Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates

The image on the front cover of this epub edition is presumably of one Captain Keitt, the father of the lovely damsel, the inherited owner of the legendary and infamous Ruby of Kishmoor.

Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates: Fiction, Fact & Fancy concerning the Buccaneers & Marooners of the Spanish Main

Included Chapters:

Chapter I Buccaneers and Marooners of the Spanish Main
Chapter II The Ghost Of Captain Brand
Chapter III With The Buccaneers
Chapter IV Tom Chist And The Treasure Box
Chapter V Jack Ballister's Fortunes
Chapter VI Blueskin The Pirate
Chapter VII   Captain Scarfield

Although the online HTML version does not include images, if this formats suits your device, I highly recommend that you download the epub version with images. Although the text is written for the young reader I found, with its mix of fact and fiction, the text a quite enjoyable read. In addition there are many illustrations included within the text including, line drawings and full color plates of some of the characters depicted in the book.

The Prizes of Captain Morgan

Captain Morgan was one of the most notorious pirates for his lust for gold and in as far as his achievements he was one the most successful pirates that plied the Caribbean. Morgan took many Spanish ships and sacked many Spanish settlements.  Morgan would often swindle his crew and took the lion’s share of the following prizes:

Sacking of Panama:                $1500,000

Sacking of Porto Bello:               800,000

Sacking of Puerto Del Principe:  700,000

Maracaibo and Gibraltar:            400,000

Various Piracies:                         250,000

Morgan knighted by King Charles II, retired to Jamaica, and was appointed the Governor of Jamaica. Although Morgan gave up piracy, he wasn’t able to give up his old ways of hard drinking. Drinking, not piracy, would eventually take him.

The Book of Pirates by Howard Pyle, & Under the Black Flag, David Cordingly

Lesser Known Pirates of the Caribbean

Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates

I am sure that you have heard of the pirates Captain Kidd and Morgan, but there were many other notorious and blood thirsty pirates before and after the former who made a name for themselves.

Pirate	Nationality	Claim to Fame
Pierre Francois	French	With 26 men, attacked the vice admiral, a ship armed with 8 guns, off the coast of South America. Although the ship was manned with threescore men, Pierre Francois captured the ship and would have would gotten away if only their main-mast had not went by the board.
Bartholomew Portuguese	Portuguese	With a boat manned with thirty fellow adventures fell upon a Spanish ship off of Cape Corrientes which was manned with threescore and ten men (70) and took the ship only to lose it and recapture the same ship.
Roch Brazliano	Dutch	Upon his very first adventure Roch captured a Spanish ship of fabulous value.
Lewis Scott	English	With a large and powerful detachment of men sacked Campeche.
Mansvelt		Made a decent on Saint Catherine, sacked it and made it his base of operations. He made two unsuccessful attempts at attacking Granada and Cartagena.
John Davis	Jamaican	With four-score of men he swooped down on the city of Nicaragua in the darkness of night and pillaged churches and homes, “without and respect or veneration”. With only a handful of men they carried away money and jewels to the value of fifty thousand pieces of eight, besides the dozen or so notable citizens, whom they held for ransom.
Francois l’Olonoise	French	Sacked the city of Maracaibo and the town of Gibraltar.

Pirates of the Spanish Main Card Game Summary of Play

I took a screenshot of this summary of play for the POTSM card game some time ago and thought I would upload the screenshot before I forget about it again.

Pirates of the Spanish Main Card Game Movement Cards

There are 24 movement cards included in the Pirates of the Spanish Main card game and include 8 different scenarios.

Full Speed Ahead! (2)

The player chooses any ship and moves it 6 spaces forward.

Lost at Sea (3)

The player chooses any ship and move it 6 spaces backward

Temporary Alliance (4)

The player chooses any 2 adjacent ship cards and moves them both 3 spaces forward. These ships move as one unit.

Caught in a Rip (3)

The player chooses 2 adjacent ships and moves them both 3 spaces backward. These ships move as one unit.

