A pirate ship is a type of amusement ride based on pirate ships, consisting of an open, seated gondola (usually in the style of a pirate ship) which swings back and forth, subjecting the rider to various levels of angular momentum. A variant where the riders must pull on ropes to swing the ride is known as a swing boat. The first known predecessor of the ride was invented by Charles Albert Marshall of Tulsa, Oklahoma between 1893 and 1897. This ride was originally called "The Ocean Wave". The Ocean Wave was first used in the Marshall Bros Circus in 1897. The circus was run by Charles and his brothers Mike, Will, Ed, friends, and family.

Height requirements

Height requirements for this type of ride vary from park to park. For example, Hersheypark, which has a Huss Pirate Boat, has a height requirement of or more to ride, while at LaRonde, which also has a Huss Pirate Boat, riders must be or taller. Huss recommends that the lowest a height requirement should be is , but parks can make it higher if they choose to.

Pirate ship rides

There are a number of Swinging Ship-type rides, and multiple manufacturers. * Chance Rides' original version is known as the ''Sea Dragon'' which are permanent or two trailer portable models. The later version is known as "Pharaoh's Fury" and could be permanent or transported on one 53-foot trailer. * Fabbri's version is known as the ''Pirate Ship'', and can hold 40 passengers. *

HUSS Huss or HUSS may refer to: Companies * HUSS Park Attractions, a German amusement ride manufacturer Places * Huss Township, Minnesota, United States People with the surname *a Swedish noble family, which is divided into two main groups * Andre ...

' version is known as the ''Pirate Boat'', and can hold up to 54 passengers in 9 rows. *

Intamin Intamin Amusement Rides is a design and manufacturing company in Schaan, Liechtenstein. It is best known for creating thrill rides and roller coasters worldwide. The Intamin brand name is a syllabic abbreviation for "international amusement ins ...

version is called ''Bounty''. *Mulligan's version is known as the ''Sea Ray''. *SBF Visa's version is known as ''Pirate'' and can accommodate 32 passengers. *SDC makes a version called the ''Pirate Ship''. * Zamperla's version is known as the ''Galleon'', and has four sizes available, which can hold 33, 42, 54 or 84 passengers. * Zierer's version is known as the ''Viking Ship'' and can accommodate 40 passengers. *Metallbau Emmeln's version is known as the ''Schiffsschaukeln'' and can accommodate 24/40 passengers. *Helmut Hauser *DAL Amusements *Staudenmeyer & Weidmann's version was most iconic from Wicksteed Park's double pirate ship.

Variants

* The Looping Starship, manufactured by Intamin is similar to a pirate ship, except that goes upside down. This gives the rider a feel of zero gravity for a moment as it swings back down while making 360° loops. * Manufactured by Anton Schwarzkopf, the Shuttle Boat is a pirate ship ride which instead of swinging back and forth rides on a half pipe track. This idea would later be adopted by Zamperla and turned into the

Rockin' Tug Rockin' Tug is a flat tugboat ride manufactured by Zamperla. The ride is manufactured in both traveling and park versions. It is the first of a line of new "halfpiperides". Zamperla's Disk'O is another popular ride from that "family". The differe ...

, featuring a ship that rotates about its own axis also. * Some traveling fairs in Europe have pirate ships in which the riders can choose to stand up in cages located at the ends of the ships. These do not go upside down, but do swing to a horizontal position. The names listed are given by the manufacturers, and individual parks may change the name of the ride itself. Many parks use a Viking Ship theme for their ride. Smaller versions of the ride are often called "Swingboats".

Appearances

* Anchor's Away: Enchanted Kingdom * Barco Pirata: Pola Park * Bateau Pirate: La Ronde * Bateau pirate: Le Pal * Berserker Kings Dominion * The Battering Ram: Busch Gardens Williamsburg * Bluebeard's Bounty: Kentucky Kingdom * The Blade:

Alton Towers Alton Towers Resort ( ) (often referred to as Alton Towers) is a theme park and resort complex in Staffordshire, England, near the village of Alton. The park is operated by Merlin Entertainments Group and incorporates a theme park, water park, ...

