Post by Queenie on Aug 26, 2012 22:45:20 GMT -5
The positions on the pirate ships are as follows:
Captain
[/u][/size]Captain
A pirate captain had to be cut from a different mold, because previous experience had taught most that life at sea was harsh enough without an inexperienced or cruel leader making it worse. He/She was elected as a sort of president of this shaky democracy, someone already respected for their leadership and navigation skills who would be level-headed and decisive with the pirate crew in the heat of battle.
It was during engagements that this pirate of pirates would be expected to rise above and help bring victory, but in most other occasions on ship, he/she was more or less another voting member in the pirate crew, delegating most of the everyday tasks to the quartermaster/first mate or other junior officer. In these times, he/she was to be an even-tempered father/mother who maintained the barest level of discipline necessary to hold the family venture together. This father/mother could be voted out and even thrown off if he/she became passive or wavering, went against the majority vote, became too brutal, or simply no longer performed his/her duties to the liking of the pirate ship crew.[/color]
First Mate[/b][/u]
A pirate crew has this position as the captain's right-hand man and the one who would assume his/her role if he/she were killed in battle or could no longer perform his/her duties.[/color]
Quartermaster[/b][/u]
Out of their distrust of dictatorial rule, pirates of the Golden Age placed a large portion of the captain's traditional role and power into the hands of an elected quartermaster who became second-in-command and almost a co-captain through his representing the best interests of the crew.[/color]
Boatswain (bos'n)[/u][/size]
This position may be compared to the modern chief petty officer. A ship of any size would require the boatswain to oversee several junior officers who would share his responsibility for the crew's morale and work efficiency as well as the maintenance and repair of the hull, rigging, lines, cables, sails, and anchors.[/color]
Gunner[/b][/u]
A gunner would be the leader of any separate group manning the artillery. His special skill would be in aiming, but he would oversee the four to six men required to take the gun through the steps of loading, aiming, firing, resetting, and swabbing for the next load. He would also work to ensure the gun crew's safety in avoiding dangerous overheating or excessive recoiling of the weapon. A master gunner would help to coordinate the timing and accuracy of the individual crews, especially when a broadside was ordered.[/color]
Powder Monkey[/b][/u]
This term was first used in the British Navy for the very young men who made up most gun crews in the 17th century. These members of the crew preform various tasks, from cooking, to cleaning, to helping to fight. They are essentially, the main part of the crew, and make up the most of it.[/color]
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