Nassau was well suited as a pirate base of operations, its waters were too shallow for a large man-of-war but deep enough for the fast shallow draft vessels favoured by pirates. From their snug harbour they could employ their hit and run tactics to full effect; they devastated merchant shipping that plied the trade routes just a short sail away. Their pirate gold and goods formed the basis of a thriving community that attracted rogues, merchants and wild women from far and wide.