Every era had some or other uniqueness,couple of hundred years ago these people made their mark:
In order to help their eyes adjust more quickly between the bright ship deck and the dark belowdecks, pirates would patch one eye so it was always adjusted for the darkness
Battling pirates surely lost limbs from time to time and some of them would have replaced their absent appendages with a hook or a wooden peg (Like Prem Chopra in Kranti)
Pirates had a sophisticated mail system and a retirement plan.They had a mail system of sorts (ships ferrying letters back and forth) that enabled them to communicate with relatives, and even a commuter service to take 'retiring' pirates from their famous haunts in Madagascar to more mundane lives in America
Usually referred to as the "Golden Age of Piracy," the period between 1650 and 1720 is when these seafaring lawbreakers saw the height of their fame
Pirates may have been searching for gold, silver, jewels, and rum while plundering ships, but they were also on the lookout for something that was just as valuable: maps. For instance, one particular stolen Spanish atlas from 1680 as "extremely valuable pirate booty" that "overjoyed" pirates when they seized it, according to their detailed journals.The manuscript was filled with precious navigational information including maps, charts, and descriptions of different places. It was so valuable that pirate Bartholomew Sharpe printed a colorful English version of it and presented it to the king of England—a gift that may have saved him from execution.
Pirates didn't have refrigerators on their ships, and so they needed a special menu suitable for life at sea. That means that they brought food onboard that wouldn't rot right away and relied on cured meats and fermented vegetables. They also kept animals that could provide the crew with milk, eggs, and, ultimately, fresh meat.
Many a times, Captains were elected by popular vote and could be removed if their performances fell short.
While pirates are known for being a raucous bunch, they did follow a strict set of rules—namely, the pirate code. While the exact details of the pirate code varied from ship to ship, most included an outline for disciplinary practices and how they would divide their stolen goods. The lights and candles were to be put out at eight o'clock at night; if any of the crew, after that hour still remained inclined for something, they were to do it on the open deck
Pirates often spent months and even years at sea with only occasional stops at ports that offered entertainment. But the sailors still needed to keep themselves occupied on their ships, which is why they often had bands onboard to play shanties and perform theater.
Pirates had their own unique—and totally terrifying—flags.Black Bart had himself holding an hourglass with the devil. Captain Low had a blood-red skeleton standing at the ready. And Christopher Moody's flag was so colorful, it became known as the bloody red.As pirates would approach enemy ships, they would wave a friendly flag. At the last minute, they would pull up the Jolly Roger, a sign that they were ready to attack.
While you might assume that the illegal activity pirates engaged in hurt the economies around them, it was actually the opposite
Pirates would spend the gains from their various plunders at the ports each time they docked, meaning those towns would benefit in the same way that cruise port towns today benefit from visitors' cash flow. Piracy offered opportunities for poor men who otherwise might not have had employment.
Some pirates were respected members of their communities.Captain Kidd, who helped found Trinity Episcopal Church and even paid for a family pew (though there is no record that he actually used it), were fairly prominent members of Colonial society."
Many of them were family men. When the famous Captain Kidd was sentenced to be hanged for his piracy-related crimes, he "told those around him to send his love to his wife and daughters. He said his greatest regret was the thought of his wife's sorrow at his shameful death.'"
They would maroon troublesome crewmembers on a deserted island. If someone onboard was causing issues, they would be deposited on an uninhabited island and left to die, They would often be given a gun with a single shot so that they could end things quickly.
Some plunders were more successful than others—that includes one score by Captain Henry Avery and his crew, who once made off with a haul of money, jewels, gold, silver, and ivory that would be worth more than $200 million today
Black Sam Bellamy might have been a pirate, but he was considered the "Robin Hood of the Sea."Black Sam Bellamy became the wealthiest pirate in history not because of greed but because of anger—anger at the English system that exploited poor country boys and sailors like him.Along with his crew being a democracy and there being no record of the pirate ever killing a captive, "in a famous speech attributed to Bellamy, he scorned the wealthy merchants he plundered: 'They rob the poor under the cover of law, forsooth, and we plunder the rich under the protection of our own courage.'"
A life can take any path,can do any course correction at any moment starting from the moment it is conceived in the womb.
The position and control of the "Captain of the Ship" dawns on a person only when the path selection/course correction gets done with the individual having nothing to do with the steering wheel/ignition.
Three hundreds years down the line many things of today's world may appear as weird as Sea pirates are appearing to us now.
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