* Blue Barnacle:

Chessington World of Adventures Chessington World of Adventures Resort is a theme park, zoo and hotel complex in Chessington, Greater London, England, around southwest of Central London. The complex opened as Chessington Zoo in 1931, with the theme park being developed along ...

* The Bounty: Drayton Manor * Bounty: Heide Park * Buccaneer:

Six Flags Great Adventure Six Flags Great Adventure is an amusement park located in Jackson, New Jersey. Owned and operated by Six Flags, the park complex is situated between New York City and Philadelphia and includes a water park named Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, Hu ...

, Six Flags Magic Mountain * Caribbean Boat:

Walygator Parc Walygator Grand-Est is an amusement park located in Maizières-les-Metz, Lorraine, France. Since its opening in 1989, the park has had a succession of different names: Big Bang Schtroumpf (Smurf), Walibi Schtroumpf, Walibi Lorraine and now Walyga ...

* Conquistador: Six Flags Over Texas, Lotte World * Crazy Galleon: Ocean Park Hong Kong * Drageskibet: Djurs Sommerland * Dragon Swing: Knott's Berry Farm * Flying Cutlass: Lightwater Valley * Flying Galleon: Galaxyland * Galion Pirate: Nigloland * Galleon: Knoebels *Galleon: Adventureland (Iowa) *Galleon: Alabama Splash Adventure *Ghostly Galleon:

Adventure Wonderland Adventure Wonderland is a family theme park situated in the village of Hurn, near Bournemouth, United Kingdom. The park offers rides and attractions aimed at families with children up to the age of 10. It draws much of its theme from the novel ...

* Halve Maen: Efteling * High Seas: Six Flags America * The Hook: Lihpao Land * Jolly Rocker: Legoland Windsor * Journey to Zanzibar: Columbus Zoo * Kontiki: PortAventura Park * Mayflower: Holiday World & Splashin' Safari * Mr Monkey's Banana Ride: Thorpe Park * Navío Barbarroja: Isla Mágica * Ocean Motion: Calaway Park * Ocean Motion:

Cedar Point Cedar Point is a amusement park located on a Lake Erie peninsula in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. Opened in 1870, it is considered the second-oldest operating amusement park in the U.S. behind Lake Compounce. Cedar Point is owned and op ...

* Pharaoh's Fury: Casino Pier,

DelGrosso's Amusement Park DelGrosso's Park is a family-oriented amusement park located in Tipton, Pennsylvania, a northern suburb of Altoona, Pennsylvania. The park was purchased by the DelGrosso family in 1946 and was named "Bland's Park" until 2000. In 2000, the DelGros ...

Kemah Boardwalk The Kemah Boardwalk is a 60-acre Texas Gulf Coast theme park in Kemah, Texas, approximately 30 miles southeast of Downtown Houston, Texas. The Boardwalk is built entirely along the shores of Galveston Bay and Clear Lake. The complex is owned an ...

, Wild Adventures, Keansburg Amusement Park (

Keansburg, New Jersey Keansburg (, Felzenberg, Alvin''Governor Tom Kean: From the New Jersey Statehouse to the 9-11 Commission'' p. 5. Rutgers University Press, 2006. . Accessed July 25, 2012. "In 1884, after congressman and future U.S. senator John Kean, Tom Kean's ...

), Old Town Kissimmee * Pirata: Canobie Lake Park * Pirate: Darien Lake, Lake Winnepesaukah, Playland (Vancouver B.C.), Hersheypark * Pirate: Kennywood * Pirate Ship:

Adventureland (New York) Adventureland is an amusement park in East Farmingdale, New York, located on Route 110 (Broadhollow Road). Adventureland has been Long Island's main amusement park since 1962. There are a total of twenty eight rides, two of which are roller coas ...

, Lake Compounce, Nicolândia Center Park, Rainbow's End,

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is an oceanfront amusement park in Santa Cruz, California. Founded in 1907, it is California's oldest surviving amusement park and one of the few seaside parks on the West Coast of the United States. Description ...

