A Seamans Camp: making camp authentic and nautical

[AnnaMarie]

Ahoy again!

I saw the threads on garb and thought well if your getting ready for an encampment what can you do to make your camp more accurate for a seaman ashore and some of the helpful things I have found to help distinguish your camp as more than just a normal ren or re-enactment army type setup. Now this might not be useful for PiP but I figured that this is stuff I have learned from others and research it is always good to share the info one has learned. Plus maybe others have stuff they can add and I can learn more. My field of expertise is historical fashion and theatrical costume, but after spending time setting up camp and learning how and what we need I figure I can offer what I have learned.

So I will break up the setting camp into sections:

1. The Tent

2. Bedding

3. Accessories

4. The extra touches

1. The Tent

Well there is a few ways to approach this. Accurately a landing party ashore would rely heavily on the resources of their sailmaker. Most ships did not store in cargo tents, in case they might need them. Due to this when deciding to go ashore to set camp the sailmaker was required to go to work, often using scraps of old sail to fashion that tents would be needed for the men that are going ashore. This often meant that tents where a bit makeshift, and used things such as a spar and such for cross beams. So knowing this if your starting from get go and happen to have lots of sail canvas about or in fact even one large sail this can easily serve as the body of your tent to have the proper and acurate feel. I will show you 3 tents that are all made out of sail or sail canvas scraps to give you an idea of what it is that you can do and pretty easily.

First is the easiest, and most makeshift in appearence but it is usable and not really any less usable than any other tent. This tent will be the most intensive for ship parts.

It requires a small sail, a bowsprit, and 4 oars.

These pieces can all be used as well to fashion a lean to as well over a hammock.

*Just unlike in this picture make sure that any markings on the sail are a bit more accurate than a large advertisement for the museum your working for.*

here is the back to show how we closed up just the back end

Yes it looks small but in truth it had room for 2 and their gear inside...but no standing room.

Here are the same bits described used as a lean-to instead. This one is currently not pulled forward due to massive rain, but I think it shows the set up well this way.

Now the last is something you can do if you dont mind altering your perfectly solid purshased tent. It is simple and basically using the basic idea of the tent above basically use a few bits of canvas and double them up and patch your lovely exisiting tent. Any stitching you do will effect the waterproofing of the tent so make sure all patches are double layer to begin with and put the patches in non vital or head dripping places. My recomendation is towards the bottom of the tent. You can use patches of the same colour as your tent but I would suggest at least make sure the patches are slightly a shade diffrent enough to be noticable.

This tent labled the Boom boom Room is a good example of such a tent, it was built from scratch though. It is the tent in the background.

2. Bedding

Sailors would not have many options avalible that I have found for bedding. The only ones that might have a bed were High ranking officers but usually only the captain. The captains bed was often bolted or built into the ship so even this would not have been brought out to shore. SO often you have the comfort option which would be the hammock, or wool blankets on the ground.

Hammocks can be strung in your tent if it is tall enough but if the weather is nice enough you don't nessecairly even need a tent.

A lean to over a hammock is always a valid option as well to prepare for weather and give shade. For bedding wool blankest would be good and common enough.

3. Accessories

It is always those extra touches that make everything in life look supreme. Camps are no exception and even with a normal tent you can easily get across the idea your trying to portray without having to make your own whole new tent.

So here are a few things you can add that will give that little extra and are things that would be very exclusive to a sailors camp.

*Oars- leaning oars up against things are always a great way to show your nautical, you can get cheap wooden ones and paint them white and your set.

*Ditty bags- These dufflebag style bags are the trademark of seaman in any size one hanging from a tent post or a large one full of your clothes serving as a pillow always adds to authenticity.

*Ships Latern - This style of latern is always good, your gonna need light, so investing in a ships latern might be a semi nesscity anyways

*Bottles in bottle netting - Glass on board ship was nettted to give it a bumper, make it wasy to hang, help contain breaks. Having one or two of these hanging around works well...it is super easy to do and besides even a modern wine bottle in this style netting passes since you can not see the bottle well at all. So it is a cheap option.

*Rope - have a coil of rope. Rope is always always useful to have around and well looks right for the camp.

*Weapons - a boarding pike or axe are another great addition to the camp when these things can be afforded.

