Real-world source books for high-seas adventures?

[1Mac]

So I'm soon starting a 7th-Sea-esque d20 campaign with a lot of sailing and piracy and nautical derring-do, and it occurs to me that while the swashbuckling romance of idealized sea-life appeals to me, this land-locked Midwesterner could find himself quite embarrassed when called to improvise period nautical details. I figure that my GMing could benefit from some reading, in other words.

I recall reading of at least one history book that focused on 17th-century sailing here at ENWorld, so I came here. If the erudite, literate ENW intelligentsi could point me in the right direction, I would be much obliged.

 

[Rhun]

I know you are asking for "real world" sourcebooks here, but it occurs to me that the fiction novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea might have lots of ideas you could use. I seem to recall the whole novel being a series of different sea adventures.

Also, the Aubrey-Maturin series of novels; you may have seen the movie adaptation Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World. These may be very useful, as they are historically based and filled with period naval jargon.

 

[Armadillo]

Osprey has some good books on the historical pirates.

 

[Sturtevant]

There are a heck of a lot of great movies that would serve as good inspiration, all the way from the classic buccaneer movies from Erol Flynn, John Barrymore and Tyrone Power days, up to the modern Pirates of the Caribbean movies with Johnny Depp.

There's a great list of pirate moves here Pirate Movies . Check it out before Geocities gets sucked into the void.

 

[DrunkonDuty]

Mmm. Not sure about real life sources. Maybe a sailing handbook? The basics are going to be the same even if the ships have changed somewhat. History books galore, hell, even the interweb has been known to provide info. accurate enough for a game.

For ideas re stories and such I'd recommend:
The Master Mariner by Nicholas Monsarrat. The Master Mariner has been cursed to live forever after he chickens out while fighting the Spanish Armada. Unfortunately Monsarrat died while writing the second volume. But he was a sailor himself and had sailed around the world and lived on a yacht so I think his sailing details will be accurate.

The Ramage Series by Dudley Pope are a good wheeze too. The eponymous hero leads his crew in a series of highly improbable Boys Own adventures during the Napoleonic Wars. Kind of a modern version of Horatio Hornblower.

Horatio Hornblower by C. S. Forester. Um, the eponymous hero leads his crew in a series of highly improbable Boys Own adventures during the Napoleonic Wars. Hey, I said Ramage was similar.

hope they help. And good luck with all that buckle swashing!