Pyrate Olympics.....

[Patrick Hand]

This might be better in Rabble rousing..... but it does have to do with period Pyrate skills.... so I will post it here....

I was looking through the photo gallery.... and saw lots of different kit and garb... look great at a Faire.... but could you realy "board " a ship with alla that..... (ok outta fairness.... I carry a tankard on my belt... and a shrunken head..... and someother bits of fluff)

When I played on the Royaleste(sp)(just a touch of rum tonight... so spelling is out the window...) , I quickly discovered that a big hat, and the baldrick with cutlass.... and stuff hanging offfa my belt got in the way......

Dressing flashy to go into town and impress the women.... ok that's one thing ..... but other than sailing, what activitys or games would be aproperate to show/illistrate.... how to carry (and what not to carry) yer gear... weapons...etc.... (walking through a crowded bar... that don't count.... if you have a cutlass ... people get out of your way....)

But sieriously..... (dang spelling again) what games or things could you do to illistrate what works and what dosen't ..........

OH yah..... and what skills should all period Pyrates know....... flint and steal..... loading guns..... etc........

[Mad Matt]

Mate, I sent you a private message as it's too "adult" to be posted in public forum!

[Black Hearted Pearl]

I have to agree boarding the Royaliste from a dingy was nay almost impossible with a sword, pistol and tankard , except for those cute seamen Ryan and Sean to help a wench onboard.

However, boarding the Royaliste from a dock while carrying weapons was different experience and not a concern. I stowed my weapons in a canvas sea bag that I carry so I could work the lines of sail. However, I still wore my bodice and boots. Both are quite worn in and fit my body like a glove. The hat, of course, went into the seabag when we left the dock. Normally, I wear a hat when sailing, but it is clipped to my shirt with an alligator clip. Not exactly period, but I don't want to lose my hat.

As far as loading a pistol, I currently don't have experience with blackpowder and period weapons, only with current modern guns.

[Fox]

Personally, if I'm doing anything "boaty" I lose all my superfluous kit. My tricorn is replaced by a thrum cap, I usually ditch my cutlass in favour of an axe...

Pirate skills: everyone trying to convince people they are a pirate (whether authentic or fantasy) should have certain skills and knowledge or their portrayal just won't be convincing. Yar, most pirates should have a knowledge of how to fire a cannon or load a pistol, but let's not forget just what kind of a percentage of a pirate's time was spent fighting. Let's take Captain Roberts as an example of one of the "busier" pirates. Roughly speaking he took something like 400 ships in 4 years (IIRC), that's about 2 per week, one every 3-4 days. Even if the whole day were taken up with capturing a ship (which it rarely if ever was probably) that means that for every day spent fighting another 2 or 3 were spent sailing and just living their lives. In reality for most pirates the difference was probably considerably higher, and some pirates probably spent a month sailing for every day fighting. Folks pretending to be pirates should have a rudimentary knowledge of how a sailing ship works, how pirates navigated, how seamen amused themselves and some of the working skills associated with sailing. OK, not everything translates well into land-based events, but I reckon re-enactors should know something of the care, maintenance and use of ropes, period games, the state of the world in whatever year, the relative value of money, that kind of thing.

[Patrick Hand]

There was a "top 10 list" of things a new pyrate should have.... (I think it was in Plunder)

Anyway.... what would be the top 5 things a Pyrate re-enactor should know....?

I will have to think about my top 5......

One of my personnas is ex Maritine Infantry (Marine), so I kind of know a little about being on a ship...( I just have a difficult time remembering that they are "lines" and not ropes.....) (also Sailors talk funny......a totaly different language....)

I do know ropework, knots, lashing, and splicing (OK.... I haven't done a long splice..... but I understand the idea....)

I can load a cannon, pistole,and gun....

I can sew.... clothing and canvas.

I never have killed a cow (Buccaneer), nor have I ever butchered one.... but from that point on, I can smoke or cook the meat, work with horn, and leather, and even tan the hide.....

