One of the first things you learn if you want to be a pirate, is how to steal a ship. You need to eye what’s available, check out her lines, figure what kind of control you can expect from her, keeping in mind the targets you’ll be going for, and then come up with a cunning audacious plan to seize her and take her to sea.
For those folks looking for a good many-masted vessel to go on the account with, you’re in luck: Operation Sail is coming to New York this year, in memory of the War of 1812, the last war the US was in where sail was the principal means of engaging at sea. There is an impressive list of ladies coming into port here from May 23rd through the 30th, including the Cisne Branco, the Gloria, and the always-impressive USCGC Eagle. Any of these fine ladies could make an old-fashioned pirate proud.
Just a word of warning, though: There’s no obvious mention in these of any other vessels accompanying them, which is understandable for this year’s Fleet Week to honor such guests, but they do mention in passing that the USS Wasp will be in port over the weekend, and in a toe-to-toe fight even the best pirates might be hard pressed against a carrier with a compliment of Marines…
Fleet Week New York
May 23rd through 30th, 2012
http://www.fleetweeknewyork.com/
James Ryan 
