Merchant vessel

The Edinburgh Trader was an 18th century British merchant cargo ship.

"Just look at her, Gibbs! A fine, fat merchant ship just begging to be plundered by the dreaded pirate crew of the Black Pearl!"

―Jack Sparrow to Joshamee Gibbs

A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman was a classification describing a ship that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to naval ships, which are used for military purposes. During wars, merchant ships may be used as auxiliaries to the navies of their respective countries, and are called upon to deliver military personnel and materiel.

History

"I left to make my fortune on a merchant ship, but we were attacked by Spanish pirates not far from here, and they stole the ship. I've been stranded on Tortuga ever since."

―Billy Turner to Jack Sparrow

Merchant vessels were common in the Caribbean in the late 17th to mid 18th centuries. They were built in the same style as frigates and other military ships, but were stubbier, were more lightly armed, and had much larger holds for cargo. Merchantmen were generally used in trading ventures throughout the Caribbean Sea and South Archipelago.

In the eighteenth century, bands of pirates roamed the Caribbean, plundering merchant ships, seizing tremendous fortunes from their fearful prey, then scampered to refuge in the coves and inlets of uncharted islands. If merchant ships on the high seas were scarce, the pirates turned their guns on the forts of seacoast towns in the West Indies. In Dead Man's Cove, brimming chests, cached in hidden caves, spill their sparkling treasure taken from merchant ships by the lusty buccaneers.

Raleigh Beckett began his rise to wealth as a cabin boy on a trading vessel. By the time he died, he had acquired a fleet of ships, and sired three strong sons to inherit and expand the business.

The East India Trading Company used merchantmen known as East Indiamen (named so for the company itself) for trade and commerce, but not for battle. Most Indiamen relied on armed escorts for protection.

Many merchantmen were unlicensed, and therefore did not carry obligations for special protection from naval ships.

Following the escape of Jack Sparrow's crew from the prison in Marseille, the pirates rushed to the harbour, only to discover their ship, the Black Pearl, wasn't there anymore. Quickly deciding to "borrow" one of the docked ships, the first ship they saw was a plain merchant vessel with no cannons. Jack immediately decided the ship was too boring for him.

Notable merchant ships

• Wicked Wench
• Princess
• Edinburgh Trader
• Hawk's ship
• Unnamed merchant ship
• Molly Dover
• Fair Wind

Behind the scenes

• The terms "merchant ships" was first mentioned in the 1966 soundtrack for Walt Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean, with "merchantman" first used in the souvenir book. They make their first appearance in various media relating to the 2003 film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, beginning with the merchant ships in the video game adaptation, and "merchant vessels" first being identified in the film. The name "trading vessel" first appeared in the novel The Price of Freedom.
• While it wasn't clarified in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, it is possible that the scuttled ship was a merchant vessel. This is due to the scenes being shot after the Kraken's attack on the Edinburgh Trader was shot, after which the prop ship was reused for the scuttled ship.
• In Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio's original script draft for At World's End, after the escape of the Black Pearl from Davy Jones' Locker the Flying Dutchman attacked and captured a Portuguese merchant ship. Although Mercer wanted to scuttle the ship, because she suffered a fair amount of damage, Norrington ordered him to assign enough men to sail her, starve the crew, and then conscript them into the East India Trading Company Armada.

Appearances

• Jack Sparrow: The Coming Storm (Mentioned only)
• The Price of Freedom (First identified as trading vessel)
• Legends of the Brethren Court: The Caribbean (Mentioned only)
• Legends of the Brethren Court: Rising in the East (Mentioned only)
• Legends of the Brethren Court: Day of the Shadow
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (First identified as merchant vessel)
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (video game) (First appearance)
• Chain Reaction!
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales: The Brightest Star in the North: The Adventures of Carina Smyth

Sources

• Walt Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: The Sound Track of the Fabulous Adventure (First mentioned) (First identified as merchant ships)
• Walt Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: The Story of the Robust Adventure in Disneyland and Walt Disney World (First identified as merchantman)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Visual Guide
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Complete Visual Guide

External links

• Merchant ship on Wikipedia