Captain Twill
Academic Fight Circle, Research, Share, Discuss & Debate Maritime History.
1,565 topics in this forum
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I often imagine pirates as simply sailing the seas, wind in their hair as they scanned the horizon from the foretop, looking for a sail, and just hoping something turned up. And maybe increasing their odds by prowling shipping choke points like the Mona Passage, the Windward Passage, or (at least in the Barbary corsairs' case) the Strait of Gibraltar. But, as Charles Johnson pointed out, scarcity was "no uncommon thing among them." With poverty and starvation very real possibilities, it would help a lot to know in advance where your prey was going to show up. And at least one source suggests that they did. When George Roberts was captured by Ned Low at Cape Verde in …
Last reply by Fox, -
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Sort of a sub section of 'making fire' and smoking/clay pipes but take a look https://lh5.ggpht.com/gWdUccrMZPxEzJ8y73RaEg72npJeOC4DB10Dw5mvUXFGzTYoYhydq6o4XPqDR4gsdk-uMJLAthRCXBAA2Rv6_0zWwAML=s0 I would post the picture but the stupid board software 'Doesn't allow that sort of image code for this community' ARSE! If you could avert your gaze from the young lady's assets and look at the table you'll see ... stay with me here, the table, look at the table ... there's a slow match for keeping the pipes going.
Last reply by Mission, -
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Reading Dampier, I noticed that after he and his group split from Sharp's buccaneers and landed in Panama, they had no tents. I guess there were none in the vessel, since their brother buccaneers were otherwise pretty generous, giving them flour, a launch and two canoes, and several days preparation time. Dampier mentions that they built "Hutts" each night for shelter. Anyone know what kind of huts the buccaneers might have built? I imagine we're talking about something like a Boy Scout lean-to, as I can't imagine there being time (or energy after a long march!) to build much more. Are there any pictures? Anyone built one?
Last reply by Mission, -
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I thought there was a discussion addressing this, but I cannot find it via the search function. If anyone can point me to it, I would be much obliged. So, when off boat and out on foot (Morgan and Dampier, for example) how was fire made? Did the buccaneers carry flint & steel? What about ECW soldiers?
Last reply by Mission, -
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Okay, so if I don't want to reek of aqua-velva or irish spring when I strut my stuff among the masses... I reckon a pirate might have doused himself with captured "stinkum"--if for no other reason but the novelty Does anyone have any links to sites that provide period perfume/cologne formulations? Thanks in advance... The Corsair
Last reply by Coastie04, -
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Ahoy Shipmates! I only drop by the Pyracy.com port occasionally, and one of the things I like to do is see how the state of authentic pirate re-enacting/lving history is doing. Some of you old deck hands are really plugging away at it and its impressive. Some of you new(er) folks, are standing on the shoulders of those that came before and are REALLY doing a top ship-shape job. If I could be so bold, I'd love to have/see a thread in C-Twill for just those pictures of you guys in your "accurate", "authentic", "period correct" or whatever its called these days, pirate kits. I know some of you aren't there yet..... BUT please post pictures of your "in progress" kits t…
Last reply by Matty Bottles, -
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I mean, for the ships caught at sea, they sought refuge in hidden bays, where winds had less power. But what about the hurricanes hitting the islands? There weren't refuges like now... and the houses, except few of them, were built from non-resistant material. Where did they seek shelter from the weather, especially if their poor homes got damaged? I think in churches, these were usually big and made of strong stone. Other ideas, have you read about a hurricane in those times?
Last reply by Elena, -
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What were common names/naming traditions during the GAOP?
Last reply by Korisios, -
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DAY ONE: Period Papers for the Private and Public use of Privateers. And if you think that's a long title, then you haven't read many period publications. The titles of some broadsheets, pamphlets and decrees are almost half as long as the rest of the document themselves, but long or short, I've decided to share many of the original documents that I've discovered over the years. I will endeavor to post one a day for a year as pdf downloads starting with this most capital one from 1643... "The Capitall Lawes of New-England, as they stand now in force in the Common-Wealth. By the Court, In the Years 1641. 1642. Captiall Lawes, Established within the Jurisdiction of Ma…
Last reply by Mission, -
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[split from Period hanging methods.] The Golden age, after all, is just a later invented time period. ( since there were pirates in late 1720s too I think best end of gaop is the year 1730). Of course pirate operation decreased because of RN etc. but I think the main reason why post 1724/ 25 pirates are not so known is that GHOP was made in 1724.
Last reply by Swashbuckler 1700, -
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What's the guy called that sits in the crow's nest/ fighting top and looks out, shouting they are seeing the land/ another ship?
Last reply by Elena, -
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I am assuming that there was a ships biscuit/hard tack kind of thing for our period. I think there is an original from the later 18th Century. Flour- water- salt, round cake with "holes" for breaking in it... Same for GAoP or? There is an interesting thread at the Frontier Folk forum http://frontierfolk.net/ipw-web/bulletin/b...opic.php?t=5974 and here is a biscuit maker that Mike Ameling made Any thoughts? GoF
Last reply by Bright, -
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I saw mentioned in this forum and maybe somewhere else for reenactors that they should use buckled shoes and no way boots. But boots existed before the Age of Sail, as far as I know (and I have read about various people being described in books). Then... why? I really want to know...
