Cpt. John Smith
A Cruising Voyage Round the World - Woodes Rogers
Music by Max Crikey of Ambient Pirates
Spanish subtitles by Kiyoshi Cortazar
Timestamps
0:00 Introduction
0:27 Organization
1:02 Slaves
1:38 Forced
2:15 Cabin boys
2:51 Landsmen
3:21 Free crewmen
4:11 Women
6:58 Cook
7:43 Pilot
8:10 Tailor
8:39 Sailmaker
9:14 Musician
9:47 Hunter
10:17 Striker
10:36 Linguist
11:14 Armorer/Smith
11:41 Helmsman
12:23 Coxswain
12:33 Cooper
12:58 Bosun
13:15 Gunner
14:01 Purser
14:26 Carpenter
15:47 Surgeon
17:05 Sailing Master
18:55 Lieutenant
19:03 Captain
20:16 Conclusion

[@jamesfrost7465]

Hoy, good job mate. I'm a sailor, 50+ years. I have some experience sailing vessels with a square sail or two. It's been a joy at Sea, I've seen many things and thankful for safe passages. It's become too much like work for me now, in my mid 60's, now I'm a nautical museum curator and I build models of these old ships. Fulltime 28 years now! I love it, I build some of the largest model ships in the world. I have a 60 foot 1796 Brig of war half way done. 60 feet spared length , 40 feet between her perpendiculars. (Rudder post and breasthook, aka, length on deck.) Take care mates.

[@spaghettimkay5795]

What a lad. I'd love to see this project if possible

[@jamesfrost7465]

@@spaghettimkay5795 Hoy, search, Jimmy Frost Master Shipwright. Forgive my slow speech, I'm trying to think of what to say while saying it.

[@ook9761]

your work with building and restoring are mint bro u extremely talented

[@jamesfrost7465]

@@ook9761 Hoy, thanks mate. It's been a lot of fun. I just finished a 'Welcome Home' Helicopter display for our Vietnam veterans. I have every American designed Helicopter that flew in that war. About 28 designs? I have 50 Helicopters in it. I really like this one, It took me close to a year to build it. Thank you again Sir.

[@aniquinstark4347]

​@@jamesfrost7465I had the pleasure of seeing your models in person a few years ago at Benjamin's. Hopefully I can get down there again this summer. I love Myrtle beach.

[@hedgehog3180]

8:28 sewing was (and really still is) kinda just a general skill that everyone needed to have in pre-industrial times since you probably only had one set of clothes and it had to last for years. So it's not really surprising that it was also needed abroad a ship.

[@ColoradoStreaming]

I remember in Boy Scouts our Troop had a policy that if you ironed on your rank patch instead of sewing it they would make you stand up in front of the troop and rip your patch off. That was your warning and if you did it again you would lose the rank and have to gain it again next time. I see young kids in Scouts now all the time with ironed on patches and it pisses me off.

[@rebralhunter6069]

For the next video on the captain. How common was it for the captain to be killed, marooned/set adrift, or kept on the ship just with no power, after mutiny?

[@thetruthspeaker1978]

Good question 👍 that would be great insight into the mentality of the average mateys who be on the ship 😁😎

[@subicstationditosailor4053]

Probably about the same as a bad leader in the jungles of Vietnam.

[@everythingsalright1121]

Id imagine not long. Health was worse back then and most pirates were not the healthiest. They also wouldve lacked modern know how or technology to help them get rescued or survive if marooned, like they would not have flares or a bright orange life boat. Like its common knowledge today to not drink water youve collected in a survival situation without boiling and sometimes filtering it. Germ theory still wasnt a thing till relatively recently in history.

[@Frisbieinstein]

Pirates weren't much for keeping records of such things.

[@CycloidalHeadache]

@@Frisbieinsteinlol it would be the original Hunter Biden laptop

[@JCOwens-zq6fd]

The fact that the kid in that one painting is sitting in front of the grinding wheel that is pulling towards him as a 1 handed pirate grinds a cutlass should be dubbed "brave but stupid young apprentice" lol

[@rachdarastrix5251]

Carpenter is the best job. Every once in a while a party goes a-land to gather wood for the carpenter to make things. It is always a good sign when what the captain wants you to build is planks and rowboats. Means you are about to have a lot of fun.

[@RabidPancakeDisorder]

Personally, I would go with gunner. As I'm already familiar with ballistics and hope to join the USN and make it to Gunner's Mate

[@David-wk6md]

I was an Apprentice Baiter.

