Pirate Tactics: Sea Battles

In this video we'll go through the most intrinsical part of a pirate's career: how to capture and plunder a prize at sea. First they had to find the prize, then chase it, engage it at ranged distance, board it, before finally plundering her.
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Bibliography:
The Sea Rover's Practice by Benison Little
Pirate: The Golden Age by Angus Konstam
South Sea Waggonier by Basil Ringrose
A General History of the Pyrates by Charles Johnson
The Buccaneers of America by Alexander Exquemelin
The Republic of Pirates by Colin Woodard
A New Account of Guinea and the Slave Trade by William Snelgrave
0:00 Introduction
0:40 Finding the Prize
2:01 The Pursuit
4:03 Long-Range Engagements
5:10 Boarding Combat
7:04 Victory and its Consequences
8:23 Plundering a Prize
9:30 Post-Plundering
10:05 Conclusion
#pirates #boarding #history

[@GoldandGunpowder]

Pin for Q&A .)

[@H3_Nozzlenose]

do you know of any good resources and/or recommended reading for someone doing research on the golden age of piracy?

[@GoldandGunpowder]

@@H3_Nozzlenose I always post my literary sources in the video descriptions so if there's a topic that interests you I'd recommend checking the sources and looking at them yourself if its worth your time. If by Golden Age you mean the 1713-1725 period I'd recommend The Republic of Pirates by Colin Woodard. Under the Black Flag by David Cordingly is a good overview of the entire Golden Age, I prefer books that specialize in a certain field myself

[@HanSolo__]

Would you consider the topic of modern pirates?

[@_p3t3r_34]

I recently read an account of one duguay-trouin (french privateer), who described his first boarding. During said boarding, ship's master fell between two ships while jumping from one to another, he was then smashed by the rocking hulls of both ships. Oof

[@GoldandGunpowder]

shoulda used his bungee lifeline

[@yankees29]

That had to hurt huh?😂

[@Chris-mt4yq]

​@@yankees29 Not for long lol

[@heofonfyr6000]

shocking waste of a Ship's Master!

[@patron8597]

I'm recently getting back into pirate media and therefore also Sid Meier's Pirates. It's really fun to hear you include so much music of that game. Makes me wonder what your favorite pirate themed games and movies are.

[@elchjol2777]

That music and sound effects hit me with a Flag Galleon full of nostalgia. Speaking of Flag Galleons the music reminded me of the time I captured a Spanish Ship of the Line with one. It was one hell of a fight but that ship became my go to for beating up the Spanish or the occasional stupidly brave pirate.

[@alexrexaros9837]

I'd love to see a video on the cook. I mean sure, they seem to eat whatever they got, but what about the one guy who cooked all of their crap? Would be a good way to honor your legend, Silver.

[@GoldandGunpowder]

I'm going to cover the cook, pirate eatings habits and more in a series of videos all about pirate cuisine

[@sunandshadow6593]

I always find myself searching the horizon for a Gold & Gunpowder video so I can loot it's knowledge.

[@kyleisbart9042]

This channel is going to blow up keep up the good work!

[@GoldandGunpowder]

I will, thank you very much

[@zackbop9045]

i cant believe im just finding this channel. i absolutely love pirate history this is great. id like to learn more of pierre la grand ive heard he wielded a greatsword. a captain with a greatsword sounds like something to be feared for sure

[@GoldandGunpowder]

Thank you. There isn't much known about Pierre le Grand outside of Exquemelin's account, and many scholars believe him to be fictitious. I've never heard about him wielding a greatsword. Swords wielded in boarding combat were short and stubby(cutlasses), and I think the usage of the greatsword had died out by the mid-1500s.

[@tertia0011]

A video on canon, gun powder & gunnery as it relates to pirate action would be very welcome.

[@GoldandGunpowder]

It's coming later down the year and I'm really looking forward to it, got a lot of excellent information/research accumulated

[@coopersigmund6816]

I'm writing a pirate historical fiction book and you have been super helpful!

[@Mic420m]

Thanks for this channel and your sanity 🤙

[@Joe-lr9ou]

well I guess I have to binge-watch this channel now

[@CODEFORTYTWO]

Your videos have all been super helpful for fleshing out my high seas dnd game, bless you son

[@GoldandGunpowder]

thank you, I always love to hear what people use these videos for

[@heretoserve5023]

Look at you! Aren't you just a Fountainhead of knowledge and new information! In less than 12 minute you satisfied many points of curiosity I had and answered questions that had been lingering for a long time! Your video was concise and well-presented and I am grateful and fortunate that I found your videos! I look forward to your series and if I weren't but a poor boy I would gladly add to your coffers however being such a poor boy as I am all that I can offer is to sing your praises and give you thanks!

[@free_at_last8141]

"The ship being chased was called the chase, while the ship chasing was called the chaser." It's so rare for naval terminology to be so logical.