English/Spanish/Dutch Advance (1 each)

The player moves all 3 ships with English/Spanish/Dutch flag 2 spaces forward in a row. The ships are moved 1 at a time starting with the ship furthest forward and moving back.

English/Spanish/Dutch Retreat (1 each)

The player moves all 3 ships with English/Spanish/Dutch flag 2 spaces backward in a row. The ships are moved 1 at a time starting with the ship furthest back and moving forward.

Sabotage! (5)

The player chooses any 1 undamaged ships card, and flips it to its damaged side.

There Be Fog Ahead! (1)

If this card is played, the current adventure card in not executed at the end of the players turn; the adventure card is simply discarded, and the players turn is over.

The Kraken Adventure Card

With its large and powerful tentacles it can crush smaller craft and easily capsize a ship. Any men who might fall overboard are fair game for the mighty Kraken.

There are two Kraken adventure cards included in the Pirates of the Spanish Main card game.

Cards for the Pirates of the Spanish Main Card Game

All together there are 110 cards included with this game. The major card types are displayed below with a short description:

58 Adventure Cards

Adventure cards describe some situation that the player is confronted with and lists any fame that may have been obtained from this situation. An adventure card is picked after the player chooses an action to perform on their turn. Adventure cards also assign "fame" to a ship. 

9 Ship Cards

The nine cards are laid out in what is referred to as “ship-row”.

9 Pirate Cards

Depending on the number of players each player is dealt a number of pirate cards. These cards are kept hidden from the other players.

24 Movement Cards

Movement cards indicate how a ship or ships are to move through “ship-row”.

Previous Post on this Topic

NECA/WizKids Pirates of the Spanish Main Card Game

The Spanish Main Card Game contains a total of 110 cards and includes the following types of cards: 58 Adventure, 9 ship, 9 Pirate, 24 Movement, and 9 cargo hold cards. Like the art on Pirates of the Spanish Main ship game cards the art one these cards is beautiful. These cards are about the size of a credit card.

The games cards will need to be set up before you  play, depicted by a diagram included in the eight paneled rules pamphlet. The game is for 2 to 4 players and reportedly takes up to thirty minutes to play.

Playing the game requires that a player performs one of the following actions:

1. Play a Movement Card
2. Repair Ships
3. Accuse a Player
4. Pass

After performing one of the actions the player executes the active adventure card. Each of the 58 adventure cards includes a description of the adventure and the number of fame points a ship earns.

The 58 adventure cards are of the following categories:

Ancient Relics (2)

Native Alliance (2)

Island Discovery (2)

Parley (2)

Neptune’s Favor (4)

Treasure Map (6)

Legendary Treasure (2)

Mermaids (4)

Secret Charts (3)

Cursed Treasure (2)

Storm Ahead (2)

Maelstrom (5)

Ghost Ship (2)

Volcano (2)

Kraken (2)

Cursed Waters (2)

Cursed Ship (1)

Mutiny (1)

English/Spanish/Dutch Attack (2)

English/Spanish/Dutch Loot (2)

The End to the Notorious Black Pearl

"Such was the end of the Black Pearl!  She had been a floating den of vice, murder, and every conceivable form of infamy, and now her lawless and adventurous career had terminated in her becoming a target for the guns of her avengers. Her career of murder and terror and destruction was ended at last, and the evil spirit of those seas was laid...

A few seconds later her stern was seen to lift high and her bows to point downward; steeper and steeper became the angle of her decks and then, with a slow forward movement that quickly became a diving rush, she plunged to the bottom, vanishing from their sight in a whirl and froth of water."

 Across the Spanish Main, Chapter 14, Harry Collingwood

Two Other Novels from Harry Collingwood

While researching other works that dealt with airships these two titles by Collingwood caught my eye; they look good swashbucklers:

The Missing Merchantman
Across the Spanish Main

Odds and Ends #6-Pirates of the Spanish Main

How to Talk Like a Pirate

The “How to Talk Like a Pirate from Sea Life - Guide for Pirates & Sailors (Pirate Dictionary, Ship Terminology, Sea Monsters, Crewmates)”, page has a list of pirate lingo that will have you speaking like a pirate in no time.

