By now you should have:
Assembled your ship
Arranged Islands on the table
Sailed around and sold stuff

STEP ONE: Know your Cannons.

There are three kinds of Cannons (well, there may be more, but they are super secret!). The diagram to the left shows the three types as you will see them in the store. It might seem that they have funny names, but I assure you, they make perfect sense:
M. Cannon = Medium Range Cannon: This Cannon is a good choice for most situations. It has good range and reasonable accuracy.
S. Cannon = Short Range Cannon: This is great for tough boats who want to end fights quickly. It has shorter range, but is very accurate.
L. Cannon = Long Range Cannon: Ideal for sailors who want to keep far away from trouble. The L. Cannon gives you wonderful range and the cost of accuracy.

STEP TWO: Find a Targer.

When you have found a pirate that you need to sink, first turn your boat so that the pointy end of your cannon is point at the base of their ship. Then, measure the distance from the edge of your base to the edge of their base (see diagram above). Dependind on the type of cannon you are using, you will need to be within 3-5" of your base in order to fire your cannons.

STEP THREE: Roll the Dice.

Each cannon has a "HIT on" value. This is the number you must meet or beat on two dice. When you are in range, roll two dice. If you get high enough, you hit the pirate.

STEP FOUR – Sinking the Enemy Ship

When you hit another ship, move its paper clip down to the next mark. Depending on the type of ship you have hit, this might slow it down some (or even a great deal). Some ships, like Frigates, are designed to take a hit without losing speed. When a ships marker is lowered all the way down to the word SUNK, the ship is sunk and out of the game.

STEP FIVE: Special Firing Notes

There are several special turning circumstances:

1) Go Pirate - It is unlawful to fire your cannons at non-pirates. If you fire at a non-pirate, you BECOME a pirate, whether you hit or not. For more information, see Go Pirate.

2) Boarding - If your ship is very close to another ship (within 1" or touching) you may Board with a cannon instead of firing. You roll the dice as usual, but you don't sink the ship when you hit it. Instead, you may fill your cargo hold with goods from their ship or take Doubloons equal to the size of your cargo hold (a Galleon may steal four Doubloons). Just imagine that when you Board another ship, your sailors are jumping across and poking one-another with cutlasses. If it helps, say "Arrrrrr" or "Avast Ye There!"

3) Grab- Some special foes have the Grab ability. When they board another ship, they may grab it instead of taking cargo. The Grabbed ship cannot move or turn until the Grabbing ship does. Typically, the Grabbing ship will Grab a ship so that its cannons face the wrong way to be of any use.

4) Repairing - You may repair your ship at START island. For the low low price of one Doubloon, you may move your paperclip up one mark on your ship chart. You may not do this more than once per turn.