Barnacles – the Curse of Pirates Everywhere!

Pirates and barnacles

Illustration of barnacles attached to a pirate ship.

Copyright John Joyce

Pirates and barnacles
Copyright John Joyce

Pirates and barnacles

Illustration of barnacles attached to a pirate ship.

Copyright John Joyce

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As well as bad food, scurvy and the risk of sudden death in bloodthirsty battles, pirates everywhere had to deal with the threat of barnacles. Like seaweed, tube worms and other encrusting marine life, barnacles cling to the bottoms of ships and slow them down, making them easier for the authorities to catch.  To keep barnacles at bay, pirates would regularly run their ships around and scrape the bottoms clean. Richer navies would go to more elaborate measures, like sheathing the bottoms of their ships in copper, which is toxic to marine life.