Pirates of the Spanish Main Comics

The site offers many old comics and it is a shame that the author did not continue to make posts. There is a series of comic books, which are titled Spanish Main Pirates that can be found here. If you scroll down a bit you will find a continuation of this comic series and also two other comics with different titles that have been labeled pirate.

Reefs, Wrecks, and Rascals-The Pirate Legacy of the Spanish Main

The Miami Dade public library has several pages dealing with Pirates of the Spanish Main. The Lore and Legend: Visions of the Past page features summaries on several texts dealing with Pirates of the Spanish Main. Texts include poems, books, and pamphlets and other manuscripts.

Pirates of the …, Nations and New Game Features

I have eluded to some of the nation’s or factions participating in this constructible strategy game, but wanted to detail the nations or factions  participating in this game for the four editions I process materials for.  

Pirates at Oceans Edges (Tenth Edition), was released in 2007.

Nations & Factions: America, England, France, Pirates, Spain, Mercenary

New Game Features: Catamaran, Sea Dragon, Titan, and Windcatcher are new keywords

Whirlpools are a new terrain type

Pirates of Mysterious Islands (Eighth Edition), was released in 2006.

Nations & Factions: America, Cursed, England, France, Pirates, Spain

New Game Features: Ex-patriot, Mercenary, and Submarine are new keywords

Mysterious Islands were introduced

Pirates of Davey Jones Curse (Seventh Edition), was released in 2006.

Nations & Factions: America, England, France, Pirates, Spain, Barbary Corsair, Jade Rebellion, Cursed

New Game Features: Black Mark and Sea Monsters are new keywords

Pirates of the Spanish Main (First Edition) was released in 2004.

Odds and Ends 3-Compass

This is another installment of Odds and Ends. This is where I mention several links on various topics. In this case they are all related to a compass.

Jack Sparrow's Compass

Jack Sparrow, the captain of the Black Pearl, compass never really seems to point at anything. “Although it appears to be useless (the needle never points north) Jack's compass has supernatural qualities thereby giving him a special edge.” The Disney Wiki gives us this information about Captain’s Jacks compass and more. His compass is one very singular compass, as it will point at whatever Jack wants.

Paper Craft Compass

A very fine replica of Captains Jacks compass made of paper can be downloaded from the Disney Experience site. The compass is a very fine looking model and measures High: 1.8, Wide: 3.5, and has a Depth of: 4.75".

Binnacle

Included in a set alternate rules (PDF) for the Pirates of Spanish Main game is a compass that can be printed, assembled, and used to monitor current wind speed and direction when working these factors into the game.

Dozens of Resources for the Pirates of the Spanish Main and other Versions of this Pirate Game

The Board Game Geek has seven pages of what amounts to dozens of resources, including alternative scenarios, and rules, reference and tracking sheets, wind and compass add-on's, cannon range finders, check lists, and guides, ship and crew cards, keyword lists, ETC.

There so many resources here that will make your game, regardless of what version you are playing, more challenging and interesting.

Vintage Card Reference-Pirates of the Spanish Main Check List

Vintage Card Reference features an interesting page entitled: “Allen & Ginter Pirates of the Spanish Main Checklist”. The article describes a set of 50 collectable pirates’ cards that have become even more of a collector’s item, having been published back in 1888. I thought the article warranted a mention and have added the link to my Pirates of the Spanish Main label. Each card is numbered and has a picture of a pirate and a brief biography of the pirate on the back of the card.

Pirates of Mysterious Islands Situation Cards, Version 1

I have often thought how I could make Pirates of Mysterious Islands more challenging and came up with the idea of creating situation cards. There are, if you remember three unique actions, a move, shoot, and explore actions.

I created situation actions for explore, and move actions. There are thirteen actions each, for the explore and move actions. I will divide the cards up into red and black desks and tie each situation to numbered card. Ace through 10, the Jack card is 11, the Queen is 12, and so on

There good and bad situation cards for each action. Some situations require a roll of a die or point to the rules for certain game pieces. The cards will be read at the beginning of your turn for these actions and the situations implemented during that action.

