What is the term used for captured ships during the 1500s to the 1700s?

Question

And what did the captors do with them?

Answer 1

Commander. Depends on who was commandeering. Most pirates stole the treasure and took the crew prisoner, and usually ransomed them off the their families or let them go in a port. Some pirates killed the original crew. Military ships may capture a pirates ship to stand trial, or capture a crew if it was a warship and make them prisoners of war. Again, you rarely had an entire crew put to death once the ship was commandeered.

Answer 2

Prizes is correct. Ships captured would, if seaworthy after the fight, have a"prize crew" of an officer and a few men sail it to a friendly port where it would be turned over to a"prize court" and it and it's cargo would be sold....sometimes into naval service, usually into merchant service. There was a complicated formula for dividing the money ( prize money) raised amongst the crew who captured the ship; it worked out that a ship that had a successful cruise could frequently capture the equivalent of a years wages for every sailor and officer on board; more than a few Admirals and Captains.......and their crews.....made enough from prize money to be independently wealthy for their.....and their children's life.....it was an additional incentive to the crews , besides patriotism.....to put up with the appalling conditions on a man-o-war from the 1500-1850's. The Brits and the Americans discontinued the practice about 1870.

Answer 3

It's either comandeering or impressment such as when the British were doing to American ships . This was one of the main causes of the War of 1812.They would not only stop the ship but take the sailors as prisoners to serve in their navies.

Answer 4

Captured ships were called prizes. Captors kept them for their own or sunk them.

Answer 5

It's Commondeered. Check my spelling though.