[@Brandonhayhew]

Carpenter and blacksmith was a good profession

[@minhducnguyen9276]

Especially for pirates where they can't buy materials from normal ports and service from pirate ports were expensive as they were practically black markets of their time.

[@PyroGothNerd]

​@@David-wk6md"We do not grant you the rank of Master Baiter" -Mace Windu

[@droidigan]

I can't believe the ship's wheel didn't become regular until 1715. It feels like I should've known this earlier. Recently I went to a museum for naval miniatures, I'll have to pay better attention next time. Edit: Just got to the surgeon part. Lol. Piratical circumcision.

[@jerdnastark1399]

Since discovering this channel, I have found it to be INCREDIBLY educational and inspirational! Thank you for making these videos! I was wondering if it would be possible to cover pirate laws and codes of conduct in a future video?

[@GoldandGunpowder]

aye I've got a video on the code of conduct/articles of agreement in the works

[@jerdnastark1399]

@@GoldandGunpowder Ah, that is great news! Thank you for such a quick reply! :D

[@rainbowpanda-tl5xy]

@@GoldandGunpowder I remember the time you did a video about it but got deleted, i would know why?

[@quickplaya]

@@GoldandGunpowder If pirates took 4 hour shifts and twas there no watches then?... How did they tell time? The sun? Wondering... love pirates. Thanks in advanced!!

[@mikeyfrederick1232]

Just gotta say this is some high quality well produced content sir.. Super super interesting and educational, learning new things i had never thought of from that period in history...you deserve some major credit and praise for the channel..

[@Animalover205]

Very well done. As a writer it is good to find someone who takes the subject seriously, thank you.

[@malis9045]

Your channel is genuinely just a goldmine! Love your videos! Are you planning to ever do a video on other forms of privateering, like late medieval Hanseatic piracy? It has a lot in common with the later golden age and it's own legendary Pirates like Stoertebaeker

[@GoldandGunpowder]

possibly on my 2nd channel

[@Ayeskint]

Kudos to the narrator for pronouncing "Rhombicosidodecahedron". I could barely type it, and that was me copying from the subtitles...

[@ItsAVolcano]

One of the most successful pirate captains of the era, Black Bart Roberts, began his career as a forced man. He was press-ganged due to his literacy and navigational skills, and would be so talented the crew voted him in as the new captain when their previous one was killed.

[@pathayne_syrah]

Boy what timing! I was just looking this up yesterday.

[@thebigsandvich6924]

Which officers were expected to fight in battle? There are many descriptions of famous captains wearing various weapons but surely the higher officers would command from the quarterdeck

[@GoldandGunpowder]

pirate officers were expected to be pretty reckless, lead from the front and by example. at sea they usually commanded from the quarterdeck as you said or other designated position. quartermaster was expected to board first. on land all officers led from the front which is why the mortality and wounded rate amongst buccaneer officers was very high(Richard Sawkins got shot in the head with an arrow one battle and died in another a few months later)

[@user-sv6fy9jd2n]

Almost read it like “Jokes on Pirate Ship”. Can you do video on pirate humor?

[@danielkohler7015]

Glad to have found this channel, keep up the awesome work

[@jasondohrman7098]

Always enjoy your videos! Another fine one! Thank you!

[@pibs1510]

One of my fav content creators Keep it up man

[@aimeelies]

Thank you! I’m doing research for a pirate fantasy story that I’m writing

[@bamsam-cd6ss]

You are underrated to be honest, make more of this!

[@talkingwithadam812]

Ive been binging your videos to prep for my dungeons and dragons game! Thank youA

[@8greateight8]

I love your channel and your voice is extremely calming

[@Captain_Cinnamon]

Been waiting for this one mate🎉

[@ged1798]

Love these videos looking forward to this one 😎

[@simonwest80]

While doing reserach I have stumbled acorss your channel, and I love it. Keep up the good work!!

[@thecreweofthefancy]

I was running errands and missed the premier. 😢 Awesome video as always.

[@deansch6089]

I'd LOVE to see an entire episode on careening!

[@unknowntrooper_2791]

Wonderfull video again with a lot of information. Kudos for great illustrations used! Of the pirate captain it would be nice to know what qualities were most wanted by the crew for the captain. A bit obvious question perhaps but complex. Another question: were there any real "pirate families" where the father for example was the captain and had his children or other relatives like siblings also acting as pirates, sometimes as fellow captains, like depicted in pirate media such as Cuttroat Island or the novel Black Corsair? I know privateers like Jean Bart in Europe and Rogers in the Pacific had family with them in the expedition (Bart may have had his son with him and Rogers his brother as officers). But have you encountered many such cases of family connections among privateers or pirates? Seems mostly a story trope. Anyway, not sure if related enough to the captain video. Cheers!🏴‍☠️

[@GIJane-nr2xm]

Lol i love the thumbnail with the powerful pirate woman, then you explain the reality haha but we all knew that anyway.

