The First Bahamas expedition (January 1718) was a pirating expedition undertaken by Captain Edward Kenway and his ship, the Jackdaw, off the coast of the Bahamas in the year 1718. Kenway left the port of Nassau, which had begun to face increased British pressure and the outbreak of scurvy and syphilis, and he decided to ignore Benjamin Hornigold's advice to stop raiding enemy ships in favor of Blackbeard's advice to continue acting freely. Kenway proceeded to sail around the west coast of the Bahamas, preying on Spanish Navy vessels that were unfortunate enough to come across the Jackdaw. The first two targets were the schooners Concepcion and Santa Clara, two sister ships that were sailing near Nassau harbor. Kenway proceeded to incapacitate, board, and seize Santa Clara first, and he then chased down Concepcion and proceeded to board it and seize it as well. Kenway proceeded to sink another schooner as it followed him, and he evaded another Spanish schooner. Kenway resumed his pirating off North Andros, capturing the schooner San Francisco. His last prize was the schooner Santa Rosalia, which he seized on his way to meeting Benjamin Hornigold's ship Benjamin. Rather than plunder the ship and sink it, Kenway decided to steal its goods but allow for Captain Gomez de Buendia and his crew to return home, lowering his wanted level. The expedition netted Kenway decet cargoes of sugar, rum, and other goods, and his expedition was a success.
Order of battle[]
Pirates[]
Jackdaw - brig
Spanish[]
- Concepcion - Schooner †
- Santa Clara - Schooner †
- San Francisco - Schooner †
- Santa Rosalia - Schooner
- Two other schooners
Gallery[]