, Wonderland Park (Texas), Bottons Pleasure Beach, Skegness,

Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach The Pleasure Beach Great Yarmouth is an amusement park located in the seaside resort town of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, on the English east coast. It opened in 1909. The largest and most popular ride at the park is the wooden Roller Coaster which o ...

* Piratenboot: Bellewaerde * Piratta: Tibidabo Amusement Park * Prairie Schooner: Frontier City * RipTide (formerly Sea Dragon): Morey's Piers * Rum Runner: Magic Springs and Crystal Falls * Sand Pirates:

Adventuredome Adventuredome (formerly Grand Slam Canyon) is a indoor amusement park at Circus Circus in Winchester, Nevada on the Las Vegas Strip. It is owned by Phil Ruffin. It is contained within a large glass dome, and offers various rides and attraction ...

* Sea Dragon: Clementon Park, Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, Funland ( Rehoboth Beach, Delaware), Michigan's Adventure, Santa's Village AZoosment Park, Waldameer Park, Worlds of Fun, Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier, Pacific Park,

Castles N' Coasters Castles N' Coasters is an amusement park and family amusement center located in Phoenix, Arizona. The approximately park features four outdoor 18-hole miniature golf courses, several rides, and an indoor video game arcade. The park was built i ...

, Elitch Gardens, Indiana Beach, Niagara Amusement Park & Splash World * Sea Swell: Lost Island Theme Park * Smiles Per Galleon: Adventure Island * The Swinging Viking: Motiongate Dubai * Tidal Wave: Lagoon Amusement Park * Viikinkilaiva: Linnanmäki * Viikinkilaiva: Särkänniemi * Viking: Star City * Viking Fury: Kings Island * Viking's Rage: Canada's Wonderland * Vindjammer: Europa-Park

Former appearances

* "Buccaneer": Geauga Lake * "Canoa Krakatoa": Six Flags México * "The Galleon": Camelot Theme Park * "Galleon": Santa's Village AZoosment Park and

Bowcraft Amusement Park Bowcraft Amusement Park or Bowcraft Playland was a small amusement park located on U.S. Route 22 West in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. At the time of its closing, it contained 21 rides appropriate for both children and adults. Bowcraft Amusement Par ...

* "The Ocean Wave": Olentangy Park"Boy Injured at Buckeye Outing." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' 19 July 1909. Pg. 2. * "Pirate": Alabama Adventure * "Pirate Ship":

Astroland Astroland was a amusement park in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City that first opened in 1962. It was located at 1000 Surf Avenue (at the corner of West 10th Street) on the boardwalk. It ceased operations on September 7, 2008. History Ast ...

, Sea World The Great Escape * "Sea Dragon": Morey's Piers (closed because the mast broke off the ride),

Ghost Town in the Sky Ghost Town Village (formerly "Ghost Town in the Sky at Ghost Mountain Park") is an abandoned Wild West-themed amusement park in Maggie Valley, North Carolina, United States that is currently, as of October 2019, under contract for possible sal ...

Maggie Valley, NC Maggie Valley is a town in Haywood County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,150 at the 2010 census. A popular tourist destination, it is home to Cataloochee Ski Area and the former Ghost Town in the Sky amusement park. Maggie ...

and Indiana Beach,

* "Sea Ray": Martin's Fantasy Island * "Sturmschiff": Holiday Park * "The Galleon": Kiddieland Amusement Park * "Bounty's Revenge": Adventure World in Perth *

Black Buccaneer Black Buccaneer was a swinging pirate ship that operated at Chessington World of Adventures Resort in southwest London, England from 1988 to 2018 in the Pirates' Cove section of the park. After operating for 30 years, the ride has been replaced ...

Chessington World Of Adventures Chessington World of Adventures Resort is a theme park, zoo and hotel complex in Chessington, Greater London, England, around southwest of Central London. The complex opened as Chessington Zoo in 1931, with the theme park being developed along ...

References

External links

Chance MorganFabbri GroupIntaminSDC RidesZamperlaHUSSDouble Pirate Ship Ride by Kallenkoop
{{Amusement rides Pendulum rides Pirates in popular culture