Here are the rules for privateering as I wrote them up (If anyone wants them as a PDF, just PM me):

Sails of Glory Privateering Rules 2-21-20

General Rules – Gunfire must be directed at the nearest ship in a firing arc. A ship is considered to be in a firing arc if some portion of the arc passes over the hull of the vessel.

Privateers – To capture a vessel, the privateer must either collide and become entangled, collide, and successfully grapple and board, or pass within chain/grape range and drop off a boarding party in a launch. Any merchant vessel approached by a privateer in either of these way surrenders immediately, unless stated otherwise by the rules of the engagement. A merchant ship will not surrender if there is a friendly warship within gun range. To capture a merchant ship with a warship in range, the attackers must inflict one crew casualty on the ship in hand to hand combat or small arms fire. Each launch chit has a crew value of 1.

If the merchant vessel is subdued in a collision, the privateer must spend one turn alongside. On the following turn, the captured ship may get underway. If the boarding party arrives by launch, it takes one turn for the launch to reach the captured vessel, one turn to secure the crew, and the following turn, the captured vessel may get underway.

A captured merchant vessel starts moving at a speed of one sail. Captured square riggers may not tack. The player capturing the ship is responsible for its movement. Captured ships do not plan one turn ahead.

A captured vessel that exits the board escapes.

Defenders – To recapture a vessel that has been seized, a defender must inflict a crew hit on the vessel. A recaptured vessel will stop movement once it is liberated.

If a defender fires on a launch, a crew hit or a leak removes the launch from play.

Setup – Merchant bases are marked on the bottoms and randomly distributed. The British players may check the bottoms before play to determine positions of valuable ships. American players cannot check a ship’s bottom until it has been captured and moved once.

One base is to be marked with a star for the payroll. Two marked with 3’s, three marked with 2’s, and four marked with 1’s. Multiply the ship’s burden by its number to find the value of the cargo.

Americans choose on of the three wind styles and their positioning relative to the merchant fleet. The British choose their positioning next. No ship may be within 2 rulers of an enemy vessel.