Or something as simple as a Beverage antenna on the ground,(BOG), Skip. In my transmitting in the woods days I used BOG's to dx various PW HF stations in Africa and S. America, along w/ Europirates. It seems like a natural for anyone looking for a quick and directional way to chase these stations. You can make it as long as you've got room for.
I used about 150 ft. of wire for my BOG's which did well down to about the top of the 90 meter band. They're dead simple to set up and use. If you don't want to leave it out, you can roll it up and take it in. If you use 18 gauge wire it will be smaller than a softball rolled up.
With pirates you never know exactly where they are. My advice if you're in N. America is to aim towards the tip of Tierra del Fuego and hope for the best. (TdF is Penguin country in case someone is reading.)