*Bell and Hour glass - a fun way to be accurate. Keep the hours and watch by the bells.

here is a picture of our tent decorated with some accessories.

4. The Extra Touches

Well if only we could all afford to have these last things all our own and always with us

A boat

a cannon (ahh Charlotte)

Well that is all hope I am not being too uppity by making this post. just figured it might be helpful to others. Please add some other ideas i would love to see and learn more of what others do to make their camp more sailor authentic.

Anna Marie

[michaelsbagley]

Neat stuff! And great pics once again!

You also may want to check out this thread....

GAoP Encampment

And possibly this thread for tent variants....

Getting tentage Ready for PiP

And/Or this thread on the Mercury encampment for PiP

The Mercury, 1720 Careening Camp

All of these thread have great ideas on encampments and camp accoutrements.

[Rats]

Looks like a very nice location!!!

Which would be located??????????

[Gsc]

NICE post and pics...alot of valid points were brought up (I'm new to the re-enacting side of this so I'm always looking for new info to expand my understanding)... Thanks for sharing.

[Calico Jack]

Which would be located??????????

A few different spots, in truth. The shot with the boat was Louisbourg, Nova Scotia [as was the first, wee little tent]. The tent with the brown canvas included is at Fort Anne, Nova Scotia. I don't think she included pictures of any of our other "usual" encampments.

[AnnaMarie]

Ahoy again! ^^

the reason I pout this heare and not some place like Twill is bacause like the other garb threads it is far from purely academic. It also involves the rooting around and aquiring of stuff. Plus I figured like the garb threads there are other events other than the festival. I have an event coming up...I hope...in about 2 weeks. I want to see and know others ideas as well. Plus I gave some hints on ways to fake stuff as well.

The links are nice and thanks. Did not think to look in PiP because I am not going, but now I suppose this topic is viewable for tohers not going as well like me.

The locations in the Pictures are of Louisburg, from the first sacking...early 1700'ss but forget the exact year.

Fort Anne in Annapolis Royale, it was the defense spot for Port Royale.

And I believe there is some shots from Privateer Days as well and that I sadly can not at all remeber the name of the town.

[AnnaMarie]

Oh one other accessorie that is always perfect, accurate, easy, and fun to have is a bell and hour glass!

You can see ours on a tripod in the boat picture.

Even on shore men still had to keep time and watch.

So announcing what bell it is is always fun and adds an extra flair to your camp.

[AnnaMarie]

Here is the lean to I spoke of in my original post. Sadly it is pulled back due to the torrential downpour of the evening. The Hammocks where slung beneath this. Luckily as many tents fell that night is was one of the few camps that happened to take place in the same city I lived in. yay! It meant that while many ended up in cars, I got to go home to my apartment and snuggly cats. This picture is from the halifax Citidel Changing of the Guard.

At somepoint when I am less lazy I should edit these alst two things into my original post...

Sorry i am tkaing so much space with pictures. i am a very visual person and feel that it is always best to describe as well as show what I am trying to show people.

[blackjohn]

make your camp more accurate for a seaman ashore

Define accurate.

I have found that reenactors tend to bring a whole lot more with them into a camp than the actual people they are portraying tended to have. Why? Modern transportation. It means we don't have to schlep all this crap for any great length by hand. Having spent some time studying these things, I believe many of the these items we often see in camp would have been left onboard as either too cumbersome, not of any real use, or too crucial to the function of the ship to take along.

For instance... a lantern? I seriously doubt anyone would let you take a lantern ashore, be you from a naval vessel or a pirate ship. Oars? So you've tied the oars from your boat together to make a tent... uhhh... suppose you have to make a VERY quick getaway? You're kinda up the creek without a paddle, aren't you?

On the other hand, one really needs to define the reason as to why pirates are camping. Shipwreck? Marooning? Careening? Exploring? Chasing after gold? Once those questions have been answered, then a basic load can be determined.

Ymmv.

And I love those pics, btw. I need to get to Louisbourg someday. I thought I was going to be heading up to Halifax for a CANUS Geospatial Intel conference, so I figured I'd hit it from there, but after I said I'd go, my people did a switcheroo on me and now I'm heading to Ottawa instead.

