On Wed, 13 Oct 2004 10:05:40 -0400, "Doug Dotson"
wrote:

Last time I used a crossbow, it took maybe 10 seconds to load
and shoot. Maybe he was thinking of a catapault
No, he was likely thinking of a ballista, the crossbow-like field
'artillery" piece common since the Romans.

Now, if you could rig a mast-based trebuchet, you'd really have a
pirate deterrent, but I suspect it would only work on an unstayed rig
G

R.