Blockade runner  From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to:
navigation, search For the book by Jules Verne, see The Blockade
Runners. Blockade runner SS Banshee, 1863  A blockade runner is
usually a lighter-weight ship used for evading a naval blockade
of a port or strait, as opposed to confronting the blockaders to
break the blockade. Very often blockade running is done in order
to transport cargo, for example to bring food or arms to a
blockaded city. In other cases the blockade runners would carry
mail in an attempt to communicate with the outside world.
Blockade runners are often the fastest ships available, and come
lightly armed and armored. Their operations are quite risky
since blockading fleets would not hesitate to fire on them.
However, the potential profits (economically or militarily) from
a successful blockade run are tremendous, so blockade-runners
typically had excellent crews. Although having modus operandi
similar to that of smugglers, blockade-runners are often
operated by state's nav