What you've never heard of Captain William Drake?

[Capt. William Drake]

Ahoy There mates;
   Let me take this opportunity to introduce me self.  I be Captain William Drake all around scoundrel and captain of the fastest ship this side of the Spanish Maine and her name be " The salty lady "  I was born in a little coastal town in England.  I was orphaned at the age of 12 where upon finding me self homeless I signed up on a not so reputable ship called the "Tide runner."  Where I took a position as a powder monkey.  As the years passed and me knowledge grew I became a boson, and then the first mate of the tide runner.  The good Captain having taken me on so many years ago rewarded me with my own ship, a barque type vessel.  She is a fast ship that be armed with 12 cannons and a crew of 80 hearty men.  I rechristened her as the salty lady.

   The good captain and I sailed together for a short time plundering all that we could, but alas it all ended when we where set upon by that bilge rat of a man called commodore Henry and his small group of ships.  The tide runner was sunk and we barely escaped capture ourselves, as I have no doubt that the good commodore would have loved to see all of us dancing the hemping jig.  Since that time the salty lady has been on the run living by the skin of our teeth as we seek adventure and treasure galore.  Our sails have since been turned towards the Caribbean coast where we seek grog, wenches and gold.  Yet keep a weathered eye out for the salty lady and her good captain and crew.

(If there is anyone out there that has any information that could help me flesh out the character of Captain William Drake I would be very thankful.)

[DonaCatalina]

So you swam to shore after the sinking of the Tide Runner somewhere in the Florida keys with very few of your crewmates.

You managed to work passage to Dry Tortugas aboard a rum smuggler's ship and made enough money to buy a spot with a corsair who sometimes sails under an English 'letter of marque' and sometimes under a French one. You and your closest companion join together to buy out the shares on a prize ship and you sail away under your own flag.

Is that how you came to be a captain?