A Pirate's Life For Me ... You Might Want to Think Twice ...

... The life of a Pirate today is not nearly as glamorous as it may have seemed during the Golden Age of Piracy ... Today ... The International Maritime Bureau publishes an annual Piracy Report which carefully reviewed known incidents of Piracy and armed robbery versus those that occur in different locations worldwide ... Later the relevant data is recollected from a number of locations with a number of incidents, that includes attempted attacks. The number of the incidents reported in 2011 was ... 439... Within this data point, several events were actual attacks !!! Within these actual attacks ... 98 ... were Hijackings, and ...176 ... incidents were Boardings. In addition the data showed here were 218 attempted attacks. Within these attempts there were 113 cases that included Gunfire, and 105 incidents were attempted boardings ... However, the IMB is examining whether there is a greater number of unreported cases in addition to the reported cases. Owners and masters of their ships are expected to report all piratical attacks and suspicious movements of the Pirate ships to the International Maritime Bureau ... International Piracy Laws ... these laws are respected internationally ... The goal of these legal efforts is to protect against all types of Piracy, and ... Today, Pirates have been defined by some as ... The Enemy of all Mankind ... In this regard,the United Nations has codified much of these maritime laws through ... The United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea ... This also defines the different types of Piracy and ways to combat them ... Piracy Threatens Maritime Security ... and the legitimate uses of the seas for Peaceful Purposes such as ...The Freedom of Navigation, and, The Freedom To Be Upon All Seas ... By codifying these agreements, all ships from all countries have become ... Free to Trade and Navigate the Oceans ... However, this Right is Threatened by Piracy ... In 2008 a report developed by The International Maritime Organization found 4,821 Incidents of and Maritime Armed Robbery in the period between 1984 to 2008. ... In These Incidents... 6 crew were killed, and 42 were assaulted. 774 were held hostage, and 38 crew were unaccounted for ... The Golden Age of Piracy ... The Golden Age of Piracy spanned the period from approximately 1650 to 1726. During this time in history adventurous seaman picked up their duffel bags, stepped off their merchant ships, and proceeded to participate in acts of Piracy. These determined men and women were both young and old. They were highly experienced, or they could be wet behind the ears ... And they were eager to ... Get Rich Quick ... And they were eager to get their personal ... Pots of Gold ... At any given time during the Golden Age of Piracy up to ... 5000 Pirates ... were estimated to be at sea and underway ... So ... Where Did They Go ... Pirate crews and their Captains all had their Preferred Safe Havens ... It may be a surprise to some, but these Safe Havens are well known today ... Popular Safe Havens were Port Royal in Jamaica, Tortuga in Hispaniola, New Providence in the Bahamas, and Madagascar in the Indian Ocean ... Necessities Required to be Available in a Safe Harbor includes and their crews were being brought to justice in publicized trials. These mostly resulted in ... Mass Executions ... At times More Than 50 Pirates Could be Executed in One Day ... In 1772, 52 of Bartholomew Roberts’ crew hung. Their corpses were displayed in iron cages that were left to rot in the open air for 2 years. Unfortunately, Global Piracy still occurs. Those who choose to take the risk can be ... Imprisoned for Life ... How Did Pirates Profit ... First and foremost, Piracy was and to some it still is ... A for-Profit Operation ... Their Preferred booty was ... Gold, Silver and Gems ... Treasure chests filled with coins were also sought after items ... Other valuable items were ... Silk, Spices, Indigo, Tabaco, Rum, Furs, Hides, Sugar, and Other Foods had value as well ... In addition, the passengers and crews on captured ships had to turn over their valuable items such as expensive clothing, gems, and any other small items with value ... The Big Stuff ... In some instances the Captured Ship Itself Along With Its Navigation Tools, Rope, Sails, Cannons and even Anchors were taken ... How did Pirates Capture Their Prey ... Typically, Pirates were cautious. They targeted lone merchant vessels as they were sailing in a narrow channels or when they were near shallow water. They would also hide behind islands where they couldn’t be seen until it was too late to maneuver. Another Pirates trick was to fly the flag of a safe nation before lowering ... The Jolly Roger ... In addition, some Pirates approached their targeted prey from the stern where fewer cannons were present ... Terror Tactics ... Once the targeted vessel was in range ... The Jolly Roger ... was hoisted, which was a signal that the Pirates were ready to board the ship, and that those who resisted would be given no quarter ... Alternately ... A RED FLAG ... indicated that no quarter would be given if an attack ensued ... The Pirates Usually Won This Argument ... Because the merchant ships were poorly armed ... If There Was Resistance ... Pirate Ships Had Several Weapons ... Examples were Grenades, Muskets, Pistols, Cutlases, Axes, and Clubs ... Traders ... Every Pirate Ship and its Captain needed relationships with traders who would move the stolen merchandise to the markets where they could get ... Premium Prices ... Even though the Pirates had custody of the merchandise described previously, they wanted cash in their hands, and plenty of aquaholic beverages. ... Some Pirate Captains Were Ambitious ... These folks wanted to deal directly with colonial ports where officials could be bribed and goods sold at better prices ... Some of These Officials Actually Gave Out Pardons to Pirates ... Many Safe Havens Grew to Become Large Towns With Inns, Brothels, and Merchant Stalls ... Plus everything else that mariners needed when resting their sea legs ... New Providence Harbor hosted 600 Pirates at its peak in 1700 ... At the same time Madagascar had ... 1600 pirates using the island as a base ... Port Royal was a favorite of the buccaneers, but the Golden Age Pirates continued to make good use of its 100 taverns and other questionable facilities that gave rise to the nickname ... The Sodom of the New World ... The Decline of Piracy ... As time passed, the British Government was pressured by legitimate merchants, colonists, and aristocrats became obligated to act against Piracy. Governors were also greatly concerned that piracy was so rife that it was driving out honest settlers fromIt's colonies and leaving them so unpopulated they were becoming a great temptation for foreign powers to take over the towns ... Beginning in 1710 ... the colonies were permitted to ... Hang Pirates Themselves ... rather than to ship them back to England for execution ... Ultimately Port Royal was destroyed by the Earthquake in 1692 ... Today Port Royal is situated on the end of an18-mile long sand pit at the mouth of Kingston Harbor 15 miles from the center of Kingston, the capital of Jamaica. Today, divers continue to explore the city which remains entirely under the water ... You can learn more from Captain Steve Stolze by visiting BoatOpsAndSafety.com ... While there eplorethe Website as you Navigate through Captain Stormalomg's Tall Tales Blog ... Always Remember ... Smart Boating is Safe Boating ...