I can start a fire with flint and steal, and can camp (semi) comfortably with period gear....

Current events and what I would have know about the World at that time, I still have a lot to learn...... but am working on it (well kinda slowly....)

[Gentleman of Fortune]

Well....

I am fairly good at providing constructive critisism of somebodies pirate kit... does that count?

GoF

[Captain Jim]

Well....

I am fairly good at providing constructive critisism of somebodies pirate kit... does that count?

GoF

I believe that skill is a prerequisite for the skill called "walking the plank."

[BeaufortsPyrateWench]

There is a marked difference b/t Faire and normal Pyrate activites. At faire I don All my bells and whistles. BUT when sailing I wear breeches, cotton shirt, No shoes, a small dagger, small bag for my meds and sunblock, muffin hat or just a scarf on me head if it is windy. I have a bodice that I wear: 1) you can hide stuff in it , 2) I need the back support. The Tricorn works but only if you are not halling line or up and down the rat lines. I dont carry my pistols due to the fact if they fall or get hung on anything and break or are dammaged, the cost to fix them is very high. (Plus my father and I made them and they have emotional value to me)Swords are not put on unless on land. My advice is less is better unless you are going for the "hollywood" look, then stay out of the way of the crew and look cute on the poop deck. I guess everyone has their own "comfort zone" so to each his own to find what works for them. We play a game called Morgans Revenge alot ( has a top and coins) we have also found a game called Dread Pyrate that looks very period (got it at Borders Books for $50 bucks)

[Hawkyns]

Slops, shirt, cassack, belt with knife and lanyard, shoes and either thrum, or monmouth cap. Maybe a scarf instead if it's very hot.

What you do depends on your job. Since I'm the master gunner, I'm excused any work aloft, but I lend a hand hauling from the deck when needed. Other than that, pistol loading and firing, musket loading and firing, rope splicing, cannon crew, and maybe some cutlass or axe work. Most of the rest is pretty much standard ship work. Standing watches, lookout, fire and bilge watch, galley hand, deck scrubbing, painting and tarring, and general maintainance. Not much to make an exciting show, but all the things that would need to be done if the ship was not to fall apart quickly.

Hawkyns

[Coastie04]

I started as a sailor on the good ship Lady Washington and then progressed to being a pirate. Pirates just wouldn't carry everything they owned all at once, like some try to do at fairs (me included at times). When sailing, I just have slops, sometimes shoes (depends on temperature and sometimes the safety requirements of the captains), bandana, and a belt with a sheathed knife. That's just a normal sailor's kit. Gun and sword would only be used in battle, and often for the smaller vessels that most pirates used, people would not need to be aloft to fight the ship. Sails can be effectively doused from deck, and only if there's a lul in fighting would they go aloft to fix rigging. In that case, leave the sword and pistol on deck, lay aloft to get the job done, and then retrieve your weapons. I also would not take the sheath to any sword I might use. It's just something to trip over. Hell, putting the sword in my teeth while I jump over and use both hands to climb aboard wouldn't be out of the question.

Going into town is probably where I'd have the most gear, not on the ship. I would still have my knife, because that's as much a part of a sailor as the shirt on his back. That's where I'd wear whatever the fashion of the time is, including hats, fancy clothing, and buckled shoes. I might have a mug, though that is more for contemporary practicality than it probably was back then. We don't bring our own cups into bars regularly now, I doubt they did back then (I could be wrong). Depending on how safe I felt in a town, I'd bring sword and pistol. That would be a matter of preference and perception. Just like you'd feel safe leaving your car unlocked overnight in some places and don't feel safe even with it locked for an hour with you looking at it in other places.

In short, I'd say it really depends on your activity. Start with a basic sailor's kit and then modify it depending on your story. If raiding the town, bring the pistol; if getting drunk in the local bars, bring the purse.

Coastie