Most cannon balls were massive (it as too risky to shoot grenades). As you saw on the video, the wooden splinters would kill or hurt most people under deck. Grapeshots were effective against people on the upper decks. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/e9Z-hpN71dS5fo0.html After that boarding could be rather easy and was more common than sinking the enemy`s ship. It was also common to destroy the enemy`s rig, by shooting chain balls and similar special designed cannon balls.

Most of the time they used the massive canon balls but if they wanted to have the effect of a shotgun they simply used small items instead of a canon ball. Probably also when low on ammo they stuffed the barrow with everything that fitted and could survive the shot itself, like nails, empty and broken bottles, rocks etc. Destroying the enemy's ship isn't as lucrative as capturing it so i think it's a common used tactic in those days to kill or injure the enemy without a lot of damage to the enemy's vessel so you can easaly repair it when it's in your hands.

Easy to guess where you're from lol

Eller hur :D Men fyfan vad imponerande skeppet var för sin tid, om de inte hade stressat fram den så förbannat.

Absurt, men svensk historia är ju inget som är värt att bevara tydligen.

Some of us did.