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 On her maiden voyage, the Whydah delivered 312 African captives to the slave markets in Jamaica. Emptied of her human cargo but flush with the profits of her trade, the ship made her way back out through the Caribbean.
As she prepared to cross the Atlantic on her return trip to England, the Whydah headed toward the Bahamas. Pirate Captain Sam Bellamy (nicknamed "Black Bellamy") caught sight of her in the distance, and set sail, chasing her relentlessly for three days.
Exchanging Ships
Once Bellamy and his fleet grew closer, Lawrence Prince, captain of the Whydah, put up little opposition. Most crews and captains—who weren't paid enough to risk their lives for someone else's ship—chose surrender over violence when confronted by pirates.
After the Whydah's capture, Bellamy and his crew spent days transferring their booty from the lead ship in their flotilla, the Sultana, to the faster Whydah. Bellamy then gave Prince's crew the option of joining the pirates. A dozen did so. The rest chose to stay with Prince and were set loose with him on the Sultana.
From Slave Ship to Pirate Ship
Slave ships were an ideal prize for pirates seeking more speed and firepower. Already fast, the Whydah underwent further streamlining in the hands of Bellamy's crew. They cleared the top deck of the pilot's cabin, removed the slave barricade, and got rid of other features that made her top heavy.
Bellamy and his crew also increased the Whydah's already substantial arsenal by mounting an additional ten cannon alongside the original 18 and stowing another two dozen in her hold. With these modifications, the Whydah became the star of Bellamy's pirate flotilla.
Continue through The Pirate Ship Whydah: Bellamy's Brotherhood. >>
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