[oderlesseye]

Well that is all hope I am not being too uppity by making this post

Eye for one thoroughly enjoyed your post..

Oars

Ditty bags

Bottles in bottle netting

Rope

Weapons - a boarding pike or axe

I shall use some of these ideas in Dead Mans Cove.

[Patrick Hand]

Define accurate.

Blackjohn brings up an interesting point....

I think instead of saying a camp is "accurate"..... "Aesthetic" would be a better term....

When I do my Buccaneer stuff, I only carry a bedroll with a light wieght tarp, and a snapsack.... It's as accurate/authentic as I can make it.....

But it dosen't make a very interesting camp (welll... for to public to look at)

When I go to PiP, I take the bedroll, a sail that I use as a tarp, this year I'll have a hammoc.... because I fly to Key West, I can't take much stuff.... It is close to accurate/authentic...

When I go to Ojai, I can tote more stuff..... so I add a few wooden chest, some bottles full of (well..... iced tea so I can stay hydrated... the rum is for later) a lantern and more stuff.... my part of camp is kinda small, but with more stuff, it looks more interesting....

Would a common Sailor/Pyrate have all that extra stuff..... probably not.... so it's not realy "that accurate"...... but it looks "aestheticly pleasing".....

<And that ice chest, even if it is covered with a tarp, or in your car..... or the small propane stove that I use to cook coffee in the morning instead of starting a fire.........well ........ >

[AnnaMarie]

Accurate?

Well all of these things could and would be possibly found at camp.

Bottles? these are used as flasks that is why you have them, same as a canteen, I offered the bottle in net only because it is a tad more nautical in look but things such as somethign to drink out of such as this or barrells would have been brought ashore unless fresh water was a gurantee, which is often as not not a gurantee when just setting up a camp.

I did not suggest such things as sea chests because they would be big and bulky and only brought ashore if full of something needed.

Lanterns? Unless you plan on having the inability to see anything after dark laterns where yes at least a feew brought ashore. Also for the nesscity of the camping people as I am sure being in pitch black is not always the most fun for us either laterns make life now as then a bit easier.

Rope would have been brought ashore, it would have been needed to pitch hammocks and tents and for that alone would have been brought. Rope is a sailors friend and will always be useful.

Boarding axes are useful in the creation of camp. Also about the oars as you can see in all the pictures the oars for the most part are tied with one knot even in the more complicated tents. Oars are usually bound as nothing is ever left loose. Wether you pull them quickly from your tent or where they might be stowed they will be bound and untying them is the same either way.

Ditty bags? Well for one these would have been used at least the small ones to transport anything someone might need ashore. rather than lugging their belongings in a sea chest. they would also hold things like sail workers tools or any number of things really. they are a catchall and come from large to small size.

All of the things are quite small. I by no means suggest to bring all of them either. Things like this it is easy to mix and match. To give the over all feel. I used authentic as these are all things that could be and would be used. If you feel there is a particular item that is not used by sailors please point it out, that way i can do more research and we can together find the answer. No bodys right all the time and I am the first to admit I am far from infallible.

As far as reasons behind such camps? Well one is careening as mentioned.

This is not the excuse we have been using. Most landings would take place at port. It would be rare to set camp and the reasons extreme usually. such things as immediate repairs may force them to camp. Another is sickness or disease. Quarentine means taking the men ashore. I fyour lucky enough to have a surgeon aboard then he might do a bit of work on said patients as well.

it was the "clean air" that was supposed to do these men good.

We often use the excuse of quarntine and have made a nice little sign which we add a diffrent disease to every camp we make and cross out the old.

I think the idea of having to quickly grab oars and paddle off from danger is a bit romanticised to be honest. landing parties meant to seige or attack would not liekly have been setting up any sort of camp. They would simply sneak in and prepare to seige. Setting camp is a rare thing, and was usually only for practical reasons.

I don't think it would be uncalled for though to expect in camp the ability to have light, especially as a large fire maybe unwanted, water, equipment needed to set camp, or the ability to carry what small things you would need.

this is merely a list designed for people to pick and choose from it what they might want.

You can go for bare minimum, but yes this gives you for one less ability for showing the public things from which they might learn something new, as well as going to bare might as well be less realistic.

