In the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, a young British Captain James Norrington proposed a single solution to all Piracy problems, with a “short drop and a sudden stop”, much to the uncomfortable shudder of a young Elizabeth Swann. While the effect was comic, it actually highlighted a very effective strategy of the Europeans during the 17^th-18^th century to tackle the single most disruptive threat to the maritime traffic during the Sunny days of Europe.