British sailors boarding a Man of War

Aquatint drawn by J A Atkinson, engraved by Fry and Sutherland. From 'Historic, Military and Naval anecdotes, of personal valour, bravery and particular incidents which occurred to the armies of Great Britain, 1803-15, and her allies, in the last long-contested war terminating with the Battle of Waterloo', published by Edward Orme, 1819.

This method of boarding and capturing intact an enemy ship involved the attackers leaping from their small boats on to the vessel's upper deck. It relied on surprise and was often undertaken under the cover of darkness, but had the disadvantage of the attackers frequently being heavily outnumbered. This meant it was not a popular means of assault amongst sailors and marines. More common during the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) was the boarding of an enemy ship from one's own vessel. This involved leaping from the gunwale on to the enemy's deck. Grappling hooks and lines assisted in keeping the vessels side by side.