This episode covers how in the early 18th century, pirate ships faced constant dangers from storms, shipwrecks, and limited navigational tools, as seen in the wrecks of Sam Bellamy’s Whydah and other pirates like Charles Vane and Edward Low. Mariners relied on dead reckoning, local knowledge, captured charts, and instruments to navigate, but mistakes often led to shipwrecks or deadly encounters, highlighting the challenges of long-distance piracy. Despite these risks, pirates followed seasonal patterns and trade routes, moving between the Caribbean, North America, Africa, and the Indian Ocean, with their voyages often improvised and decisions made democratically by the crew.