[@theautisticpage]

This is an amazing series. As an amateur historian I love ACTUAL history. Interestingly the lore becomes history itself. It is my hope we do not conflate the two.

[@TheFearsomeRubberducky]

So I found this by searching Pirate101 which is a turn-based MMO game based on pirate adventures. It was a good video though. thanks for making it.

[@GoldandGunpowder]

brb copyright striking them

[@TheRiverPirate13]

Just shows how embellished Hollywood Pirate sea battle movies are! About 10 years ago here in St Augustine the Revolutionary war tall ships Privateer Schooner Lynx (122 ft long) and Blockade runner Schooner Freedom (70 ft long) attempted a sea battle in Matanzas Bay in front of the fort. They never managed to be broadside to broadside. They ended just sort of sailing around never getting any closer than maybe 500 meters to each other. Later when I asked the Captain of the Freedom what happened he said both vessels were too busy dodging underwater sandbars to be able to battle! Apparently even more challenging under sail so they kept engines on the whole time! Lol! The Lynx did fire a couple of cannon shots at the fort but more of a salute than an attack. Informative video mate!

[@GoldandGunpowder]

Sounds like a fun battle, hope they used a lot of muskets .)

[@TheRiverPirate13]

@@GoldandGunpowder The Lynx had someone on board firing a flintlock a few times I recall.

[@a.bizzle9699]

You’d make a remarkable advisor for a proper pirate show like for the history channel

[@GoldandGunpowder]

not really

[@brookingsbeachcomber]

a lot more than just coming along side and getting your groove on. another great video Skipper

[@GoldandGunpowder]

things seldom were so simple!

[@MGB-learning]

Another outstanding video.

[@charmingman20]

I f*cking love this channel

[@GoldandGunpowder]

cheers

[@paulsteele8614]

Thanks for the info

[@toritale1898]

Cabin boy, not even sure that's a real crew position because pirates didn't really recruit younger boys but I'd be interested to know what that's about since I'm re-reading treasure island. As always, love the video, they keep getting better. I watched this one like 3 times and it's so cool (and disturbing) to think about pirate fights in a realistic way.

[@GoldandGunpowder]

I'm glad you enjoyed it. Non-pirate ships often had young children(typically aged 10-16) aboard. Some were regular seamen in training(called "younkers"), others served as servants to the Captain - Cabin Boys. Artisans might also have assistants(mates) that could be teenagers. Pirates generally avoided having kids aboard, but there are exceptions and its not unfeasible

[@H3_Nozzlenose]

i mean they did find the remains of a 14 year old on the wreck of samuel bellamy's ship, so it's definitely not unheard of

[@matthew_thefallen]

Amazing! Your videos are helping me a lot for making a pirate theme board game, although mine is a cartoonish version full of stereotypes but still your videos are helpful! 🙌🙌🙌

[@davidcanadian3153]

You deserve more subscribers these videos are amazing

[@GoldandGunpowder]

thanks david

[@rachdarastrix5251]

I always thought it was so weird when they suddenly stopped making ships with gundecks.

[@RachDarastric2]

Ok I figured it out, see, now a days a lot of battles are between ships and planes, and ships have a lot of anti aircraft guns. Well fighter pilots find that unfair, so what they do is they fly just above the surface of the sea and so that way the ship's anti aircraft guns can't aim down to shoot them. Well if they had gundecks then they could aim down, and that would defeat the whole point of the pilot's tactic.

[@kalavi-knightlygaming]

First off a good video about boarding learned something new today. Second off as everyone is suggesting things I will too, in future shall we expect something about Navigators and or Helmsmen? After all without them most pirate voyages would end in quick visit to Davy Jones locker

[@GoldandGunpowder]

yes, a video about navigators, helmsmen and the sailing master in particular is coming, but its a bit down the schedule

[@whatabouttheearth]

The early US Marines had tall leather collars (reflected in their modern "dress blue" uniforms) to protect their neck from sword slashes. The enlisted took over watch positions high in the riggings and acted as marksmen, while the Marine officers would swing over raiding the enemy ship and had a design called a quatrefoil on the top of their hats (which is also reflected in the "covers" of the Marine officers modern dress blues) so the Marine enlisted would be able to identify them and not shoot them. If you've ever climbed the side of a ship from below you know that because of the arc of the hull you must climb the Jacobs ladder sideways or else your body going more horizontal and your feet push inward below you.

[@tomtom21194]

These are really good videos. Great inspiration for writing too :P

[@GoldandGunpowder]

I make videos this detailed partly to be used as condensed resources for writers and the like

[@Vicus_of_Utrecht]

Underrated channel 😢

[@erikthepirate8068]

Cool! I love it!

[@GoldandGunpowder]

Thank you

[@erikthepirate8068]

@@GoldandGunpowder You're Welcome!