P.s. Don't forget that back then these people had to live, which means they had to eat, drink, and work. Even when down to minumum they would have brought the things along which would have been able to make sure these things happened. Although a hammock or a bedroll might be one fo the few things owned...and even the hammocks where rarely owned they would still need to have handy any tools needed to do work while not on ship, as would have been expected no one is ever just exempt. They would need the things to provide and eat their food and get water or wine for drink. This requres stuff. having too much stuff and clutter is overboard but some stuff is needed. the sailor or pirate with only blankets was a dead one.

[blackjohn]

Accurate?

Well all of these things could and would be possibly found at camp.

Could be, or might not be. That's why I said one really should define the type of camp one is reenacting.

Bottles?  these are used as flasks that is why you have them, same as a canteen, I offered the bottle in net only because it is a tad more nautical in look but things such as somethign to drink out of such as this or barrells would have been brought ashore unless fresh water was a gurantee, which is often as not not a gurantee when just setting up a camp.

Of course, calabashes are just as accurate, if not more so, and are dirt cheap.

I did not suggest such things as sea chests because they would be big and bulky and only brought ashore if full of something needed.

They are a bitch to carry, trust me. I usually only take to an event what fits in my chest.

Lanterns?  Unless you plan on having the inability to see anything after dark laterns where yes at least a feew brought ashore.  Also for the nesscity of the camping people as I am sure being in pitch black is not always the most fun for us either laterns make life now as then a bit easier.

Light gives your position away. Not a good thing for pirates. When speaking of safety around camp (the pitch black not being fun I'll equate with modern safety concerns), you've taken the argument from being about accuracy to being about something else. I won't disagree that some things, safety, take precedence over accuracy.

Rope would have been brought ashore, it would have been needed to pitch hammocks and tents and for that alone would have been brought.  Rope is a sailors friend and will always be useful.

I agree rope would have been brought, if for no other reason than it is in the boat. I'll disagree that tents and hammocks would have been brought, but again, that depends on the type of camp you are going for.

Boarding axes are useful in the creation of camp.  Also about the oars as you can see in all the pictures the oars for the most part are tied with one knot even in the more complicated tents.  Oars are usually bound as nothing is ever left loose.  Wether you pull them quickly from your tent or where they might be stowed they will be bound and untying them is the same either way. 

Oars can be stowed on the bottom of the boat. I've seen it done countless times. One knot could make the difference between life and death if you are in a hurry. And in the pics, it is hard to tell just how much binding is on those oars. Still, if you have axes, why bother with the possibility of screwing up a useful tool (ie, breaking an oar) when you could just go cut some nearby limbs, saplings, what have you?

Ditty bags?  Well for one these would have been used at least the small ones to transport anything someone might need ashore.  rather than lugging their belongings in a sea chest.  they would also hold things like sail workers tools or any number of things really.  they are a catchall and come from large to small size.

I prefer snapsacks myself. Or my chest. I doubt that I'd carry the chest ashore, under normal circumstances, but I have found in real life I can carry everything I need for an event, short of my blunderbuss and sword, in my chest and not have to worry about it getting broken. Thus, in a way I'm looking at this from a "modern" convenience point of view, just as you alluded to lanterns being a handy "modern" convenience. Modern probably not being the best choice of words here... compromise would fit though.

All of the things are quite small.  I by no means suggest to bring all of them either.  Things like this it is easy to mix and match.  To give the over all feel.  I used authentic as these are all things that could be and would be used.  If you feel there is a particular item that is not used by sailors please point it out, that way i can do more research and we can together find the answer.  No bodys right all the time and I am the first to admit I am far from infallible.

Now feel... that something I understand. It harkens back to exactly what Patrick was saying above. But I'm not sure that feel is always accurate. I'm not sure it isn't, either. And fwiw, I screw up all the time.

As far as reasons behind such camps?  Well one is careening as mentioned.

In which case, I take back everything I said. And I'll add, you forgot the kitchen sink!

This is not the excuse we have been using.  Most landings would take place at port.  It would be rare to set camp and the reasons extreme usually.  such things as immediate repairs may force them to camp.  Another is sickness or disease.  Quarentine means taking the men ashore. I fyour lucky enough to have a surgeon aboard then he might do a bit of work on said patients as well.

