"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

Nobody, including Jax, knows what Jax was really thinking of.

rhys wrote:
No, he was likely thinking of a ballista, the crossbow-like field
'artillery" piece common since the Romans.

Or an onager.


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

Might have a problem with accuracy. However, if you are attacked by
pirates who have built a protective stone wall around their boat, you'd
be all set!

DSK