Captain Jim

Excellent work.

Would that I could bind it all and put it on my shelf. It was this forum that brought me to reenacting, realizing that "playing Pyrate" could be more than a childhood memory and that we could simultaneously advance the study of the actual history, and stories, of Pyrates during the so-called Golden Age. While I, like many, don't come here as much as I used to, it was always reassuring to know that I could.

Aye, you can't leave us hangin' at "plunder bunnies."

That's actually pretty amazing.

As for me, I am intending to take the family to Key West anyway, being as it is relatively close at hand. I am also contemplating a full attendance at the Alafia River Rendezvous, a week-long, pre-1840, closed event.

Aye, we'll be firing double-shotted cannon in 2016. Meanwhile, back to roving...

On the subject of metal vs quill pens, an excerpt from Daniel Defoe's book "A Tour Through the Whole Island of Great Britain - 1724-26" Letter VII: "the plaster of the ceilings and walls in some rooms is so fine, so firm, so entire, that they break it off in large flakes, and it will bear writing on it with a pencil or steel pen" . The passage is written in such a manner as to suggest that the steel pen was relatively well-known if not altogether common.

Very cool. Thanks for sharing.

She's "Living in the woods outside Portland, Oregon" and seems to be pretty much off the grid except for email.

Click. Enjoy. Happy birthday.

I've only been here since 2005, but it is nice to see you again.

Thanks Bo.

You should have been a surgeon. Oh, wait, we have one of those. I'll have to try my hand.

Well, damn. They are so detailed they look printed. What sort of paint? Thinned latex?

William, how do you make those large flags like the FTPI and the Pirates of the Treasure Cove?

Ah, yes, the winter solstice. Also my wedding anniversary on the night of a full moon back in 1991.

It's been washed, slept on, wadded up and folded enough to soften it quite a bit. I'd like to make a really big one (10 x 20 feet) this year. I know that painted and sewn are both historically accurate so I'll make up my mind on that later. I'm leaning toward painted. Forgot to mention that the flying gif is courtesy of Poppa Ratsey Callahan.

If you mean by "official" a flag that would represent a group that you are forming then any flag you can design is "official" for your group so long as you didn't steal it. Some steal elements of other flags and represent them as their own. One such frequently stolen design element is the "crossed pistols" from this flag: I'd start with the thread below to get an idea of what an "historical" flag looked like. http://pyracy.com/index.php/topic/824-the-jolly-roger/?hl=flag After that it is up to you. A more authentic flag would have simple design elements visible at great distances, up to ten miles (the distance to the horizon from a masthead, give or take a couple of miles.) The earliest flag of imminent mayhem was the red flag symbolizing that no quarter would be given or asked. The point is that if you like your flag and it is unique to yourself or group then it's official. There is no real "wrong" on personal or crew flags, only on historical flags. Mine has elements taken from historical flags. The Skull and Bones is from a flag attributed to Emanuel Wynne. I substituted a cutlass below instead of the hourglass on Wynnes flag and moved the hourglass to the red tail. Simple, effective, semi-historical. And it looks good at a distance: Look here for what others have done: http://pyracy.com/index.php/topic/4670-post-yer-colors-mates/

So these are your colors, mate? It says a lot about you but mostly it says that you are finally admitting that you are, indeed, a pyrate.

My goodness but my colors have never been posted here. So a correction is in order. This was taken while flying over Fort Taylor in Key West, Florida.

Happy Birthday, mate. Better luck in the field next time.

Details on the fabric, if you please. What weight, bought from whom, etc.

Very nice.

I'm in. And, come Hell or high water, the rest of the family will attend as well. The Oar House and a Concrete Tent may be used to accommodate this.

For any of our pyrates living in the Seattle area, a cannon is up for bid on the Goodwill online site. It's a local pick-up only or I would be bidding on it. http://www.shopgoodwill.com/viewItem.asp?ItemID=18251878