5 Most Famous Pirate Ships
There are many tales of famous pirate ships that sailed the seas long ago. Here on this page, I’m going to list the 5 most famous pirate ships.
CSS Alabama
This is a warship that is known to have inflicted some of the biggest damage of any ship in Confederate raider history. The CSS Alabama has a reputation of being incredibly dangerous. It was constructed in the 1860s by a man who went by the name of Henry Liard. He worked at a company that was responsible for developing over 40 different ships. These ships were utilized by the Royal Navy. The CSS Alabama was created specifically to maximize its speed and maneuverability. Such attributes allowed it to outmaneuver almost any ship that it came across. The ship was 220 feet long and fired shells that were over 100 pounds. It was known to use fake flags to trick their enemies into thinking that the ship was an ally. Once their enemies were defeated, it would raise its Confederate flag in victory. The life of the ship came to a halt in 1864, thus ending a two-year reign of terror.
Queen Anne's Revenge
This ship was led by a ferocious pirate who is famously known as Blackbeard. It was originally a slave ship that was owned by the French. He captured it in 1717 and decided to use it as his main ship. As with most slave ships at the time, Queen Anne's Revenge was built for speed. The speed of a ship was important for pirates of that era because they wanted the ability to maneuver as quickly as possible in order to capture their targets. Under Blackbeard's control, they added a staggering 26 additional convicts, pushing the total crew to 40. The ship was run ashore and suffered damage beyond repair in 1718 which ended its reign indefinitely. Fun fact: There's a LEGO version of the ship, which is based on the Pirates of the Caribbean film series.
Whydah
This ship was thought to have captured or destroyed over 50 other ships by the time it met its doom in 1717. The ship first set sail in 1715 from London and was originally used as a slave ship. Its name originated from a West African port where it would dock often. The ship was eventually seized by pirates and it was then used to defeat and capture other ships. A storm eventually sunk the ship. The Whydah sank into the bottom of the ocean killing almost the entire crew as a result. Only two crew members survived the ordeal.
Fancy
Fancy was a Spanish ship that was built in 1694. A man named Henry Every successfully led a mutiny that earned him total control of the ship. He and his crew then set sail in search of fortunes. The ship had over 50 guns and a crew that consisted of 150 men. They also made alterations to the ship which increases its speed. They used the ship to dominate the waters of the Indian Ocean for almost 2 years. Every eventually sold the ship and was able to escape prosecution due to the riches he accumulated over the years. I’d consider him to be the most successful pirate captain on this list of 5 most famous pirate ships. Related info: 5 Most Famous Pirate Captains
Adventure Galley
This is a huge ship that sailed the oceans in 1695 and arguably the most interesting one out of the 5 ships listed on this page. The Adventure Galley was utilized for full-blown combat against various British battleships of the time. Its main goal was to hunt down pirates, which they eventually found out was not an easy task. Not being able to pay for the ship, the captain started going after Allied ships and stealing their treasure. As a result, the Adventure Galley was indirectly converted into a pirate ship! It didn’t last long however, as the ship was eventually captured in 1698 and the captain was executed.
CSS Alabama
This is a warship that is known to have inflicted some of the biggest damage of any ship in Confederate raider history. The CSS Alabama has a reputation of being incredibly dangerous. It was constructed in the 1860s by a man who went by the name of Henry Liard. He worked at a company that was responsible for developing over 40 different ships. These ships were utilized by the Royal Navy. The CSS Alabama was created specifically to maximize its speed and maneuverability. Such attributes allowed it to outmaneuver almost any ship that it came across. The ship was 220 feet long and fired shells that were over 100 pounds. It was known to use fake flags to trick their enemies into thinking that the ship was an ally. Once their enemies were defeated, it would raise its Confederate flag in victory. The life of the ship came to a halt in 1864, thus ending a two-year reign of terror.
Queen Anne's Revenge
This ship was led by a ferocious pirate who is famously known as Blackbeard. It was originally a slave ship that was owned by the French. He captured it in 1717 and decided to use it as his main ship. As with most slave ships at the time, Queen Anne's Revenge was built for speed. The speed of a ship was important for pirates of that era because they wanted the ability to maneuver as quickly as possible in order to capture their targets. Under Blackbeard's control, they added a staggering 26 additional convicts, pushing the total crew to 40. The ship was run ashore and suffered damage beyond repair in 1718 which ended its reign indefinitely. Fun fact: There's a LEGO version of the ship, which is based on the Pirates of the Caribbean film series.
Whydah
This ship was thought to have captured or destroyed over 50 other ships by the time it met its doom in 1717. The ship first set sail in 1715 from London and was originally used as a slave ship. Its name originated from a West African port where it would dock often. The ship was eventually seized by pirates and it was then used to defeat and capture other ships. A storm eventually sunk the ship. The Whydah sank into the bottom of the ocean killing almost the entire crew as a result. Only two crew members survived the ordeal.
Fancy
Fancy was a Spanish ship that was built in 1694. A man named Henry Every successfully led a mutiny that earned him total control of the ship. He and his crew then set sail in search of fortunes. The ship had over 50 guns and a crew that consisted of 150 men. They also made alterations to the ship which increases its speed. They used the ship to dominate the waters of the Indian Ocean for almost 2 years. Every eventually sold the ship and was able to escape prosecution due to the riches he accumulated over the years. I’d consider him to be the most successful pirate captain on this list of 5 most famous pirate ships. Related info: 5 Most Famous Pirate Captains
Adventure Galley
This is a huge ship that sailed the oceans in 1695 and arguably the most interesting one out of the 5 ships listed on this page. The Adventure Galley was utilized for full-blown combat against various British battleships of the time. Its main goal was to hunt down pirates, which they eventually found out was not an easy task. Not being able to pay for the ship, the captain started going after Allied ships and stealing their treasure. As a result, the Adventure Galley was indirectly converted into a pirate ship! It didn’t last long however, as the ship was eventually captured in 1698 and the captain was executed.