the Royaliste

We're makin' a hard beat to weather fixin' to cross Thunder Bay tomorrow...Then it'll be thru' the Straits 'o Makinaw and on to Green Bay....damned gales!...

Avast! Royaliste is moores in Cleveland, taking on provisions for the run to Green Bay..Still shorthanded, so step up if ye need a sail fix mateys!...aye!

We'll be pacing ourselves on the river trip southbound..timing travel with weather is always challenging. It looks like we can re-step the rig on Kentucky Lake, so that'll take a day or two..From Chicago to Mobile is a little over a thousand miles, and by fall, getting 50 miles a day starts getting tough...

You'd have to drink a lot of rum, and smoke some wacky tobaccy to even begin to imagine either Windy or Windy II as a 'pirate vessel'...Good folks, but really, no gundeck,etc. September is the only open spot on our calendar for a stop there. All of August will be spent on other Lake Michigan ports.....Then it be south on the 'ole Miss...

We're looking into a port stop in Port Washington in early September, so there's more pirate activity ahead for the area.....

Here's a fresh update to the posted schedule above.... Royaliste will be attending the Michigan Schooner Festival in Traverse City, MI, September 12-15. The organizers are pre-booking sailaways for the ships attending,and...Of course we'll be doing Battle Sails! They have an armed sloop participating, but it looks like some easy pickens from the breech of our four pounders, says I!.....From There, we'll be headed to Mobile by way of the rivers..(Illinois, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee- Tombigway) Yaaargh! Pirates in the middle of the USA!

Ahoy! It seems by the calendar, that the event is Aug 12-15..The 12th is a Thursday. We haven't received any info yet from the folks at Green Bay, so what they have scheduled for Thursday is still a mystery. It could just be an 'arrival' day; we just don't know yet. If so, we'll arrive as scheduled. If it's an 'open to the public' day, we'd most likely try to arrive late Wednesday...Hard to say yet, as much as I hate to be vague..We're still in New York, so it's a long call from one to the other yet...In 2006, we had some major engine trouble, and ended up at the end of a tow line enroute to Green Bay (and a huge mechanic's bill!)...Hoping for better this time through!.... I've been adding updates for this summer's venues when possible on two facbook spots; A 'group' under 'Privateer Royaliste', and a 'page' under 'Privateer!'....Scope 'em out, they have some great photo albums that are posted and updated....

Well, We're a 'real' pirate ship; we've been sailing to festivals on all of the Great Lakes since 2006..I don't know where you are in Illinois, but we'll be in Green Bay, South Haven, Chicago, and possibly Port Washington this summer. we can always use a hand when in port, and give pirates in garb preference regarding the Tallship Festivals and boarding. Our schedule is on this forum under 'Pirates on the Water'....

That'd be fine......Sems as tho' it'll be a not so good location for deck tours, but great for crowd level interactions.....(high bulkhead)

Avast, ya scurvey doggs!...The port 'o Green Bay has alloted us a bit 'o room on the bulkhead for public interaction..If'n any groups or singular rascals want to participate in the Tallships Festival, give me an email,eh??...No pay,just play.. (bloody heck, you'll be lucky to get out alive!)...

Another 'Change in the Wind', says I!....I just confirmed the privateering vessel, Royaliste, along with LaRevenante, will be sailing and doing battle on the Great Lakes 2010 for the ports of Chicago, South Haven, MI and Green Bay, WI...More port stops to come, but these are firm. Port meetings are still in progress at the time of this posting, but we'll be battling it out at most venues, including several with our old cohorts aboard the Privateer Lynx....This will be a season for some mighty fine Battle sails, so..pick your ports, space is limited, but the gunpowder isn't, my friends!.....More news to follow, but this in itself is 'finest kind', back on the water, underway, fair weather or foul.......

To really get a good understanding of the 'why's' to all of this, the 'bible' if you will, for those of us who sail the globe is 'World Cruising Routes' by Jimmy Cornell....here's a link to his bio.. the book is available in most sailing chandleries, and of course, Amazon etc World Cruising

Aye!..I'm all for passin' along the Black Spot to ASTA..That said, nothing to do with them, but the skipper of LaRevenante and me onesies are tryin' like bloody bloomin' heck to pull some non ASTA ports that will also not see us otherwise (yes, every time we do this there are smaller ports along the way that we do on the cheep since the big boys were already paying ) into finding sponsors so we can still pull this rabbit outta the hat!...So to heck with the big boys, and the pirates may still be on 'e waters, mateys....( and Chicago has made a lowball offer after recinding the first round).....So, if'n we can make expenses etc. work....There's still a chance for a couple 'o black flags on the horizon....

