Buzzard

The Buzzard was a pirate ship in the Caribbean during the golden age of piracy. Captained by the infamous pirate Sharkheart Sam, she was the fastest pirate ship on the high seas.

History

Little is known of the Buzzard's early history, other than she eventually became the ship of Sharkheart Sam, the greediest, meanest pirate on the high seas.^[1] With the Buzzard under his command, Sam intercepted and captured two missions to Zaragona, the king's biggest colony in the Caribbean.^[3] Due to Sam's piratical acts, the Buzzard's hold was eventually filled with enormous treasure, which included gold, silver, and jewels.^[4]

One day the Buzzard encountered the Santa Catalina, a large Spanish Royal Navy galleon whose cargo hold was filled to the brim with gold for the Viceroy of Zaragona. The pirates attacked the galleon and a fierce battle ensued. When pirates fired a broadside at the enemy vessel, one of the cannonballs struck the galleon's foremast, causing it to fall into the sea, carrying the captain's pet monkey Zita with it. The young crewman Pablo jumped into the water to save the monkey and secretly boarded the pirate ship. Occupied by battle, the pirates didn't notice the stowaway. Pablo snuck into the captain's cabin from which he took an iron box full of jewels. He also entered the gunpowder storage room where he made a trail of powder, lighting up one end which would eventually ignite the rest of the powder. Right after he struck the match, Pablo was noticed by Sharkheart Sam himself, who tried to intimidate him into returning the jewels. Pablo and Zita run away, jumping overboard right when the fire caused the explosion which blew up the Buzzard, sinking the ship.^[5]

Many years later, some superstitious pirates believed the Buzzard was still roaming the seas as a ghost ship, waiting for the day when Sharkheart could locate all of his treasure.^[6]

Behind the scenes

The Buzzard appears in the story "The Sinking of Sharkheart Sam" featured in the 1996 book Climb Aboard If You Dare!: Stories From The Pirates of the Caribbean. In the book the Buzzard is classified as a sloop.^[2] However, the illustration of the ship's explosion shows the Buzzard as a large, three-masted vessel similar to a galleon.^[7]

While unconfirmed, it is possible the ship was named after the early 18th century French pirate Olivier Levasseur, who was nicknamed Buzzard.^{[citation needed]}

Appearances

• Climb Aboard If You Dare!: Stories From The Pirates of the Caribbean

Notes and references

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Climb Aboard If You Dare!: Stories From The Pirates of the Caribbean, p. 12
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Climb Aboard If You Dare!: Stories From The Pirates of the Caribbean, p. 18
3. ↑ Climb Aboard If You Dare!: Stories From The Pirates of the Caribbean, p. 9
4. ↑ Climb Aboard If You Dare!: Stories From The Pirates of the Caribbean, p. 7
5. ↑ Climb Aboard If You Dare!: Stories From The Pirates of the Caribbean, pp. 19-25
6. ↑ Climb Aboard If You Dare!: Stories From The Pirates of the Caribbean, p. 50
7. ↑ Climb Aboard If You Dare!: Stories From The Pirates of the Caribbean, p. 26

Pirate ships in Pirates of the Caribbean
Pirate ships Adventure – Black Barnacle – Black Bart's ship – Black Dog – Black Harbinger – Black Pearl – Black Pearl (frigate) – Buzzard – Centurion – Ching's flagship – Cobra – Cursed crew's pirate ship – Cutlass – Death Omen – Dolphin – Dragon – Dying Gull – Empress – Fancy – Fleur de la Mort – Fortune – Fuchuan – Ghostly Seadog – Gretchen – Grim Reaper – Hai Peng – Hanyu Pinyin – Harkaway – HMS Interceptor – Jack Sparrow's bilander – Jack Sparrow's corvette – Jack Sparrow's galleon – Jack Sparrow's sloop – King George's Amnesty – Kin Tai Fong – Kirbac – Koldunya – La Vipère – Misty Lady – Monkeebutt – Nemesis – Neptune – Ningpo – Otter – Paradox – Pearl – Phantom – Pirate galleon – Princess – Queen Anne's Revenge – Ranger – Red Dragon – Revenant – Revenge – Royal Fortune – Ruddy Rose – Satisfaction – Sea Nymph – Sea Star – Seref – Siren's Revenge – Smilin' Jack's ship – Song – Sparrow – Storm Reaper – Swift – Troubadour – Venganza –Victory – Wicked Wench (Isla Tesoro) – Wicked Wench (Captain Morgan)
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