I'm scanning my brain trying to think of first hand accounts of pirates landing... ok... more often than not they were going ashore to kill someone and take their money. Or trying to find supplies. Camping was unusual. Camping in port... hmmm... I'm going to have to think about that. In port... I think I'd be on the ship, or getting s--tfaced in a tavern.

it was the "clean air" that was supposed to do these men good.

My chyrgeon tells me he has an enema that will cure all that ails me.

We often use the excuse of quarntine and have made a nice little sign which we add a diffrent disease to every camp we make and cross out the old.

Do you believe pirates would have gone through the formality of setting out a sign?

I think the idea of having to quickly grab oars and paddle off from danger is a bit romanticised to be honest.  landing parties meant to seige or attack would not liekly have been setting up any sort of camp.  They would simply sneak in and prepare to seige.  Setting camp is a rare thing, and was usually only for practical reasons.

I'll half agree with you in that setting up a camp would be rare. However, a seige is just the type of situation where you need a camp. It implies you are sitting in one position trying to starve out an enemy. As for quickly grabbing oars... I've read more than one account of pirates getting their a--es handed to them and having to beat a hasty retreat.

I don't think it would be uncalled for though to expect in camp the ability to have light, especially as a large fire maybe unwanted, water, equipment needed to set camp, or the ability to carry what small things you would need.

My point is more of a "but there aren't that many lanterns onboard and you might not be coming back alive" argument. Let's face it, light at night is a modern convenience. Snelgrave was saved by that fact, when the pirate tha came into the room to kill him shot the wrong guy in the dark of the cabin.

this is merely a list designed for people to pick and choose from it what they might want.

And I'm just trying to help them understand some of the reason why they might not want to pick some of these things. Or, maybe why they might want to.

You can go for bare minimum, but yes this gives you for one less ability for showing the public things from which they might learn something new, as well as going to bare might as well be less realistic.

When you go bare minimum, you'll have to rely on your knowledge of the era as opposed to doing show and tell.

P.s. Don't forget that back then these people had to live, which means they had to eat, drink, and work.  Even when down to minumum they would have brought the things along which would have been able to make sure these things happened.  Although a hammock or a bedroll might be one fo the few things owned...and even the hammocks where rarely owned they would still need to have handy any tools needed to do work while not on ship, as would have been expected no one is ever just exempt.  They would need the things to provide and eat their food and get water or wine for drink.  This requres stuff.  having too much stuff and clutter is overboard but some stuff is needed.  the sailor or pirate with only blankets was a dead one.

On the other hand, all pirates had to do was kill people and steal their stuff, or just threaten them and steal their stuff, and get rip-roaring drunk. Therein lies the big difference between pirates and normal sailors.

But then again, you did say seaman's camp... and I was talkin' pirates.

[AnnaMarie]

Heya and Ahoy!

Only have a sec before the fooding.

Well your correct there are many styles and themes you can use for your camp and depending what you pick will best determine what it is that you shall bring.

I think your idea though of pirates in quick getaway from their camps is still a bit romanticized but I will do a bit of looking around of some pirate engagments see what I can find on any land to sea sort of stuff.

As far as what would a pirate do? I am a bit puzzled by what you think a pirate does in comparison to a sailor. A pirate is a sailor. Pirates all had to do everything a sailor had to do. Sailors are the men who worked boats the jobs and tasks where all quite similar it was the meaning behind you vessel or perhaps your owndership which determined what you where doing, Say navy, merchant, pirate. All of these men are sailors, just their extra jobs change a bit...and their pay rates.

But The job of a pirate was to be a sailor first and foremost, they got to be a theif amd fighter secondary. So for your average thoughts on what a pirate needs or did, and what would be taking up his time, figure out what was required of a sailor. Sure sailors got drunk..if they where allowed, depends on the captain, same went for Pirates too.

Pirates had just as much work as any other sailor, maybe more...the only blokes I pity more where fisherman and Marines.

[blackjohn]

Division of labor... if you had 100 guys to do the task required of 12 guys, do you believe the workload is going to be the same? But we are straying off-topic at this point.

I sometimes believe the whole pirates are sailors line, but then I read primary source and I have my doubts. They are similar to sailors, but I don't believe they are the same. If they were the same, would they ever have turned pirate?

