Hey guys,
out of personal necessity I am designing a naval warfare system for a roleplaying-game and I was hoping to not completely butcher real-life terminology. However I know very little about pirates, cannons and seafaring in general and as such am asking for your help.
I am looking for a couple things:
Names for ship frames of different sizes maybe with some broad characteristics. I am aiming for around 10 frames where the smallest frame will be a rowboat and the 2-3 biggest frames will be bigger than ships that actually existed (galleon?) (something more akin to a mobile naval base).
Some weaponry to fill the categories of light, medium, and heavy. Obviously cannons but there seem to be a lot of different ones with different uses.
Are there different types of sails (material, shape, up-and-downsides)?
Feel free to mention any other information relating to the topic you feel is important.
Hello! I wouldn't call myself a historian, as I've had no formal training, but I'm a big time pirate history nerd!
I'll source Benerson Little's "The Buccaneer's Realm" here.
Most pirates used smaller vessels that sat higher in the water. Sloops were actually far more commonly used than galleons, and even more commonly than that were periaguas and canoes. Little also lists barcalongas, Bermudas boats, and corvettes/brigantines.
As for weaponry, their most common gun was probably Buccaneer Gun. These guns were used for sniping across distances, such as between two ships. They also used escopetas, muskets, both matchlock and flintlock pistols (though they were unreliable when wet) and, my favourite, the blunderbuss.
For edged weapons, they were more likely to use rapiers and sabers, but really, whatever they looted off of prizes that wouldn't get caught in the rigging.
Canon are typically categorized by the weight of the ball they fire (3 pounder, 6 pounder, 12 pounder, and etc). Swivels or chase guns were small canons mounted to the fore pr aft of a vessel and used in chases. Other types of canon were minions, sakers, demi-culverins, and culverins. (From Little's "The Sea Rover's Practice".)
Pirates also used stinkpots, firepots, and grenades.
As for sails: Foresail: lower sails on the foremast Mainsail: lower sails on the mainmast Mizzen sail: lateen sail on the mizzenmast Lateen sail: triangular sail Topsails: sails above the mizzen sails on the mast Topgallants: sails above the topsails on the mast Staysails: sails between the masts fore and after Studding sails: sails set outboard of the mainsails or foresails Bonnet: sail extension Spritsail: sails on the bowsprit
Pirates also tended to use what came to hand as weapons. So, ropes, belaying pins, boarding axes, and so on.
Hope this helps!
-AJ