Pirate survival depended on speed, because a raider had to catch vulnerable prey and escape stronger warships. Roberts brought ships to Cape Lopez for careening and repair so fouling and hull damage would not erode that advantage. Captain Hill's merchant vessel Neptune was trading illegally with the pirates and supplied materials a cruising squadron could not manufacture at sea. Rope, canvas, tar, specialized timber, food, and drink made the merchant intermediary as necessary to pirate operations as German supply ships would later be to distant surface raiders.
Notable Point · 32:22-33:51
Pirate speed depended on careening and illicit supply
Roberts uses Cape Lopez to clean and repair his hulls while a merchant supplier provides the rope, canvas, tar, food, drink, and timber that independent raiders could not produce themselves.