I have only seen one “real” pirate ship in person – it was in January 2012 in the Sea of Cortez – Fortunately, it was far off in the distance and I spied it with my monocular as it was dipping over the horizon. I found it to be breathtaking (from that distance) lol
It was supposed to be a U.S.-led naval training maneuver off the coast of West Africa when real-life drama intervened, with pirates taking over an oil tanker and turning the exercise into a rescue …
Source: Mobile-built US Navy ship plays role in real-life pirate drama
The way I see things ... 