A flute.
- "Instead of sending that flute we'll be boarding today to the sea bottom, I could merely capture her, and give her to you, mon ami, to captain for me. Admittedly, she's a bit unwieldy and slow, but one must start somewhere. What say you, Jacques?"
- ―Christophe-Julien de Rapièr to Jack Sparrow
A flute, also known as fluyt and fleut, was a type of Dutch sailing vessel originally designed as a dedicated cargo vessel. Originating from the Netherlands in the 16th century, the vessel was designed to facilitate transoceanic delivery with the maximum of space and crew efficiency. The inexpensive ship — which could be built in large numbers — usually carried 12 to 15 cannons, but was still an easy target for pirates. Nonetheless, the flute was a significant factor in the 17th century rise of the Dutch seaborne empire.
History[]
- "I took a very nice schooner that was carrying fabric bound for Charleston, and then a flute loaded with tea and spices."
- ―Esmeralda to Jack Sparrow
By the early 1710s, flutes were common ships in the Caribbean waters. When the rogue pirate Christophe-Julien de Rapièr escaped from Shipwreck Island, he and his crew attacked and captured a Dutch flute. When the pirates looted her, they slaughtered the crew and left the ship to sink. Five years later, the Pirate Lord Esmeralda captured a flute loaded with tea and spices in the waters of the Bahamas. After the battle of Calypso's maelstrom some pirates used flutes in their continued war against the East India Trading Company.[1]
Behind the scenes[]
- The look of the Flying Dutchman was partially inspired by old Dutch "fluyts"—17th-century vessels which resembled galleons—and more specifically, the Vasa, a massive Swedish warship which sank in Stockholm's harbor upon its maiden voyage in 1628 (the ship was salvaged in 1961 and housed in a special museum in the Swedish capital). With its high, heavily ornamented stern, the ship provided a rich foundation for Rick Heinrichs' wilder and more fantastical designs.[2][3]
Appearances[]
- Pirates of the Caribbean (game) (First appearance)
- The Price of Freedom
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Isles of War
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Tides of War
