Chapter 72 Boarding
Pirates on the inland seas would tell each other that there were three things on the high seas that were the most terrifying:
sea fortresses equipped with heavy artillery, wind blowing from the bow, and oar-sailed ships during windless conditions.
There was actually an implied meaning in this saying, although oar-sailed ships were fearsome during windless conditions, they were only really feared when there was no wind.
That's because large sail ships would be immobilized during windless or weak wind conditions.
But if there was a good wind, then the oar-sailed ships were nothing to fear.
On the quarterdeck of The Revenge, Drake swung his cutlass and bellowed commands, "Lower full sail! Move with the wind!"
At least a quarter of the cannons hit their target, and the sailors on The Revenge could even vaguely see the mist of blood spewing from the enemy ship.