Explore Action

1. You meet the inhabitants of the island and they are die hard cannibals. You lose one crewmember. Burp!
2. You search is in vain and you find no treasure on this island.
3. You can dock and explore as a free action.
4. The inhabitants of this island attack your ship and you are unable to explore for treasure on this turn. If you should decide to stay roll die on your next turn. If you roll a four or six you your crew triumphs over the inhabitants, you can now explore the island. If you roll anything else you lose a crewmember to the fighting, but you still can explore and pick-up treasure.
5. There are several crewmembers that have come down with the scurvy; you must stay on this island for another turn in order to nurse your crew back to health.
6. You have fine weather upon arrival, but a storm keeps you from departing until your second turn on this island.
7. You and your crew have no problems. Explore as you would normally.
8. You may choose as many treasure pieces as your ships capacity will allow you. (Turn over twice your ships capacity in gold pieces and choose the highest rated pieces).
9. No impediments here
10. This island has the necessary materials for repairs; you may repair one mast per turn on this island.
11. Upon approaching the island you accidently run aground. Roll a die, if you roll a 3 your ship wrecked and you and your crew are marooned on this island. Anything other than a 3, you sustain some damage (remove a mast), but your ship is still operational.
12. It takes you two full explore actions to discover treasure
13. You can dock and explore as a free action.

Move Action

1. You enter a fog bank. Follow the fog bank rules for your next action
2. You crew mutinies-do a 180’ turn.
3. You are driving into the wind you lose half your default movement
4. You have favorable winds and seas add a Short to your default movement
5. You encounter a strong storm you make no headway at all (do not make your basic movements)
6. Lightning strikes and splinters one of your masts (remove a mast)
7. Because of a storm you find that your drinking water has been contaminated. Travel back to the last island you visited and refill your water barrels.
8. You encounter a sea monster, roll a die and follow the rules for this monster to see what the outcome is.
9. One of your crew hooks a large sea creature while fishing, add a Long to your basic movement
10. One of your crew hooks a large sea creature while fishing, the creature takes you back the way you came. Do a 180’.
11. You are becalmed. You movement is reduced by half.
12. The captain becomes delirious and has the ship going in circles. Turn your ship 180’.
13. You have favorable winds and seas add a Short and a Long to your default movement.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Mischief and Danger that Threatens Kingdoms

For those you might want to immerse themselves in pirate myths and lore before playing the likes of Pirates of the Spanish Main or some other Whizkids pirate variant, The Pirates of the Caribbean: Mischief and Danger that Threatens Kingdoms site offers pages on the history of piracy, pirate specifics (Piece of Eight, Doubloons and the Jolly Rodger), tools of the trade (A Pirate Arsenal-Weapons-Ships), and a reference section.

There is a wealth of information here on all sorts of pirate myths and lore. The site is definitely worth a visit or two and will get you in the mood for some pirate related mischief. Arrr!

My Pirates of Mysterious Island Crew Members

The following crew attributes are from Whizkids crew cards. Typically each pack contains at least two and sometimes three crewmembers. Out of the seven packs of the pirates game that I have purchased I have collected sixteen crewmembers. The crewmembers listed are from three different versions, and from six different nations.