[@darkironsides]

Great quality video as usual!

[@Electriceye1984bySam]

Great content 👏🏻thank you!😁👍🏻

[@mageillus]

0:37 whoah what a mess

[@JamesRDavenport]

In the 1660s My direct ancestor, Richard Davenport began as an indentured servant for privateer captain Nathaniel Batt as means of passage. He was also paid in the captain's land grant, Batts Island in the middle of a river in then Carolina Colony. Richard made a farm and family from that little stake.

[@gaigejones3947]

Keep up the good work brotha!

[@Psychoveliatonet]

Love this series!

[@bookofroger]

This was eye opening!

[@josesosa3337]

I wanted to become a better writer and something I found out i could do is study small factions and their duties and relationships. This is a great video, thanks.

[@gailmrutland6508]

*Excellent! Kudos and please break it all down and perhaps a complete view of the interior of a Pirate ship replete with personnel stations, accommodations and "facilities"?*

[@namechange94]

the surgeon, the only one that isnt killed or imprisoned, whats he going to do, un-do his work on helping you 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@zpy-nq7wv]

GREAT AS ALWAYS SIR !

[@p.wellstone]

Great vid as always! For the next video, i would like to know how much of the share of plunders the captain got in comparison to his crew or how his compensation might have looked like if he was employed by investors. Thx

[@nagjrcjasonbower]

Well done! You just earned another sub!!!! If you ever get the time, I’d like to learn how much of a threat pirates were to people living away from the sea... Vikings had their overland and upriver takings so I wonder how much of a concern the pirates of the Americas were where one might least expect them. Have a good one!!!

[@omahanprabla3058]

Man these pirates were some nasty savages.

[@johnengland8619]

Thanks for the content

[@j.c.ca.o.l7035]

Excellent Job!!!

[@corail53]

This structure varied wildly depending on the ship and where they were located.

[@daankw]

Superb video!

[@gasmonkey1000]

I found this channel only recently and it's absolutely amazing. In the off chance you see this, and it is pertinent enough to the culture of the pirates, how did religion, mysticism, or occult affect the pirates and could you give examples? From what I've heard of sailors they're already a superstitious bunch, which given how a bad wind can destroy a ship makes sense, but for a group already somewhat on the moral edge what was it like for them?

[@GoldandGunpowder]

I read all comments. It's a pretty complicated topic. There were superstitious sailors and pirates but as many amongst them who deemed superstition as foolish. Superstitions I've encountered in pirate journals include the idea that bringing a dead boy aboard would damage the compass in the ship's binnacle, and that discussing the "intrigues of women" during Valentine's Day brought forth a storm. So very weird stuff that bordered on pseudo-science, and the line between rational thinking, superstition and pseudo-science was thin, much like today to be frank. As for religion most pirates appear to have been religious and respectful of priests, atleast of their own denomination. I've never encountered any Protestants killing protestant priests, or catholics killing catholic priests, etc, only the other way around(this saved the life of Jean-Baptiste Labat a French priest when he was captured by Spanish corsairs, one of them even shot him before the revelation but the pistol misfired). But religious cynicism seems to have been more common among pirates, as there are definitely more cases of them using religious swears heavily(this was banned on most ships and in some cities), and a very rare few going so far as to damning God. As for mysticism, William Dampier had his foot healed by a Witch Doctor in Virginia and Lionel Wafer and the other buccaneers encountered Kuna Shamans in Darien that could allegedly communicate with spirits and see the future. They seem to have believed it to some degree, or atleast implied it vaguely in their writing to make for a good story.

[@gasmonkey1000]

@@GoldandGunpowder Ah thanks man. Guess it makes sense, Age of Piracy kind of kicked off when the Thirty Years War was burning Europe. Still it's fascinating to see what such groups think

[@ColoradoStreaming]

@@GoldandGunpowder There is actually a subtle Easter Egg in the movie "Master and Commander" on superstition. One of the sharpshooters tries to shoot an Albatross which is considered bad luck as those birds were said to be the souls of dead sailors. Instead of hitting the bird he shoots the ship surgeon almost killing him.

