Ships, Stores & Crew
Vessels, cargo, provisions and the roles that keep a company at sea.
Vessels
The Endurance
A sloop with a quarterdeck, a captain’s cabin with stern windows, two bow chasers, rail swivels, a magazine, lookout tops and officers’ berths. Her gun count and crew size are unspecified. A light, shallow-draught vessel suits the Bahamas banks and channels.
The Fair Wind
A two-masted Dutch snow, formerly a merchant vessel with a heavy cargo capacity. Her exact dimensions and armament are unspecified. Her rigging has seen damage and repair; a darker paint scheme and altered scrollwork can make her harder to recognise.
See Ship Types of the Pirate Era for the sloops, snows and other vessels of the period.
Shipboard and town stores
| Store | Notes |
|---|---|
| Pieces of eight | The ship’s purse, used for shares, purchases and port expenses. |
| Spanish silver plate | Chargers, platters and candlesticks. |
| Silver coin chests | Two small chests from a merchant vessel. |
| Wine jars | Five sealed jars. |
| Indigo, sugar, hides & French silks | Trade cargo to be exchanged through colonial merchants. |
| Fresh water | Casks from New Providence wells. |
| Salt pork, beef & ship’s biscuit | Provisions bought in Nassau. |
| Rum | Casks for shipboard drink and grog. |
| Gunpowder | Stores for ship and fort; must remain dry. Three salvaged kegs are still dry. |
| Round, grape & chain shot | Ammunition for chasers and swivels. |
| Small arms | Muskets, pistols, cutlasses and boarding axes. |
| Chain | One salvaged length; far less than a harbour boom would need. |
| Copper sheathing | One length, size unspecified. |
| Navigational instruments | Dividers and a brass compass in an iron box, plus a small crate of other instruments. |
| Charts of the Bahamas & Florida Straits | Regional charts used for navigation; precise coverage varies. |
| Iron, timber, pitch, tar, rope & cordage | Naval stores for fittings, repairs, civic buildings and irrigation. |
| Ship’s articles | Shares, compensation for wounds, and rules governing fire, quarrels and plunder. |
Company and shipboard roles
A company divided between a sloop and a snow needs a prize crew, a bosun and bosun’s mate, foremast hands, gunners, topmen, boarders, leadsmen and boat crews. Ship’s discipline, shares, morale, and the skills needed to crew two vessels are all important.
Roles: captain, quartermaster, sailing master, bosun, bosun’s mate, gunner, carpenter, cooper, surgeon, navigator, foremast hand, powder monkey.
Cargo and provisioning
Trade goods such as indigo, sugar, hides and silk can be exchanged through colonial merchants for powder, canvas, iron, tools and provisions. Nassau’s long-term survival depends on reliable water, preserved food, secure stores, and access to timber and repair materials.