Flag	Crew Type	Points	Linked To	Attributes
American	Cannoneer	2		Once per turn, one of this ships cannon’s may shoot again if it misses.
Cursed	Firepot Specialist	2		Once per turn this ship, given a shoot action may shoot a firepot at a target within a Short of her. You must declare which cannon is being used for this purpose before rolling a die. If it hits the controller of the stricken ship replaces one of her masts with a fire mast. Thereafter, at the beginning of every turn they must roll a die. If they roll a 6, they remove the fire mast, but upon rolling a 1-3, another fire mast is added. This continues until all her masts are fire masts, at which time the ship must be scuttled. Upon reaching her home island or a fort she may remove all the fire masts as a free action.
Cursed	Firepot Specialist	3		Once per turn this ship, given a shoot action may shoot a firepot at a target within a Short of her. You must declare which cannon is being used for this purpose before rolling a die. The target need not be another ship. Simply place the center of a fog bank within a SHORT of her. The fog bank cannot touch an island or any ship that is docked at a island. Remove the fog bank at the beginning or your next turn.
England	Explorer	1		This ship may dock and explore a wild island using the same move action.
England	Carbon Charlie Known to most as Charles Southwyn. Carbon Charlie makes some of the finest firearms in the world.	3	Powder Pete When Powder Pete and Carbon Charlie are serving on the same ship the ship gets a +1 cargo space	When this ship is docked at your home island, you may eliminate one treasure. The treasure becomes a #3-Long cannon that can be eliminated only when the ship sinks.
England	Commander Spencer Portland	7		Once per turn, before giving this ship a action roll one die. On a 5 or a 6 this ship may be given the same action twice. This ship’s crew cannot be eliminated, except if the ship sinks.
France	Jean Desailly	6	Le Rich Give this ship a move action, but do not move her, instead roll a die. If the result is a 5 or 6 move an enemy ship on LONG in any direction.	Black Mark. (The black mark indicates that the crew member belongs to the cursed nation, instead of the nation of their origin.)
Mercenary	Oarsman	1		If derelict, this ship gains a base move of a Short. This crew-member does not take-up a cargo space.
Mercenary	Nikos Chelios	5	Fathom	Ex-patriot. Once per turn this ship may take two treasure pieces from any ship she touches.
Pirate	Shipwright	2		This ship may repair at sea or at any island.
Pirate	Firepot Specialist	2		Once per turn this ship, given a shoot action may shoot a firepot at a target within a Short of her. You must declare which cannon is being used for this purpose before rolling a die. If it hits the controller of the stricken ship replaces one of her masts with a fire mast. Thereafter, at the beginning of every turn they must roll a die. If they roll a 6, they remove the fire mast, but upon rolling a 1-3, another fire mast is added. This continues until all her masts are fire masts, at which time the ship must be scuttled. Upon reaching her home island or a fort she may remove all the fire masts as a free action.
Spain	Biancos Haulers	3	Master  Bianco When  Biancos Haulers and the Master  Bianco are on the same ship, the ship gets +1 cargo space	This ship may unload cargo at your home island is she is within a Short of it.
Spain	Musketeer	3		This ships gains one #3 Long cannon. The cannon cannot have its cannon range increased. It can shoot from any mast, even an eliminated mast.
Spain	Fernando Sanchez	5	Nemesion Diaz When Fernando Sanchez and Nemesion Diaz are on the same ship the ship gets +1 cargo spaces.	This ship may dock at an enemy’s home island and load one treasure, if she is able. The ship must leave on your next turn.
Spain	Oarsman	1		If derelict, this ship gains a base move of a Short. This crew-member does not take-up a cargo space.
Spain	Oarsman	1		If derelict, this ship gains a base move of a Short. This crew-member does not take-up a cargo space.
		16

Pirates of the …Ships-Getting them Built

I have found a method of prepping the slot that receives the sail tabs. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this sooner. Before attempting to insert the tabs into their slots, I take a small file and carefully clean and ever so slightly enlarge these slots. Since I have started to perform this operation I have not broken another sail tab.

Some of the tabs seem a bit too short and there isn’t enough of the tab inserted in the slot to hold the mast securely. In this case I put a drop of cyanoacrylate glue on the bottom of the piece that received the tabs. Cyanoacrylate can also be used to tabs that might have gotten a bit too much pressure inserting them into their slots. This can be avoided by using my fist method filing.

Basic Play for Pirates of the…Constructible Game

Once per turn a player can perform one of these actions:

Move Action

Each ship can move a predetermined distance as her indicated base moves. The base moves are based on a Short, a Long, or a combination of both of these movements.

Explore Action

Once you are docked at a wild island (one that is not a “Home” Island) you may explore the island for gold.

Shoot Action

In attempt to sink a ship, you may, when within cannon range, fire your cannon(s) at the ship.

Repair Action

When docked on your Home Island you may, once per turn, repair one mast.

NOTE: A ships actions may be altered by the ships or her crew’s special abilities.