<div align="center"><strong><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;">The Courtesan</span></span></strong></div><br/><div align="center">(http://www.wikigallery.org/paintings/254501-255000/254807/painting1.jpg)</div><br/><strong>Laid down:</strong>1773, Taranto, Kindom of Naples, Italy (as the<em>San Cataldo</em>)<br/><strong>Length:</strong>102 feet (30.6 metres)<br/><strong>Length on top deck:</strong>86 feet (25.8 metres)<br/><strong>Beam (width):</strong>23 feet (6.9 metres)<br/><strong>Draught (depth):</strong>13 feet (3.9 metres)<br/><strong>Displacement (weight)</strong>200 tons<br/><strong>Crew size:</strong>100-120 hands. Generally manned by about 100 pirates.<br/><strong>Cargo capacity:</strong>35 tons (very approximate)<br/><strong>Maximum speed:</strong>Around 11 knots running before the wind, crew and weather permitting (13 miles per hour, 20.5 km/h)<br/><strong>Construction materials:</strong>Oak and pine<br/><strong>Armament:</strong>14 x 9 pounder guns (4 kg cannonballs)<br/><br/>The<em>Courtesan</em>is a medium sized brigantine built for speed, handling, and hauling of small cargoes. She has changed hands several times during her short career so far. Originally built for the Neapolitan navy, she was captured by Barbary pirates while sailing short handed in 1777 near Tunis, and sold after about two years to a crew of Arab slavers for 30,000 gold ducats, around £9,000 at the time, worth about 7 million pounds or euros today adjusted for purchasing power.<br/><br/>She was captured near the Horn of Africa by Griffiths and his crew in November 1779 as a nice replacement for their worn out ex-whaler. Some of the stronger slaves were recruited for heavy lifting and general swashbuckling duties, the rest released near a coastal African village, along with their captors in the manacles from their own hold. After two months intensive cleaning, she was perfect for Captain Griffiths' purposes. She is capable of a good eight knots while tacking and fires a broadside that can devastate a merchantman and bloody the nose of lighter warships. During said cleaning period, a humorous incident in the ship's home port of Libertatia, involving a boatload of prostitutes being drenched by her bilges, inspired her current name.<br/><br/>Floor plan of the decks to follow soon.<br/><br/>(http://newimages.yachtworld.com/1/6/3/1/9/1631964_15.jpg?1280959140000)(http://andrewdoria.com/images/improved-ship.gif)<br/><br/>(Yes, technically the Andrew Doria above is a brig, as you can see by her rigging. Still, the hull looks perfect for the part.)