Pirate Rules of Conduct or Dog Training 101

Photo: Carolyn Tillery

It’s summer, my favorite time to spend with my adored 1800s boy band leader, the handsome rogue Jean Lafitte. While many pirates are depicted as crude, dirty, and drunk, Captain Lafitte was well-dressed, fluent in four languages, and a shrewd businessman who fancied himself a gentleman. Women, well, they just fancied him.

Although he spent the earlier part of his career making a name for himself in New Orleans and distinguishing himself as the King of Barataria and America’s hero in the War of 1812, my relationship with the pirate—or privateer, as he preferred—stems from his time in Galveston. It was on my beloved island that the captain acquired his infamous Campeche Hell Dogs—clearly a man after my heart.

These rockstars were basically the Cesar Millan’s of the open seas.

Anyone who’s ever trained large dogs, even a dozen mythical ones, knows rules and discipline are required, as well as fairness and compassion. History tells us, this is pretty much how pirate captains kept their crews in line. These rockstars were basically the Cesar Millan’s of the open seas.

Here is a sampling of the Rules of Conduct that pirate crews had to adhere to strictly.

1. Everyone had to obey the captain’s commands. Okay, that one’s kind of a given.

2. Everyone received a share of any treasure, but for every piece of gold a member of the crew was given, the captain got one and a half. It was his ship, after all, and sails were expensive.

3. If anyone stole or gambled, they would be marooned, with only a bottle of rum and a pistol. Some captains, such as Bartholomew Roberts (Black Bart), sometimes ordered the condemned’s nose and ears slit. If he somehow survived being dumped on a deserted island with no fresh water, they were forever marked as a thief or a gambler.

4. For minor infractions, a crew member could be clapped in irons for a specified period. Dinner was likely negligible.

5. Fighting each other was not allowed—they saved that aggression for their targeted ships. Anyone who struck another crew member received 39 lashes with a cat-o’-nine-tails, also known as a cat. It was believed that 39 was the maximum number of strikes a man could survive; some did, while others didn’t. Gangrene could be a deadly byproduct of the beating. This whip was where the terms “let the cat out of the bag” and “space not big enough to swing a cat” came from.

6. Anyone who raised their weapon when not in battle, or left a lighted candle unguarded, well, let’s just say, they “let the cat out of the bag.” Yeah, fire safety would have been paramount at sea.

7. Anyone who didn’t keep their pistols or cutlass clean, or in any other way was not ready for action, not only didn’t get paid, but they also suffered whatever further punishment the captain and crew together deemed appropriate. Good luck with that one.

8. Good behavior was expected while ashore as well. If a pirate was guilty of rape, the captain could order him marooned or executed. I'm good with that.

9. Pirates were a fighting force that had to be fit for duty, and that meant getting enough rest. Many captains insisted on a lights-out curfew. With no iPhones or Wi-Fi, and many likely unable to read, this probably wasn’t a significant issue.

10. Absolutely no women were allowed onboard. Women were banned for obvious reasons, and some believed they brought bad luck—probably due to the aforementioned obvious reasons.

11. Desertion customarily ended in marooning or execution. Honestly, what did they expect would happen?

While crews lived under strict, unyielding rules of conduct, captains knew they could face mutiny, so they had to strike a good balance between running a tight ship and keeping their crews loyal. Pirate crews usually enjoyed negotiated rights and benefits. For example, if someone lost a finger or toe in battle, they received 400 pieces of eight, and if they lost an arm or leg, the compensation was 800 pieces. They also typically had equal voting rights, as well as equal shares of fresh provisions seized.

Queen Elizabeth I referred to English privateers authorized by the Crown (legal pirates) to raid Spanish ships and colonies as Sea Dogs. After all, I'm sure every captain (and monarch) wanted to be able to say, “Who’s a good boy?”