Pirates are well known for attacking ships to steal the valuables they are carrying. During the Golden Age of Piracy (1650s-1730s), the high seas were dominated by notorious pirate captains and their powerful ships. These vessels, usually stolen and enhanced for speed and firepower, played a crucial role in countless infamous pirate activity. Part of the draw for pirates was the adventure and thrill of the attack as well. Often, they chose their prey by the look of the vessel. A rich looking ship was more likely to bring a rich haul. Killing the passengers on the vessels was not a top priority. If they could make the haul without violence they would, if not, so be it. They were a ruthless bunch, and they did what they had to do to get what they wanted.
The funny thing about pirates is that they didn’t always target a ship for valuables. In fact, not every ship targeted by pirates was carrying high-value goods at all. Just as often as not, ransacking a vessel was just a means to “run errands” like picking up rum, food, or other supplies. It wasn’t like they could just zip into the store and buy what they needed. They were “wanted men” after all. So, when they needed supplies, they just boarded the nearest ship and got what they could there. If they didn’t get everything they needed, they went on to the next ship…until they got the supplies they needed. It was like a shopping trip for the pirates…going to several “stores” until their list was filled.
On one occasion, Captain Benjamin Hornigold’s crew had a pretty short shopping list when they boarded a 
sloop off the coast of Honduras. One of the sloop’s passengers recalled, “They did us no further injury than the taking most of our hats from us.” The crew had gotten very drunk the previous night and thrown their hats overboard and simply needed replacements. Since the passengers of the sloop were cooperative, they got off light. The pirates simply took the hats they needed and left them to be on their way.
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