Quick getaway... Capt Davis' death as told to us by Snelgrave. Davis and his men went into town, and were ambushed. They did a fighting retreat, but Davis bought it. If you'd like, I could find more. I'm pretty sure there are one or two instances cited by Dampier, and probably more.

And hey, thanks for the thought provoking discussion...

[Patrick Hand]

Hey Blackjohn..... but why are you being so harsh ?

stupid arguement about camping (and how it looks)

awh common..... is everything in "your" camp 100% period?

I ain't picking on you..... but I think something has been missunderstod some place along the line.....

One person says..... hey... this looks cool....

You argue "Is that period"

who cares........ (well I know the ansewer to that....)

A good "snide"closing statement would be realy cool....but I'm not mad at either of you..............

Edited out th name calling.......

[Calico Jack]

Also not picking on anyone, but for what it might be worth, here are my observations:

This is not the excuse we have been using.  Most landings would take place at port.  It would be rare to set camp and the reasons extreme usually.

Camping was unusual. Camping in port... hmmm... I'm going to have to think about that. In port... I think I'd be on the ship, or getting s--tfaced in a tavern.

First, do notice that you both said exactly the same thing here, but phrased it as a debate. Both suggest that most times when ashore, you would be in port [what sort of port, naturally differs sometimes between pirates/privateers/navies, but port none-the-less]. Both suggest that camps would be unusual. AnnaMarie suggests that a camp as we think of it would be more likely when careening, BlackJohn suggests most common when assaulting a town but that it would not be as we think of it.

Therefore, let us all set up the following: this discussion appears to be about Careening camps, then. This is appropriate, since the companion threads are in regards to the PiP Careening Camp.

When you go bare minimum, you'll have to rely on your knowledge of the era as opposed to doing show and tell.

Alas, when you go bare minimum, you also rely on the audience's knowledge of the era to some extent as well. More show and tell means less reliance on the audience already being informed. And as someone who works in museums, I hold grave misgivings about the general public's historical knowledge and understanding of most any era.

On the other hand, all pirates had to do was kill people and steal their stuff, or just threaten them and steal their stuff, and get rip-roaring drunk. Therein lies the big difference between pirates and normal sailors.

It is true. Normal sailors did not often steal their stuff. Unless, of course, said normal sailors were privateers, most of whom appear to be "normal sailors" out to make some quick money during a given war, by sailing under a privateer.

I sometimes believe the whole pirates are sailors line, but then I read primary source and I have my doubts. They are similar to sailors, but I don't believe they are the same. If they were the same, would they ever have turned pirate?

Take out the words "pirate" and "sailor" and instead insert "student" and "drug dealer." They are criminals, but this likely does not make them less sailors. Especially including the many accounts of sailors "taken" or "offered" during captures. Those sailors who sign on the Account from captured ships were, in fact, sailors. Else they would not have been sailors on the captured vessel. Ned Low [my personal favourite] seemed to acquire many of his crew(s) in just such a fashion.

[EDIT: Ooh! Better comparison! There is a young fellow recently in the local news for street racing his car and causing a horrible accident. Take out "pirate" and "sailor" and instead instert "street racer" and "driver"! Difficult to be a Street Racer car versus car, without being a Driver as well...]

who cares........

And Hand, amongst others, I care [grins]. But I think the debate, such as it is, entails less about "period" and more about "event." That is to say, BlackJohn, I've noticed in other trheads your large concern about not just what year is being represented, but also what specific event. Is is a careening? A siege? A night in port? The sack of a specific town? Which captain(s) was historically involved in that event? This is a common question amongst Civil War reenactors, who generally even have scripts as to which soldiers go where on the field and who "dies" when. Do you folks have a specific careening in mind for the 1720 [not 1729][grins] careening camp?

And finally... using some quick secondary source searching, I've come across citations from North America claiming Ditty Bags to be from the first world war, citations from North America claiming Ditty Bags to be from the 1850s, and citations from the UK claiming that Ditty Bags appear in books from 1700 "about" the navy... but being pieces of poor scholarship, they do not give a citation for the books in question from 1700. I'm having some research done by me and others over the next bit to try to track down just how far back does the ditty bag go. Because I want to know if it is accurate, as well as atmospheric. [grins]

[Rats]

Thanks Jack and Anna!

