I know that Barbossa led a mutiny against Jack to take the Black Pearl. Bootstrap Bill was the only one who stood against this mutiny and was thrown overboard (after the gold was claimed). So how many crews members sailed to Isla de Muerta, claimed the Aztec gold, and were subsequently cursed?
2 Answers
This is an estimation based on info about the Black Pearl, and crews in ships in the XVIII-XIX centuries.
From Wikipedia: The BP is a 50.29 m long ship. It has 3 masts and carries an armament of 32 twelve-pound cannons in two decks (14 and 18).
Following the
Armament and statutory crews according to the Royal Navy Ordinances of 1793. Source: Naval History of Great Britain, William James, 1837.
Source: https://www.todoababor.es/datos_docum/rn_1793.htm
We can use as guide either the total 32 12-pounders or the 18 cannons in the main deck.
Using the first datum, the BP is a 5th class ship, a Frigate of 32 cannons, the heaviest being 12-pounders (long or short): 26 12-pounders in the main deck, 4 6-pounders in the quarterdeck and 2 6-pounders in the forecastle. It has a total of crew of 217 (194 officers, sailors and marines, 23 servants, and 3 widows' men).
Using the second datum, the BP would be a heavily modified sloop with 18 6-pounders in the main deck, and an extra deck built outside of regulations with the other 16 cannons. It would have a crew of 124 (107 officers, sailors and marines, 17 servants and 1 widows' man).
So, supposing that Jack's ship was crewed ordinarily without the widows' men, there would have been everybody but Barbossa, Jack and Bill in the count, so either 120 or 211 crew members.
Edit: Also, we could estimate the crew through the number of people needed to man the 32 12-pounders + those who disembarked + 4/6 people left in the boat (at the time of the first appearance of the BP). To man 1 12-pounder you need at least 5 people. 32 × 5 = 160 just to man the 32 cannons (From the same webpage). Maybe you could cut that number by 1/4th, thinking that they would only need to fully man one side of the ship and half for the other side to avoid surprises. That gives 120 ppl just for the cannons.
Also, in Dead Man's Chest, someone said that they only needed x (I don't remember the number) people to get out of the cannibals' island.
So x + 160 ppl + number of soldiers and officials = total crew.
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1Good source. Is there anything that would connect a pirate ship having the same compliment as a ship of the Royal Navy though? Specifically things like marines and servants?– SkoobaSep 21, 2022 at 11:47
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We could estimate the crew through the number of people needed to man the 32 12-pounders + those who disembarked + 4/6 people left in the boat (at the time of the first appearance of the BP). To man 1 12-pounder you need at least 5 people.32 × 5 = 160 just to man the 32 cannons (From the same webpage). Maybe you could cut that number by 1/4th, thinking that they would only need to fully man one side of the ship and the rest for the other side. That gives 120 ppl just for the cannons. Sep 22, 2022 at 7:02
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@4.12.22.4.18.0. surely you could manage with only three to a gun, especially if your crew is immortal Sep 22, 2022 at 10:18
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@OrangeDog Nope, you would tire your crew too much. Keep in mind that these guns weigh 1470 kg! (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12-pounder_long_gun) Also the reload maneuver means: shoot - pull gun out from the battery - recover gunpowder bag - brush gun - clean gun - insert new gunpowder bag - push it - insert new ball - push it - insert air seal - push it - fill vent with gunpowder - pull gun into the battery - adjust aiming wedge - shoot - ... The most extenuating maneuvers are pulling the gun from and into the battery. It's why you need at least 5 ppl per cannon. Sep 24, 2022 at 16:11
I know Fandom isn't 'trustable' but according to them -
In The Curse of the Black Pearl, there were many more crewmembers apart of the credited ones. Their overall number is unknown but could be estimated to about 100 men as seen in the movie, though actor Geoffrey Rush (Hector Barbossa) had estimated either 20[14], 40 or 50 pirates.[15] In the Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow video game, Jack Sparrow claimed that Elizabeth Swann was absconded by "a band of ten...no twenty, fifty pirates!"[16] According to actor Kevin McNally (Joshamee Gibbs) the number of crewmen was eighty.[17] An actual number of men revealed in The Curse of the Black Pearl video game for the Gameboy Advance was approximately 150 souls.
so 150
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This is more than I was expecting. I wonder if ever see close to this number on screen at one time, such as the cave scene....– SkoobaSep 21, 2022 at 11:48
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1Use those cited sources directly, don't just copy the Fandom page. Sep 22, 2022 at 10:21