Well,mateys...There's been a change in the winds, and it's not a favorable one..... An ugly rumour from an extremely reliable source (LaRev, the only other 'true' pirates on the Great Lakes) has reached me eardrums....The power's that be (ASTA) have lost all focus of what 'the people' want, and in their current focus on 'capitalizing on large decks', have cancelled all the privately owned, small (read 'Classy') vessels in favor of large, mostly steel, foreign vessels; already with govt sponsorship, for the most part..We are 'officially' waiting for the last port meeting later this month, but as sure as I'm a pirate (I swear by me tattoo, as Kirk Douglas said in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea), we're not doing it. So, you won't be steppin' foot on my decks unless you live somewhere on the Hudson, or anywhere else on our way outta the area....We,ve been staged on the East Coast specifically awaiting this former event, so it basically suck's more than the Maelstrom....Do what ya wish, but I for one am recommending a boycott for any true mariner's, or pirate reenactor types.....Adios, and fair winds..............

My, I'm quite suprised no ex Navy or CG have chimed in here.(that's a hint)...There is only one rope on a ship; the bell rope. The lines come aboard as bulk cordage.

I dunno if'n this'll carry, but it be a map 'o the proposed ports....Not shown are smaller, invitational ports such as South Haven, MI

Well, here's my take, and you may do as you will,but....we've probably used up 3 or 4 hundred feet of slow match, in various sizes and styles of linstock over the years. We have since moved on to the not quite correct, but safety approved by the CG caplocks...Sometimes, slow match can be very finicky; so I'd blow off any 'Hollywood' ideas of relighting. Moisture in the air is the big decider, not the method used. Unless you are just fantasy thinking, sails are everywhere, and they take on burn spots easily....( we have ton's of specks in our mains'l from this, and touch hole backpressure)....So, just carry a bic in your slop for relight, it'll save a lot of sail repair, and whoever's vessel it is, they will appreciate it.....

I'm glad all were rescued and safe..That said, if their insurance is in order (which I doubt), they'll make out better in the long run. All Tallships travelling thru the Welland Canal between lakes Ontario and Erie have to do a 'fairlead inspection', which can take days to schedule, at your own expense, to see if your ground tackle and fairleads are 'in order'..Why??..Because several years ago, Concordia wiped out one of the locks doing extensive damage, and closing the lock for a period. This lock is the primary route for goods and services to the Great Lakes ports. All effected by the program's 'interesting' policies.....Now it's a headache for all of us due to the great folks at S/V Concordia...Just my 02 cents worth. I do hate to see things happen to any Tallship, but....They need to be safe for those who sail them...

Yar-Beeee-Gar!....Actually, it's takin' the powers that be forever to decide actual port schedules, and who's sailin' where....That said, I'll be a-lookin' for some small hamlet to berth the ship for three or four weeks between larger ports mid July thru mid August...If anyone has sway with their local officials, it be a way to have a pirate ship around for less than the festivals have to cough up!.....Anyhoo, August really looks bangarang!.... As for 'passin' thru detroit', we like that sail when it ain't stormin'..we just can't find a decent spotto overnight, or we would...usually, we push thru to Algonac, and spend a little time....

I believe we'll be coming to Green Bay, altho' all we have is verbal at this point; no 'contract'..As for Duluth, it'll be select few ships, mostly the usual;Picton Castle, Niagra, and such....We've been invited to South Haven, MI for the week between Green Bay and Chicago...We'll see, matey... Remember folks, Royaliste Does show favoritism; costumed pirates move to the front of any line...just catch me or a crewman's ear!......

Avast, ya scurvey dogs! Thru heavy weather and rough financial seas, it be that time once again.. Privateer Royaliste will be sailing the great Lakes summer 2010..Ther's 27 Tallships on my email header, so there could be a lot of participation this time around....Ports and scheduling are still being ironed out, but we'll be leaving New York and arriving Chicago in late August... Pride of Baltimore II, Niagra, Lynx, Royaliste, LaRevanante; that be a fine lot 'o gunships in the mix!...more later, mates...

Ahoy! From one sailor to anyothers, or wannbe sailors for that matter, here's a way for ya'll to be 'on the water'..Just in tyme for the holidays.eh? The webpage is live, so we are uploading more photo's all the time........ My link

But she's all airconditioning and plasma screens below now!....Aside from that, what happens aboar stays aboard, and the capt. 'n crew be some of our favorites to sail with over the past several years....Probably again next season on the Great Lakes...

Hmmmm, Beein' as I be such a warm, friendly pyrate type,it's only fittin' that I play That 'ole dentist turned pirate!.........Aye!

Oh Bess, DOn't forget that there be a fine little pyrate ship still sailin'and available for a modest pile 'o doubloons,eh?