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ALTITUDE


Altitude, or the distance of an object from sea level, was used to determine a ship's latitude. Figuring out a ship's latitude was a sailor's way of determining the ship's course.

ANALEMMA


Due to the tilt of the Earth on its axis and the elliptical orbit of the Sun, the path of the Sun follows in a year creates a figure-8 pattern referred to as an the analemma. Sailors used measurements of the Sun's position in the sky in celestial navigation.

ASTROLABE
Astrolabe


The Greek translation for this is star finder (spelled astrolaby in the age of pirates). This ancient instrument measures the altitude of the sun and/or constellations from the horizon. The mariner's astrolabe was used as a tool by sailors to help them determine the latitude of their ship.

The knowledge of a ship's latitude was critical in determining whether it was on course to its destination.

AXE


When boarding an enemy ship, the long-handled boarding axe was used to cut lines, knock down cabin doors, and sometimes to cut the mast or yards on a ship.

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BACKSTAFF


An instrument that was used to measure a ship's position.

BINNACLE


The wooden structure on a ship's deck that houses the compass is referred to as the binnacle.

BLACKJACK


A pirate flag with a skull or skeleton was referred to as a jolly roger. A black and white jolly roger (used from 1690 onward) was referred to as a blackjack.

BLOCK AND TACKLE


The pulleys and ropes used to raise heavy loads.

BOATSWAIN/BOSUN (pronounced bo'sun)


The person aboard ship who was in charge of maintaining the rigging, anchors, cables, and other equipment.

BOOTY


The goods seized from enemy ships in times of war. Other terms are loot, plunder or spoils.


BOUCAN


The Buccaneers used this knife when they hunted wild pig and oxen on the Islands around Santa Domingo and Jamaica. Boucans came in all sizes and shapes and looked like a cut down cutlass. These knives were primarily used as a utility knife, but could be used in combat to hack or slash an enemy in battle.

BOUNTY


The reward offered for the capture of a pirate. The person doing the capturing of the wanted pirate is called a bounty hunter.

BOW


The front of the pirate ship (the back is the stern).

BOWSPRIT


A heavy spar (wooden pole for supporting sails) pointing forwards at the front of the ship.

BRIGANTINE


A popular choice of buccaneers, the brigantine was a square-rigged, two masted vessel with a fore and aft sail on the mainmast, 80 feet long, weighing 150 tons, and could hold 10 cannons and a crew of 100.

BROADSIDE


To fire all guns simultaneously on one side of a ship.

BUCCANEER


Buccaneers got their name from the French word boucan which means barbecue. Buccaneers were originally pig and cattle farmers and the term referred to the way they barbecued their meat on grills as taught to them by the local natives. Buccaneer referred to the pirates and privateers who were based out of the West Indies.

BULKHEAD


A vertical partition inside a ship. Pirates pulled down bulkheads and other walls inside ships to make more room for working the guns.
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C

CABIN BOY


A young boy who worked aboard pirate ships as a servant. Many cabin boys made their way aboard ship by being kidnapped by pirates or were runaways looking for a means of escape.

CAPE


A piece of land jutting into the sea.

CAPSTAN


The winding mechanism used to raise the anchor.

CARAVEL


A small, three-masted ship used by the Spanish and Portuguese.

CAREEN


To clean or repair a pirate ship by beaching it and turning it over on its side. This was the time when pirate ships were most vulnerable to attack.

CARPENTER


The carpenter was in charge of the soundness of the ship's masts, yards, boats, and hull, caulking the plank seams with oakum to keep it water tight.

CARRACK


A large three- to four-masted large-cargo sailing ship.

CARTOGRAPHER


The person who made the maps for the pirate's voyage.

CASTLE


A raised structure above the ship's deck, either at the bow (forecastle) or stern (sterncastle). Castles were used as places for armed men in a sea battle. The forecastle was the traditional quarters of the crew, and the sterncastle held cabins for officers.

CAT O' NINE TAILS


This whip was designed with nine knotted cords fastened to a handle. The name of the whip comes from the scars it left on the backs of the pirates who were flogged with the whip. The marks resembled cat scratches.

CAULK


To make a wooden sailing ship water tight by sealing it with oakum (rope fibers) and tar.

CELESTIAL NAVIGATION


This was the method of using the north star or other constellations as reference points in navigation.

CHART


The cartographer created a detailed map of seas and coasts for the pirates' voyage called a chart.

CHIP LOG


The chip log was a pirate ship's speedometer. Pirates took a light line and knotted it at equal intervals of 47 feet 3 inches. The end was weighted so it would drag in the water. After it was tossed overboard over the stern, the pilot counted the knots that were let out as a 28-second sand glass emptied itself. This gave him the speed of the ship in nautical miles per hour and is where the expression of knots per hour originates. The knot interval reference of 47 feet 3 inches to 6,080 feet is equal to the sand glass timers' 28 seconds to one hour.

