The most infamous pirates in history, from Blackbeard to Captain Kidd, would have been nothing without their fearsome vessels. Typically stolen, stripped bare in the interest of speed and kitted out with numerous cannons, pirate ships were arguably the most important tool in a pirate’s arsenal.
During the Golden Age of Piracy (1650s-1730s) and indeed throughout history, pirate ships have been used for some truly unthinkable acts of theft, violence and treachery.
Here are 5 of the most notorious pirate ships in history.
1. Queen Anne’s Revenge
Edward Teach, better known as ‘Blackbeard’, oversaw a brutal reign of piracy across the Caribbean and North America from the late 17th to early 18th centuries. In November 1717, he stole a French slaving vessel, La Concorde, and set about converting it into a fearsome pirate ship. When he was done with his renovations, the vessel had 40 cannons onboard and bore the name Queen Anne’s Revenge.