Planksheer

I be offerin' apologies if any o' ye felt put upon by my overactive imagination. Once the story took form it also took on a life of its own, an' I took it in me mind ta make free with the facts for the sake o' a good yarn. So much for pirate speak. In truth, the name "Planksheer" came from an encyclopedia of nautical terms. It also happens to be one of the passwords I recently retired from my computer at work. Every ninety days we have to change two passwords for two firewalls in order to log on to the network. That's a lot of passwords. Currently, I'm working my way through the above encyclopdia for obscure words that fit into the required fields. For anyone faced with this same dilemma, I highly the above source. Thought I'd try to give a bit a romance to a word whose original purpose was for one of the most ordinary of tasks. Planksheer

Ah, ye sly dog, ye. Ye caught me in me little yarn. As ye be known', any sailor worth his salt is always lookin' for a chance to tell a tall tale or two in hope o' which some lubber will stand him a bumper of ale, or at least stand with mouth all a' gape. This particular yarn came to me on the spur o' the moment an' t'was too good ta let pass by. It gladdens me soul beyond measure ta larn there be one man jack out there who knows his fo'c'sle from his aft. Should we ever meet, I'll stand ye the bumper! Planksheer

I been asked ta explain where I came by me moniker, which be "planksheer". For th' enlightment of one and all, I shall tell. Harken, ye lubbers, th' planksheer be th' portion of a ship's hull from the turn of the bilge to th' keel. Have to larn ye th' ropes next. During me days with the King's Navy, I survived keelhaulin' no less than than two times! The charge bein' drunk on watch, and a dirty lie it war to be sure! The First Mate bore false witness agin me, may his scurvy soul burn in hell! After the second episode, me shipmates took to calling me "Planksheer". The afore mentioned tale be God's truth, so help me! Planksheer

I'm just getting started in pirate reenacting, and am in the process of putting together an outfit. Just about got it all together, but I'm undecided about footware. Can't decide whether to go with bucket boots or buckle shoes. Has anyone done any research into this matter? Did pirates actually wear bucket boots or is that mostly a product of fiction? Granted, boots look sexy as all get out, but they tend to slow a body down, and my modern sailing experience tells me that this type of footware would be highly impractical while hauling on the ropes on a rolling deck or climbing the rigging, where agile footwork can mean the difference between staying upright and a potentially fatal tumble. I was informed during a brief encounter with English Civil War reenacting several years ago that bucket boots were intended primarily to give a person stability in the legs and ankles while on horseback, and weren't worn for walking more than a short distance. Having seen an original pair of bucket boots, I can see why. Just imagine trying to walk in ski boots that come up to your knee! Seems like the wearing of boots would have been limited mostly to drinking and wenching sessions on shore. Any thoughts or recommendations? Planksheer