The word drums up imagery of adventure, greed and the mystery of the open sea. During the golden age of piracy the outlaws of the sea cut a bloody swath through some of the most heavily guarded trade routes. Names such as Edward “Blackbeard” Teach, Bartholomew Roberts and Henry Every Struck both fear and wonder into the hearts of people who read of their exploits in the newspaper of the period. Over the years Pirates have been romanticized through the works of Robert Louis Stevenson and Hollywood. Seen almost as mythical figures, anyone can imagine the voyages full of excitement, battle and most importantly, booty!