Most popular ship type?

[MorganTyre]

When it came to venturing into the blue pirates used more or less whatever was available to them from galley to frigate. However, was there a particular type of ship which gets the most historical references? Also, as an unrelated question - When were bomb ketch's brought into common usage?

[Captain Jim-sib]

Most pyrates got there start in small vessels such as a pinnance, fly-boat, or periagua. From there, captured vessels were used.

The vessel favored by many pirates was the Bermuda sloop. This shallow draft vessel, 5-6 ft. draft, could get into the back waters of inlets and rivers more easily than the larger schooners and brigs. Blackbeard had the Adventure and Stede Bonnet had the Revenge. Jamacian sloops were popular as well until the ship building declined there in the late 1600's due to lack of suitable wood resources. The main difference in the shallow draft vessels was the lenght on deck. Bermuda's were about 60'-65' on deck, and Jamacians were shorter.

Link below shows Teach's sloop Adventure

http://www.carolinasib.com/images/Frame.ph...TURE&price=CALL

Bomb ketches came into use in the late 1600's. Jack Coggins states in Ships and Seamen of the American Revolution that ketch-rigged bombs were not built for the Royal Navy after 1757. Royal Navy bombs were placed on ship-rigged vessels after that date. C.S. Forester had Hornblower using a ketch-bomb in the book during the 1812-14 period.