Who could afford to become a pirate?

Did the cost of ships limit piracy to wealthy merchants and powerful families?

Not always: small-scale sailing-era piracy could use ordinary fishing boats, though larger multi-ship operations demanded increasing wealth.

Piracy did not have one fixed financial threshold. The barrier depended on the period and scale of the operation. In sailing-era coastal piracy, relatively common fishing boats could provide an entry point for families above the very poorest level. Larger organizations needed more capital as they acquired vessels and expanded their ranks. The distinction helps explain how piracy could grow from local maritime livelihoods into a more heavily financed fleet.