[@rickyalexander459]

Can you do a video about the black spot? Was that even a thing? I found it so curious in Treasure Island. Thanks

[@LawrenceTimme]

I think id be a smith or a gunner.

[@merafirewing6591]

Pretty cool.

[@hanchiman]

Now this make the novel Treasure Island pecking order much more understandable. Also just discovered your channel and checked out your videos, but I see mostly European Pirates, any chance you will look at Asian and Middle East pirates? In China there are various famous pirates that roamed around in the sea of Canton like female pirate Zheng Yi Sao

[@kai_plays_khomus]

Whoa, you actually mentioned _jew's harps_ ("jaw harp" is a pretty common though ahistorical pseudo-etymological misinterpretation of its actual name)! The instrument was extremly common once and spread across all of Eurasia, with spiritual connotations in the east and rather associated with the peaseantry in Europe - but for some reason it gets largely omitted from history. I can totally picture it as a common pirates' instrument. 😁

[@Svensk7119]

The picture of the powder monkeys was from a depiction of the Royal Navy ships-of-the-line, from the great age of the fighting sail nearly a lifetime later. He admitted it when he mentioned the purser. On a man-o'-war..... man-of-war means a warship.

[@26snoopy82]

Where can I find of books about these info. Out of jobs?

[@YDV669]

Thus was a new genre of pirate fan fiction given new breath.

[@yoshimitsu4]

I just found you, I guess I have a new favorite YT channel

[@magicpyroninja]

Sometimes the people that were forced onto the ships were treated well. Sometimes they were treated like slaves. Sometimes they work and were released. Sometimes they revolted fought back. I wonder if there's a correlation between anything there😅

[@fixervibii]

YEA BABY

[@flyingsword135]

How about Activities Coordinator?

[@colelawton4901]

I would like to learn more about the collateral duties of a pirate crew. For example, the boarding party, and sharpshooters of the fighting tops if they were assigned.

[@jerrykitich3318]

Who makes the illegal recordings?

[@twiss9341]

Thanks

[@GoldandGunpowder]

thank you

[@Oscuros]

Cheers.

[@garyt3hsna1l82]

A pirate ship is such an interesting case study for how political systems can be infinitely fluid ranging from communist uprising to completely private industry to dictatorial fascism with chattle slaves and all combinations in between its a very sophisticated thing.

[@moyhdehehe9493]

what do you think of assassins creed 4 black flag?, a video idea is a in-depth deep dive of women during these era pirate or not

[@erikthepirate8068]

It would be fun to be onboard the Pirate Ship.

[@hailmary2959]

Where can I find the picture at 15:12 ?

[@J_n..]

I'm waiting for the video about the sailingmaster

[@calvinthedestroyer]

*Singing: when you're a Profesional pirate!

[@GoldandGunpowder]

you're always in the best of company!

[@markusstewart9298]

Would the Captain have done or had intimate knowledge of all these jobs? I.e would he be able to go out and “show em how it’s done” or was it more “do it better, otherwise I’ll shoot you?”

[@ThePrinceOfSpace413]

what is "pumping" in this context as far as a job

[@robertgross1655]

🎩Hi just found this excellent channel. As a supposed descendant of Henry Avery I always have an interest in pirates. And yes I live on a boat.

[@JB-rt4mx]

Who is in the barrel and bunghole ?

[@herobrinesblog]

Could other crew members override the captains will? Like a surgeon deciding against the captain on who to treat first, or the pilot deciding not to go a certain route cuz he thinks its too dangerous? What are the limits of the Captains authority?

[@keelanmurphy9941]

Yes! Because most pirate ships were effectively democratic, any decision of the captain (outside of battle, in which case his authority was absolute) could be put to a vote if the crew weren't content with it. For matters that didn't merit a vote, a large part of the quartermaster's role was to act as a check to the captain's power; think of him as the crew's union representative. Furthermore, because many pirate captains were former common sailors with no specialist expertise, they would often have to defer absolutely to their officers. For example, Howell Davis was a very poor navigator and so had to employ a captured man as his sailing master, who went on to become the legendary Black Bart. I'm sure the surgeon would have similar authority.

[@JonTheProphet]

I was raised by by one of Mary Reads descendants. Growing up we had heard a saying, "Through pillage and plunder, we shall not hunger."

[@JJforShie1]

Pirates aren’t respected today like back then. I legit dressed as a pirate and attempted a mutiny on the high seas on a Gateway Clipper fleet boat in Pittsburgh and I got an effin felony

[@jayharper3491]

How were the shares determined? Were shares allotted for the maintenance and restocking of the ship?

