quarter – the act of offering an enemy the opportunity to surrender; “no quarter” meant the fight was to the death.
quarterdeck – the part of the upper deck to the rear of the mainmast. Generally the part of the ship where the officers spent most of their time.
red ensign – a flag flown from British ships consisting of a field of red with the Union Flag occupying the upper corner closest to the flagstaff.
reef sails – a method of reducing the amount of surface area of a sail is available to the wind, used in high winds to help improve stability.
rigging – The collection of apparatus through which the force of the wind is transferred to the ship in order to propel it forward. This includes masts, yardarms, sails, and cordage.
rigging monkey – a crewman whose duty is to climb aloft and perform maintenance on a ship’s rigging.
Robert Louis Stevenson – Scottish author of a number of novels and other works, among them the famous pirate tale Treasure Island, which has influenced every pirate story that has come after it.
rope’s end – a reference to being whipped with a length of rope as a punishment.
rullock (or rowlock) – a holder that attaches an oar to a boat.
rum – a distilled spirit made from molasses or sugarcane. The popularity of the drink made it a valuable cargo and thus a frequent target for pirates as it was being shipped from sugarcane plantations in the Caribbean, though many pirates likely ended up drinking their profits. British sailors were entitled to a daily rum ration from about 1655 until July 31, 1970.
run a shot across the bow - to fire a warning shot. Frequently used to encourage a vessel to identify itself by raising its colors, or to heave to, or to take some other course of action… with the implication that the requesting party was prepared to use force if the request went unanswered.