What a beautiful site!! You guys are very fortunate!!

Do you have any links to the museum (If that's what it is)you can post or more pics of the location??? Those buildings look great!!

R

[William Brand]

Do you folks have a specific careening in mind for the 1720 [not 1729][grins] careening camp?

First, thank you all for the discussion. The points raised, debated, counter-raised, argued, raised to the ground, explained and raised from the dead are all very interesting. I have gleaned a little from everyone.

Now, to answer Calico Jack...

The setting or backdrop of the 1720 Mercury Careening Camp is an interesting one. Since the Pirates in Paradise Festival takes place on Key West, and given the chosen year of 1720, the careening takes place in what would have been Spanish waters. Now Fort Zachary Taylor was not built until 1845, so the fort itself is not 'period'. However, the hostilities between Spain and England were such that the year 1720 falls almost directly between the destruction of St. Augustine of 1702 and the Georgian's attack on Florida in 1740, with numerous hostilities of various degrees falling in between. This establishes the English presence, and while it may be a bit fluid and anachronistic in 1720, it suits our purposes.

Now, since Harry always has a Red Coat presence at the festival every year, for the purpose of the festival we must argue that for narrative reasons these English soldiers are trying to gain a foothold, outpost or secret base of operations within Spanish Florida. The geography of Key West, both historically, politically and physically, have changed to such a degree that we have to take considerable license, but the fort is there and damn us if were not going to use it!

The Mercury and her crew are much easier to explain away. Spanish waters had English pirates. Done.

Our story for the festival is this...The Mercury, being an older Bermuda sloop, requires some repairs to her aging hull. The crew of the Mercury has beached the sloop on the Key of Bones for the purpose of careening her to scrape her hull and pitch the seams. By necessity the crew must pitch a makeshift camp ashore while the work on their ship is completed. Relatively simple story.

How do we explain away the English proximity to pirates? Again, it is relatively simple. The Pirates have careened the Mercury out of sheer necessity. They are willing to careen so near the usurping English because they know that the forces there are small, almost threadbare. The English cannot afford to over reach their tentative foothold in Spanish waters and we cannot afford a clash with the English while the Mercury is laid over on her side. What exists is a very tenuous relationship between English soldiers and English pirates in a land under the rule of Spain.

It becomes the perfect template for intrigue, accusations, suspicion, betrayal and all of the hobgoblin emotions that crop up between two opposing forces.

Of course it could be argued, and rightfully so, that we are taking considerable license, but like many pirate festivals we are merely acting out an historical fiction. We are trying to be as accurate to the period, as faithful to history and as true to ourselves as we can be. We hope to be both period and aesthetic enough for our own enjoyment and satisfaction as well as the education and entertainment of our visitors.

The individual kits, tents, costuming and extras being supplied for the overall camp fall under the direct discretion of the crew members individually, and in some cases, collectively. This is the first year of the 1720 Mercury Careening Camp. I am certain that an evolution will follow.

Again, thank you for the many examples and opinions sited herein.

-William Brand

[blackjohn]

Hey Blackjohn..... but why are you being such a jerk about this?

stupid arguement about camping (and how it looks)

awh common..... is everything in "your" camp 100% period?

I ain't picking on you..... but I think something has been missunderstod some place along the line.....

One person says..... hey... this looks cool....

You argue "Is that period"

who cares........ (well I know the ansewer to that....)

A good "snide"closing statement would be realy cool....but I'm not mad at either of you..............

My apologies, to all parties, if I came off as a jerk. That wasn't my intention, so much as having a thought provoking debate on the subject.

Fwiw, I do agree with you on a variety of levels. For instance, having a cool camp with fun stuff to talk about is... cool! The aesthetically pleasing camp has a lot going for it, but if you want to label a camp as accurate, then you need to ask yourself some serious questions. I think you'd agree.

The opening statement of this thread wasn't so much "hey... this looks cool" as something like, "I saw the threads on garb and thought well if your getting ready for an encampment what can you do to make your camp more accurate [emphasis mine]for a seaman ashore and some of the helpful things I have found to help distinguish your camp as more than just a normal ren or re-enactment army type setup." AnnaMarie then posted her points. I posted counter points of my own. Debate ensued. Both parties may have learned something along the way.