[@GoldandGunpowder]

you took the entire hoard of plunder, alloted money for provisions and other company-wide expenses such as compensation for injuries, and the remaining money was divided among the company into shares

[@4FYTfa8EjYHNXjChe8xs7xmC5pNEtz]

Every job on a pirate ship was quite ARRduous.

[@ElijsDima]

"Every sailor was expected to know how to steer the ship" - wait, like... knowing how to move the tiller/whipstaff? That does not seem complicated... Or do you mean also controlling the rigging together with the rudder actions?

[@kogorun]

So how did helmsmen, pilots and sailing masters operate with each other? Would helmsmen just take orders from sailing masters, while his mates would command the crews handling the sails and cordage?

[@GoldandGunpowder]

sailing master calls the shots, bosun is responsible for the cordage

[@bluegent7]

I can't help but wonder over the speed-reading capacity of video makers, who judge viewers equally endowed. No, seriously, I'd keep the first quotes a bit longer to relieve people from hanging over the pause button. Images is another matter, since they contain so much information that for the brain to get anything more than a general impression, and study it's details, it has to be paused - for most people. All in all, a great job on a very intruging topic.

[@stephenswistchew7720]

I was tell ing a friend about the best job I ever had as chief engineer on a pirate ship he said there are no engines on a pirate ship I replied I know it was the best job I ever had

[@kimruchel3538]

kan du göra en video om demokrati på ett piratskepp Jag vet att du pratade om det i mytvideon men det är ett riktigt intressant ämne

[@konstellashon1364]

Would the coxswain be in charge of a rowboat used to travel from ship to ship or shore?

[@GoldandGunpowder]

yes

[@konstellashon1364]

@@GoldandGunpowder is there another title for this? Boatman, Ferryman, etc?

[@GoldandGunpowder]

nah

[@garystewart2355]

What about the guy in a barrel with a hole in it?

[@thecrashandchurchshow3741]

Hmmm, the press ganges were part of the Royal Navy finding recruits. Almost all of the pirates during the Golden Age of Piracy recruited people from captured ships by offering them a better life aboard their ship, the promise of more equitable pay, and a say in decisions. Most slaves during this era chose to be part of the pirate crews. The Pirate Republic in Nassau was very much like what the colonies became leading up to the War of Independence. Freedom and a fair wage was what pirates offered compared to the forced labor and many times no wages from His Majesty's Navy. Sam Bellamy, the most successful pirate to have lived, is said to have never killed anyone. He and Blackbeard shared that in common, and one of Blackbeard's mates was a freed slave who became a famous pirate captain himself, Black Caesar.

[@mageillus]

Pirates owned slaves kzbin.info/www/bejne/aKSroqOAZrd5mK8

[@emilyrobbins6315]

Did pirate captains live in separate or nicer quarters than the rest of the crew?

[@GoldandGunpowder]

in more authoritarian companies they usually did, in less ones they shared quarters with the crew

[@wht-rabt-obj]

Ummm... Anne Bonney was known for fighting with a sword and guns. Not just getting powder and stuff. She was known as a very skilled fighter, actually.

[@quickplaya]

@GolfandGunpowder If pirates took 4hour shifts... how did they tell time? Watches weren't a thing...? Did they just look at the sun?

[@GoldandGunpowder]

watches were a thing but they had half-hour sandglasses which they flipped every half hour to tell the time

[@bruhdon4748]

Watches were a thing

[@FrenchJae]

YO HO!

[@user-nj6bt5gy4s]

16:41 dude just casually flashed us

[@Durahan82]

But who made the Rum ? 😢

[@malcontender6319]

Jamaicans. Damn good stuff too!

[@SpidersDemonioKrokodrile]

did the english navy employ pirates?

[@bruhdon4748]

They hired them as privateers

[@tokunoob]

Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger

[@zerofox7347]

16:42 is that pirate giving birth? I can’t tell it’s a weird picture.

[@danielvalen1507]

Best channel I've discovered recently.

[@khyvich]

Yaaaahrrr!!!☠

[@elocxv]

Being a pirate captain was most probably like being a king.

[@steviegilliam5685]

And all the drawbacks of one too

[@bruhdon4748]

I doubt it, kings didn’t run the risk of being blown up or being left on an island not to mention most pirates hated royalty and were actively running away from that

[@TheCODGUY21]

I love you.