This hack edits a critical game file. Back up your original or you get screwed. You 
will also need to have the folder options on Windows XP and Vista changed to allow 
you to edit the file extension. 

Locate the file Characters_init.* in the directory \...\\Program Files\Playlogic
\Age of Pirates - Caribbean Tales\PROGRAM\Characters\ and open it using the text
editor Notepad.exe or similar program. Note that if you do not allow your Windows
 O/S to change the extension, you may not be able to hack this file appropriately. 

In the characters_init.* file, locate the string ch.money = "268438777" along with 
some more values such as: 

ch.skill.Leadership = "1"; 
ch.skill.Fencing    = "1"; 
ch.skill.Gun        = "1"; 
ch.skill.Sailing    = "1"; 
ch.skill.Tactic     = "2"; 
ch.skill.Accuracy   = "1"; 
ch.skill.Cannons    = "1"; 
ch.skill.Grappling  = "1"; 
ch.skill.Repair     = "1"; 
ch.skill.Defence    = "1"; 
ch.skill.Commerce   = "1"; 
ch.skill.Sneak      = "1"; 
ch.skill.freeskill  = 2; 
ch.perks.freepoints = 1; 

You can change those skill values to whatever you want and play with the file from
there. When saving the file with Notepad, use the "save" not "save as" command and 
the file will be edited. Boot the game and have fun.