Thanks for not using a snide closing statement. I have a great deal of respect for you, and I know that's not your style.

[blackjohn]

Also not picking on anyone, but for what it might be worth, here are my observations

That's cool. I don't think anyone here has the intention of picking on anyone. Especially not me... I hate having to self-moderate! And as much as I'd like to reply to your post, I just bought a Star Trek starship combat game for my PS3 (yeah, it's a PS2 game, but I digress), so I'm going to go blast Klingons (sorry Patrick) from the bridge of the NCC-1701 for awhile!

[Patrick Hand]

Rats.... I though about it, and realized calling Blackjohn a jerk wasn't a very cool thing to do, so I went and edited the post..I changed it to read "but why are you being so harsh ?"... unfortunatly, Blackjohn was posting at the same time....

So I want to appologize for the name calling, it was uncalled for.

[blackjohn]

Hey, that's ok. You're one of my favorite people I've never met, and giving me a reality check is cool. I didn't mean to come off as a jerk, but I may have come off that way in the reading of it, so no harm done Mr Hand.

[blackjohn]

On the other hand, all pirates had to do was kill people and steal their stuff, or just threaten them and steal their stuff, and get rip-roaring drunk. Therein lies the big difference between pirates and normal sailors.

It is true. Normal sailors did not often steal their stuff. Unless, of course, said normal sailors were privateers, most of whom appear to be "normal sailors" out to make some quick money during a given war, by sailing under a privateer.

Veering off topic a bit, you might enjoy this quote. It's what Woodes Rogers had to say about his privateer crew...

On the 15th June, 1708, we went down to King-road, to fit our ships for sea and the better to keep our men on board, where we continued till the 1st August, when we weighed anchor and towed down about five miles below the Holmes. We made sail at one next morning, and got into Cork harbour on the 5th August, where we remained till the 27th adjusting all things, taking on board additional men provided there for us, and discharging some we had brought from Bristol, who were found unfit for the voyage. Our complement of men in both ships was now 333, of which above a third were foreigners from most nations, several of her majesty's subjects we had on board being tinkers, tailors, haymakers, pedlars, fiddlers, and the like, with one negro and ten boys; yet we hoped to be well manned with this motley crew, when they had got their sea-legs and had learnt the use of arms. We had double the number of officers usual in privateers, which was meant to prevent mutinies, so usual in long voyages, and to secure a succession in case of deaths. Our holds were so full of provisions, that our cables, and a great deal of our bread and some water casks were between decks, and having 183 men in the Duke, and 151 in the Duchess, we were obliged to send our sheet, cable, and other new store cordage on shore at Cork, to make room for our men and provisions, yet were so much crowded and lumbered that we could not have engaged an enemy, without throwing much provisions and stores overboard.

[Calico Jack]

[grins] Staying slightly off-topic, I certainly agree that not all started as skilled sailors. Farmers' sons, fishermans' sons, inkeepers' sons... Similarly, some "impressments" were not of skilled sailors, either. One notable for me was a number of Lunenburg NS farmers, who were impressed by a Halifax press gang during a night of boozing following the weekly market. Their story even made it to the local Admiralty Court, which is how it made it into the historical record. That said, those farmers were rated Ordinary, which means 'though they were not good sailors, they were sailors none-the-less. Plus, by the time they made it home, at least several had rated Able, so were at least passable sailors.

Unless taken aboard as a Marine, or as a Warrant Officer equivilant, even those tailors, haymakers and tinkers would be sailors. They might not start out very well at it, but even Rogers suggests that they will be passable once they have got their sea legs. He even hopes to be successfully manned with this motley crew.

A few privateers do seem to have had a "shares" notation for Marines, as differentiated from sailors [the way a Quartermaster, say, is differentiated], but most seem not. What pirate Articles survive also seem to imply that rarely were a Marines equivilant considered, as separate from actual ship's crew.

To use the automotive turn of phrase again from my comparison in the post above, many drivers are poor drivers. This does not mean they are not drivers. Some poor drivers even learn to be good drivers, 'though not all by any stretch. Those that do not, remain drivers, but only poor ones.