1st Rate Ship of the Line

The 1st Rate Ship of the Line was a floating fortress, used by the British Royal Navy and the French and Spanish. During this era, warships were ranked based on how many guns they carried and their size: 1st rate through 4th rates were considered Ships of the Line, and 5th and 6th rate were reserved for smaller frigates. The 1st Rates were the flagships of the fleet, often carrying the Admiral on board. This particular ship is modeled after the Spanish San Felipe and the British HMS Victory, which you can actually visit if you are ever in Portsmouth, UK! During my research for this project, I couldn't ever find evidence of these massive ships in the Caribbean waters during the Golden Age of Piracy - they were simply too expensive and indispensable and could not be spared across the ocean just to deal with thieves. They carried over 100 cannons and crews were often as large as 800 men. Certainly no pirate force was ever large or powerful enough to capture one of these vessels... but w