16th-17th century
-
Halberd
A polearm combining an axe blade, spike, and hook on a long shaft, carried by ship’s marines and boarding parties of 16th- and 17th-century navies and privateer vessels. The hook could pull a boarder off balance or catch at rigging, while the axe blade delivered a heavy chopping strike. It required more open space to…
-
Galleass
The galleass combined the broadside firepower of a sailing warship with the oar-powered maneuverability of a galley, making it a formidable but increasingly obsolete hybrid by the late 16th century. It saw major action at Lepanto and in Mediterranean campaigns against Barbary and Ottoman raiders.
-
Galleon
The galleon was a large, multi-decked sailing ship developed by Spain to carry silver and goods from the Americas and Asia, defended by rows of cannon. Though rarely used by pirates themselves, galleons were the premier target of privateers and buccaneers throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, and their capture defined much of early Caribbean…