You don't need to be a sea captain to write a swashbuckler. If you're struggling for pirate terms to add to your story, check out this handy little vocab guide.
Aground
When the boat touches the sea bottom, usually unintentionally
Anchorage
A suitable place for a ship to anchor (e.g. port or harbour)
Articles
Contract signed by pirates when joining a ship
Beaching
Deliberately running a vessel aground (e.g. to load/unload)
Becalmed
When your ship can’t move due to lack of wind
Black Squall
Sudden wind with lightning
Careen
Barnacles and plants stuck to the bottom would make a ship slower. Careening is when you take your ship to shallower waters (or out of the water) to clean these off.
Cut and Run
Cutting lashings to sails or cables for anchors so you can make a speedy escape
Furl
Roll up and secure the sails
Haul wind
To direct a ship into the wind
Long clothes
Clothes better suited to land
Marooned
To be stranded on a desert isle.
Quarter (“give no quarter”)
Quarter is given when mercy is offered by pirates (e.g. to the honourable loser of a fight)
Run a rig
To play a trick
Take a caulk
To nap on deck