Last reply by Quartermaster James, -
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I was fooling around looking for images for my next article when I came across the Chatham's Chest. I had no idea there actually was a real, physical Chatham's Chest! I thought it was more theoretical and less metal. How about that? For those who have never heard of it, I will regurgitate the description on the National Maritime Museum's website: "The Chatham Chest was established in 1590 by Sir John Hawkins and others to provide pensions for wounded seamen. The fund was supported by compulsory deductions of 6d a month from seamen's wages. The iron chest was ordered in 1625 to hold the money for a mutual benevolent fund for disabled seaman and was deposited with Greenwi…
Last reply by PoD, -
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not sure if this goes here or in the armory but while i was sitting at my bench at work thinking about pirate things; a random thought came to mind. we know that the Kentucky Longrifle dates back to around 1730 and is a bastardization of sorts of the Pennsylvania rifle brought over from the Germans which is an adaptation of the Jager rifle used for hunting in Germany, so my question is... is it possible that a few of these Jager rifles could have made their way into the hands of privateers and or pirates during early 18th century and on? in my mind i can see the possibility being that it could have been raided from a vessel or if a sailor was from that part of the world …
Last reply by Captain Jim, -
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So, I have been thinking about putting together a buccaneerings kit, and a spanish kit, and I've noticed some images in Buccaneers of America that show "hanging sleeves" - sleeves that are sort of option, I guess, attached at the top and back of the shoulder but with a wide enough space for you arms to completely miss them. Does anyone have any info of surviving artifacts, or how long this style persisted in Spanish dress?
Last reply by Matty Bottles, -
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Blackbeard’s True Treasure ©2011 Kevin P. Duffus RALEIGH--The whereabouts of the mythical pirate treasure of the notorious Blackbeard has bewitched folks ever since the smoke cleared following the Battle of Ocracoke 292 years ago. Minutes after Blackbeard’s death, Royal Navy sailors began a search for the bearded pirate captain’s ill-gotten gains. They were soon disappointed. They found no treasure chests of gold, silver or jewels. And despite many enticing claims, nor has anyone else found Blackbeard’s lost treasure since that historic November day on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. However, there was a treasure, and it likely survives to this day in eastern No…
Last reply by LookingGlass, -
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Help out with one of the most serious topics we've ever covered in The Pyrates Way magazine. (reposted everywhere to get the most responses. ========================================= t's time to get all yer piratical input for an article I'm working on for the January issue of ThePyrates Way. The idea comes from an email we received a month ago about the validity of pirate re-enactors. QUESTION ONE: Why aren't you realistic Pirates? To be a real pirate you need to answer YES to at least two of these three questions: 1) Have you ever raped a woman? 2) Have you ever boarded a craft at sea and taken all of their goods? 3) Have you ever killed a man? Can you say you'r…
Last reply by Fox, -
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so since i posted a comment on the craft site and was repremanded there i will post it here, I really don't understand all this fantasy garb, including non shooting guns, hairbeads/hair ties, tennis shoes with garb, non period pieces of equipment within the wrong circa, ie; tents, shelters, and clothing. we are here and at faires to replicate historical facts that are best known way we know, from ledgers, court documents, journals, paintings, authors/books, college courses, research, arch. /research sites, shipwrecks, antiques, and interviews from descentdants. when re-enacting a time-line (circa) it looks better for the public to see fact than fiction, to give off a …
Last reply by Ivan Henry aka Moose, -
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Yes, I am crying for help here always when google search doesn't give the expected results. Somebody here always happens to know... Which were the tasks of a rear admiral (chef d'escadre on the French side) in the Age of Sail? Not only in battle, but more the mundane, daily tasks which pin him to his office chair... Thank you in advance!
Last reply by Elena, -
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This is Tread about one thing that has intrigued me for a long time. THIS IS RATHER SILLY TREAD BUT I CANNOT HELP MYSELF This is tread about the General History’s 1725 woodcuts and 1732 pirate book. Almost all remember famous England and Rackham pictures from 1725 edition…. I have found this long time ago http://www.piratebrethren.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=232 It seems that in that Foxe’s post of 1732 pictures cannot be found anymore but no worry I have saved copies long time ago. ( I hope Foxe don’t mind ) So here are pictures from Foxe's posts I saved them when they were still there and now posted in Rogues Gallery https://pyracy.com/in...ates-from-ghop/ …
Last reply by Swashbuckler 1700, -
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Yes, I know, I am asking the strangest questions. I had just remembered a controversy I had with somebody a while ago... and while I had to drop the case in order to avoid an useless quarrell, I still want to know: The privateers who caught a prize, whom are they reporting to? The Admiral (well, rear-admiral, vice-admiral, the Navy authority which is there in the colonies) or the Governor?
Last reply by Fox, -
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I had always thought the term Pirate Lords was a reference to the Pirates of the Caribbean movies who stole it from some other pop-pirate source. However, as I was reading The Pirates of the New England Coast 1630-1730 by George Francis Dow and John Henry Edmonds, I came across this in their chapter that attempts to explain every day pirate life: "The captain had usually a sort of privy council which was composed of certain of the officers and older and more experienced sailors and these were sometimes distinguished by the title of 'Lord.'" (Dow and Edmonds, p. 355) It is interesting to me that this is almost nothing like what was presented in the POTC movies or popular…
Last reply by Fox, -
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Eye found a cool web site that provides the commands givin for rowing a long boat. http://www.shelburne...ngcommands.html
Last reply by oderlesseye, -
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There is a photo in books and online of Captain Kidd's original Letter of Marque [privateering commission] that I'm sure many of you are familiar with. Does anyone know of a larger readable version of it? And does anyone know of a correct word for word transcription of it? The transcription I keep seeing online is obviously incorrect with the sole use of "Robert Kidd" throughout the transcription. One can plainly see "William Kidd" in a couple of places on the original vellum document. There are also other discrepencies in the trascripition I have been seeing online. It looks like the original vellum document has been badly trimmed for some unknown reason. King Willia…
Last reply by Tar Bucket Bill,