[@jordanhicks5131]

So your note about gunpowder being resistant to shocks is only kind of true. It absolutely will explode if struck with force. This is why ball powder mills have a tendency to sometimes explode. While it isnt as sensitive to shock as fulminate of mercury or nitroglycerin, it is absolutely shock sensitive and will ignite if subjected to a strong enough shock.

[@colefreer]

keep up all the hard work :) (p.s. a video on Woodes Rogers would be cool)

[@GoldandGunpowder]

thank you sir, woodes rogers is coming next season

[@avancalledrupert5130]

Great little channel. Loads of us pirate people out there . Hope the algorithm finds us all . Do the carpenters

[@GoldandGunpowder]

I'm very much looking forward to the carpenter video. It is coming soon

[@avancalledrupert5130]

@@GoldandGunpowder we got an extra half share I was told.

[@Quincy_Morris]

Didn’t know battles would literally start with a dance off.

[@johncody3563]

late to comment here, sorry for that. boarding actions actually work the same today as they did 300+ years ago. there were very clear objectives: >quarter deck first and foremost containing the officers and also the helm and main spanker, like the bridge of a modern boat. >any communication gear, flags and charts, these could be traded along with compasses and time pieces even if you were dumb enough to find them useless >most if not 70 percent of pirate attacks reported from after the golden age and colonial wars may or may not have been pirates, but possibly unprepared sailors just trying to survive stupid missions and in need of basic wares. this was even common back to the stone age. >final word.: then and now boats are mazes which is why pirates didn't trust people that weren't sailors. the difference between success and capture often boiled down to perception and circumstance.

[@GoldandGunpowder]

good points

[@docapathy6706]

Can you do a video about the flying gang. I know you've already talked about them in some of your other videos

[@GoldandGunpowder]

I already have a video about the Flying Gang: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZ_PZIWBqbtgm7s Individual captains will receive their own video in the future.

[@docapathy6706]

@@GoldandGunpowder thank you I guessed i missed it.

[@JustHereForTheDialogue]

sid meier's pirates :O 8:30

[@TheEggeater1111]

Would you consider doing a video on general trade goods and plunder specifically?

[@GoldandGunpowder]

yeah

[@xammotogxammotog5870]

Hello, could you tell me the souce of the picture that you show at 3:08? Thank you!

[@schweinehund3497]

Have you ever read Pirate's freedom by Gene Wolfe? Best pirate book I've ever read, and while certainly romanticised also doesn't pull punches.

[@spirospagiatis4731]

Next video idea : What kind of pets pirates had ?

[@GoldandGunpowder]

That will come eventually

[@cadecollins8477]

Can you do a video for sloops or the bosun

[@GoldandGunpowder]

Sloop video is coming out in a few weeks. Bosun/Lieutenants will be a bit longer

[@radraider8852]

Speaking of the Prince of Pirates, how long will it be for a video about him?

[@GoldandGunpowder]

It's going to be a few months - I'm covering an even bigger pirate in a 3-part series starting next week

[@radraider8852]

😏 Bigger in terms of fame, and his physical height, I’m guessing?

[@GoldandGunpowder]

facial hair as well

[@radraider8852]

Aye! 🍻 To the best damn pirate ever! BLACKBEARD!!!!!!!🍻

[@ExpatScoti]

The definition of Piracy seems odd when i think of how nations tend to go places and take in a similar way what is not theres. Difference between a Pirate and an Emperor? Emperors stick around and kill off those who disagree with him being a saviour. Vikings who attacked the British Isles are pretty much the same as the Angles and Saxons before them but we usually don't compare.

[@cadecollins8477]

Should my pirate ship be a sloop brig or frigate It’s name is the sea wolf it’s figure head is a shark

[@GoldandGunpowder]

thats the question we all ask ourselves

[@pjccwest]

☠️

[@therebornguardian8944]

(John paul jones continues taking notes

[@derpanzerjager9899]

Has a broadside battle ever happened in the age of pirates?

[@GoldandGunpowder]

very few because pirates avoided them

[@robbiemurda2213]

Arrrr give up yerrr Boooty 🏴‍☠️

[@mikearmstrong8483]

You see? Pirates are hella cool, and they don't wear masks! I'm not really sure where that came from. Might have been the 2 margaritas with breakfast.

[@GoldandGunpowder]

no one cared who they were before they put on the mask

[@Underbottom.Sandydown]

yarr

[@ION400]

Great stuff but please slow down sir!! I keep having to pause to see the pictures

[@GoldandGunpowder]

you're commenting this on a 2 year old video after you previously commented on a 4 hour old video

[@ION400]

@@GoldandGunpowder So? and check it out, there you are, responding. Freaks of nature.

[@robnewman6101]

Tragedy!

[@Redneckkratos]

4:28 😂😂😂😂😂

[@MGB-learning]

Another outstanding video.