CHRONOMETER


Prior to the invention of the chronometer, pirates did not have an accurate method for measuring time, without which led to them steering off course and sometimes missing their destinations entirely. The chronometer's time-keeping accuracy allowed sailors to measure the stars against specific points in time, thus giving them their longitude. This changed navigation forever by allowing sailors to stay on the correct course to their destination.

CIMAROON
(also Cimmarones or Cimmarons)


African slaves who escaped from the Spanish and lived in the mountainous and forested areas off the Caribbean, Privateer Sir Francis Drake often employed cimaroons to help him fight against their former masters.

CIRCUMNAVIGATE


To sail completely around a point, such as pirates and explorers circumnavigating the globe in search of treasure.

COCKED HAT


A wide brimmed hat turned up on two or three sides (bi or tricorne hat).

COMMISSION


When a government pays privateers to hunt down and attack an opposing country's merchant ships and return with its goods.

COMPASS


An instrument that always points to magnetic north, used by sailors in navigation.

COMPASS ROSE


On the pirate ship's map, it's the circular reference design which resembles the compass. Lines radiated out from the center of the compass in 16 to 32 directions, also indicating courses to sail.

CONQUISTADOR


Spanish explorers who sailed to the Americas to obtain gold, silver, and other treasures. They were famous for conquering Mexico and Peru.

CONTINENT


The Earth's land masses are divided into 7 large land masses called continents. The Earth's current continents are: Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America.

CORSAIR


This term is used for privateers who operated in the Mediterranean. The most famous were the Barbary Corsairs from the Barbary Coast of North Africa (so called by the European crusaders who called their Muslim opponents barbarians) who were authorized by their governments to attack the shipping of Christian countries. The Maltese Corsairs were sent out by Knights of St. John in a religious war against the Turks, but the rewards of privacy soon became more important.

COXSWAIN


A small boat called a cockboat was used by the Captain to travel from ship to shore. The person in charge of steering was called the coxswain.

CROSS-STAFF


Navigation tool which was used to measure the angle between the north star and the horizon. The higher the north star, the farther north the pirate ship was.

4 CRUSADOES
4 Crusadoes


Portuguese coin.

CUTLASS


A short bladed singled edged sword usually slightly curved and only sharpened on the outer blade, resembles a saber, only the blade is slightly heavier and shorter. The reason the cutlass had a shorter, heavier blade is because of what it was called upon to do. Besides having to run through your foe, the cutlass was also called upon to cut through heavy marlin lines, break down heavy oaken doors, and so on. A regular sword may not have always been up to the task. And shorten swinging space was available on ship. Lighter and sturdier.

CUTTHROAT


Someone who robs or plunders at sea or plunders the land from sea without having a commission from a sovereign nation; a ruthless pirate.

G

GALLEON


A large sailing ship with three or more square masts.

GALLEASS

Similar to a galley, but with broadside guns and oars. A galleass had less firepower than a galleon, but could move even if there was no wind.

GALLEY


A sailing ship which could be propelled by oars when necessary.

GIBBET


Public gallows used for displaying hanged criminals to the public. It was a custom to display pirates in this way as a warning to would-be pirates entering a city, town or harbor.

GRAPPLING IRON


A hooked instrument tied to the end of a rope which was tossed onto the deck of another ship in order to hold it close enough for pirates to board it.

2 GUINEAS
2 Guineas


English coin.

GULLY


A big knife sailors used in mutinies when nothing else was available. The gully was better suited for hacking and most commonly only one side of the blade contained an edge. It had numerous uses on board a ship as a eating utensil and a tool for cutting fouled rigging.

H
HARDTACK


A hard, stale biscuit eaten aboard ship.

HELM


The ship's wheel or tiller which steers the ship by turning its rudder.

HORSE LATITUDES


The horse latitudes are high-pressure areas, located between 30 degrees north and south, in which the wind is light and varied.

I
ILANUN PIRATE


Ilanun were dreaded pirates of Mindanao, Philippines, who were eventually stamped out in 1863.

M
MARINER


This is another term for a seaman.

MARLINESPIKE


A tool with a sharp tipped iron blade and a round wooden handle, similar to an ice pick. Pirates used it to separate the strands of marlines (two-lined twisted tarred rope) so they could splice two ropes into one by interweaving their ends together. The marlinespike was also used for securing lines, and was a popular weapon used by mutineers.

MAROON


The meaning of maroon is to isolate. Pirates would leave mutinous shipmates on deserted islands, without any means of survival.

MERCATOR'S PROJECTION


A type of map used in navigation in which the true compass directions are marked in straight lines so that the lines of latitude and longitude intersect at right angles. Because of this, the land masses are distorted with the pole areas looking larger than they really are.

MERCHANTMAN


A ship involved in trade, carrying cargo.

MOIDORE


A type of Portuguese gold coin.

MUTINY


When the crew rises against the those in charge of the ship, taking over command.

