While you wait for answers, you might be interested in reading some previous threads from the FAQ section on "The Golden Age of Piracy, Life of a Pirate and Other Related Topics":

• Wednesday AMA - Piracy from Antiquity to the Present. - 100 comments, over 1 year old.
• An guest expert gave an AMA in which they covered a fair number of "golden age" pirate questions.
• Wednesday AMA: I'm eternalkerri, moderator and Pirate analyst. Ask me questions about Pirates! - 314 comments, over 2 years old.
• Lots of questions and answers this time hosted by one of /r/AskHistorian's own experts.
• How likely was it to encounter pirates? Did merchants rarely see them, or did they have to plan their routes to avoid them or get escorts? (of any period, I want to learn.) - 42 comments, over 10 months old.
• Commenters here discuss pirate tactics, pirate attack rates on merchants, and also some info about pirates in Antiquity.