There's few better ways to distract Jack than to ask him questions about himself or his interests; the bird has nestled quite happily -- and nearly forgotten -- on his shoulder, lightly clenching its talons against the pirate's shoulder and balancing its body with each step.
"Aye, mostly it depends on the size of the ship, the gunnery loaded onto it, and the haul packed in its hold. If a man were inclined more towards speed, he'd p'rhaps forgo a couple cannons or trade them in for lighter ones. 'Course, that'd leave the ship open to more unsavory and dangerous encounters out on the sea, but that's a risk you'd have to be willing to take in return."
Jack had come across that issue when he'd sailed for Beckett, and had needed to convince the EITC Director that it'd be wiser to load the Pearl -- or the Wicked Wench, as it'd been called at the time -- with more (and heavier) guns to protect against the pirates that preyed the open water. He'd been right to do so, too, because they'd been attacked on the very same voyage.
"The Pearl? She was originally destined to be a merchant ship, meant solely to haul cargo. And most times we had cargo aboard to sell off, once we'd made port. But she was light an' swift for a ship her size -- " Unusual for most pirate ships in his day, as most pirate crews favored smaller ships. " -- which made it easier to catch up or run off, if the situation called for it. I'd use that to me advantage, most times, and preferred finding ways to outsmart the other ship." He adds a light grin. It's unspoken, but Jack's clearly proud of his ability to outwit his opponents.
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"Aye, mostly it depends on the size of the ship, the gunnery loaded onto it, and the haul packed in its hold. If a man were inclined more towards speed, he'd p'rhaps forgo a couple cannons or trade them in for lighter ones. 'Course, that'd leave the ship open to more unsavory and dangerous encounters out on the sea, but that's a risk you'd have to be willing to take in return."
Jack had come across that issue when he'd sailed for Beckett, and had needed to convince the EITC Director that it'd be wiser to load the Pearl -- or the Wicked Wench, as it'd been called at the time -- with more (and heavier) guns to protect against the pirates that preyed the open water. He'd been right to do so, too, because they'd been attacked on the very same voyage.
"The Pearl? She was originally destined to be a merchant ship, meant solely to haul cargo. And most times we had cargo aboard to sell off, once we'd made port. But she was light an' swift for a ship her size -- " Unusual for most pirate ships in his day, as most pirate crews favored smaller ships. " -- which made it easier to catch up or run off, if the situation called for it. I'd use that to me advantage, most times, and preferred finding ways to outsmart the other ship." He adds a light grin. It's unspoken, but Jack's clearly proud of his ability to outwit his opponents.