Schooner

What type of ship did pirates prefer? A fast ship with a shallow draft enabled the pirates to hide in relative safety in shallower waters where larger warships could not enter. Because of its size and maneuverability, a schooner was one of the pirate's favorites. Schooners were very fast with a narrow hull. A schooner could reach up to 11 knots in the right conditions, carried up to 75 crewmen and had 8-12 guns. All those features enabled the pirates to navigate easily in shallow waters and shoals, allowing them quick escape or to attack suddenly. They were usually two-masted and all masts were fore-and-aft rigged.