N
NAUTICAL MILE


A nautical mile is a unit of 1.15 miles. The Earth is divided into 360 degrees, and each degree is divided into 60 minutes. Therefore, the nautical mile is equal to 1/60 of a degree or one minute of longitude.

NAVIGATION


Navigation is process of plotting or directing the course of a vessel using charts and instruments to measure distance, speed and direction. The navigator, seaman, wheelman, steersman, pilot or helmsman is the sailor in charge of directing the ship.

NEW WORLD


The New World is another name for the Americas (or the Western Hemisphere).

NOCTURNAL


Midnight was determined by using a nocturnal, a navigation tool which tells the time of night by the rotation of stars around the celestial pole.

NORTHEAST PASSAGE


A water route connecting the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean across northern Europe and Asia.

NORTHERN HEMISPHERE


The Northern Hemisphere is the half of the Earth that is north of the equator.

NORTH POLE


The North Pole is the northernmost place on Earth, covered by a layer of ice on top of the Arctic Ocean around the pole. This is referred to as the polar ice cap.

NORTH STAR


The star that is located almost due north and is useful in navigation. (See Pole Star)

NORTHWEST PASSAGE


The water route connecting the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean across northern North America is referred to as the Northwest Passage.
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O
OLD WORLD


The Old World is another name for the Eastern Hemisphere (Europe, Asia, and Africa).

S

SALMAGUNDI


A highly-seasoned pirate dish made from available meats or fish.

SAND GLASS


Time aboard ship was measured by a sand glass (ampoletta in Spanish). The ship's boy turned the glass every half-hour in order to measure the time until his watch ended. Because the sand glass was not an accurate measurement of time, it was checked at regular intervals against sunrise, sunset, or midnight.

SCURVY


Many sailors on long trips got scurvy, which debilitates and then kills its victims. When the cause of scurvy was determined to be caused by a dietary deficiency in vitamin C, limes which are high in the vitamin were brought along for long voyages. After which, the British sailors who were forced to drink the lime juice in prevention of scurvy became known "limeys."

SCUTTLE


To sink one's own ship on purpose.

SEXTANT


Used in navigation, the sextant replaced the astrolabe in determining a ship's latitude. The word sextant comes from the Latin word meaning "one sixth."

SHILLING
Shilling


A New England coin.

SLOOP


A fast vessel with a single mast, the sloop maneuvered well in channels making it an excellent choice for pirates seeking less nimble ships to attack and plunder. It weighed 100 tons, could carry 75 pirates and 14 cannons.
Sloop

SOUNDING


Sounding is a method of measuring the depth of a body of water by dropping a weight attached to the end of a rope overboard and letting it hit the bottom.

SOUTH POLE


The south pole is the southernmost point on the Earth; it is located on the continent of Antarctica.

SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE


The Southern Hemisphere is the half of the Earth that is south of the equator.

SPANISH MAIN


This referred to the Spanish-held mainland of Central America and northern South America and the nearby waters and islands of the Caribbean. The Spanish called the land Terra Firma (the Mainland). In English it was known as the Spanish Mainland or Spanish Main.

SPAR


A wooden pole used for supporting sails.

STARBOARD


When facing the front (bow) of the ship, the right side is called starboard (the left side is port).

STERN


The back of a ship (the front is the bow).

STRAIT


A strait is a narrow channel of water that connects two larger bodies of water.

SWABBIE


A swab is type of mop made out of rope-yarns or threads. A person who mopped the decks using the swab was called a swabbie.

T

TRADE WINDS


The trade winds or trades are strong easterly winds that blow through the tropics and subtropics. They blow from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisphere.

TRAVERSE BOARD


This was used to record the course and speed of the pirate ship during a four hour watch. The speed was measured using the chip log, and the direction was taken using the sea compass.

V

VIKING


A pirate from Scandinavia circa 789, also known as Northmen. Because these warriors would work themselves into a battle frenzy, they were also called Berserkers.

VIKING LONG SHIP


This Scandinavian ship was made of pine and oak, and could be over 75 feet in length. It had a single mast, sail and many oars, and generally carried a crew of 50 men.

VRIJBUITER
(or vrybuiter)


Another name for a pirate or buccaneer, Dutch pirates were known as "vrijbuiters," the word "vrij" meaning free, "buit" meaning loot, and the ending "er" meaning agent. The word "vrijbuiter" eventually morphed into "freebooter" in English and "flibustier" in French.


W

WAGGONER


A volume of sea charts. The name was derived from a Dutch pilot named Waghenaer who published a collection of charts and sailing directions in 1584.

WEIGH


This is the term for raising the anchor before the ship departs.

WESTERLIES


The winds that blow between 35 degrees and 55 degrees of latitude are known as the westerlies.

WESTERN HEMISPHERE


The Western Hemisphere is another term used to describe the New World or the Americas.
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YARD


The crossbar (called a spar) that supports a sail. The end of a yard is referred to as a yardarm.