On Watch has the unenviable job each week of scanning the global media for stories that tie the wider world and shipping together.
This week, Live Science website sought to breathe new life into the old war stories of the pirate Blackbeard, whom Wikipedia dubs history’s most notorious.
The premise of the story is that new scientific evidence published by the International Journal of Nautical Archeology indicates that Blackbeard had in fact grounded his flagship vessel – the former slave ship Queen Anne’s Revenge – himself.
And that it had been in a pretty shoddy condition at the time.
According to Live Science, historians had long wondered whether Blackbeard in 1718 had ditched the vessel on purpose or merely misjudged the depth of a sandbar when making a speedy getaway after lifting a blockade on the port of Charles Town, South Carolina, in the US.
Thankfully, those concerned historians can now sleep soundly. But why should this be of interest to TradeWinds’ readers? No marine insurers appeared linked to the wreck and no court case is pending.
Well, such articles do highlight the need for intelligent and insightful coverage of piracy, the motives of those involved and how shipping can best protect itself.
The reality is that piracy from Blackbeard’s time forward is often a product of geopolitics, trade wars and international conflict.
The buccaneering period between 1650 and 1680 was characterised by Anglo-French seamen attacking Spanish colonies and shipping.
The Pirate Round period of the 1690s was associated with long-distance voyages from the Americas to rob Muslim and East India Company targets in the Indian Ocean and Red Sea.
While the post-Spanish Succession period between 1716 and 1726 saw Anglo-American sailors and privateers left unemployed by the end of the War of the Spanish Succession and turn to piracy en masse.
This week, Bermuda-based insurer Shoreline outlined to TradeWinds new cover to mitigate 26 fresh and growing threats to shipping arising from the current political instability worldwide and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
So, for a dose of reality, On Watch suggests readers maintain their TradeWinds’ subscriptions to stay up to date the latest news on piracy and the underlying drivers.
