hitman

I love a good thread A Quick ? for you mates as to the geology of the island as it is in fact no longer an island (cause way constructed in the 80's) and has had it's very being changed so often who can now tell the diffrence between man made and natural. Let's face it even the exact location of the pit is now lost. (Thanks to an ungodly amount of shafts dug to explore it.) I wonder has anyone else read the novel Riptide by child Preston/L. Douglass. A thinly disguised oak island and it's money pitt are the subject and if you want a killer read this is it. Not much for the fact's in this case but one hell of a good yarn. Only bad part about it is it has to come to an end.

The skeptical inquirer piece is interesting. Always wondered when someone would call into question the reality of the situation. As to it being a natural formation I kind of doubt it all the early explorations found wooden platforms spaced every 10 feet down the hole. Two for someone who has as little first hand knowledge of the place as we do I'd say he makes some very large assumptions. As to the truth of the money pit well it's there the rumors have been there since the start and the speculation won't end till someone actually does something intelligent like say the fiber optic camera idea. course then will only get one more history channel special out of it. As it is we get at least two a year now. Again the theories all sound impractical but hey so does a two hundred foot deep pit protected by a torant of sea water. However lets face it there is a circular pit 13 feet in diameter ( before modern excavation) and two hundred feet deep. By the way is it just me or does the skeptical inquire use the Masonic order like archeologists use the phrase we think it was for religious purposes.

Ok so if your more than 15 years old you've heard the story of the oak island money pit. So for the billion dollar question whats at the bottom? Cast a vote and post you're thought's. Now as for me I really don't know what to think but from what is known about the pit and its construction I doubt it had to do with Capt. Kidd but then hey we don't know now do we. If I had to quess from me own options I'd say it was the British army what done it or other. Nothing else seems likely.

Ok the plans are finally on thier way. My choice wasn't a traditional looking craft in the way I had originally wanted but has all the other traits I needed and appears to fit my budget. I got the plans from Zorg's link. (thanks mate) Here's a link if you're curious to the actual boat http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/store/pla..._pram/index.htm It's called piccup and is a pram. To me it looks like a john boat with a sail but hey I like john boats. The next question for those of you in the know would be about these poly tarp sails lots a stuff out there about em but what is the long and short of em mates. Heres a link for those as new to this as I. http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/store/cha...y/polysails.htm

Quick updaye narrowing down the plans and cursing my budget. Damned purser and his 135 dollar a sheet okaume looks like I can build any of me choices for the price of the sails.

Been thinkin bout haveing me avatar and a cross tatted on me arm but then I be wierd

Hey saw this and thought you might be intrested Spanish Galleon 1530-1690 saw it in the osprey catalog supposed to be avalible in march. http://www.ospreypublishing.com/title_deta...e=S6372&ser=NVG

With any list of the good must come the bad well at least one I think of as bad. It's Blackbeard and Other Pirates of the Atlantic Coast by Nancy Roberts. Her style reminds me of the short stories that preceed the actual search for wrecks in Cusslers The Sea Hunters only with much less style wit and talent. Only my intrest in the subject could see me through it. On a better note if you wanna read something of a more modearn slant try A Time to Die (the untold story of the Kurusk.) Well written and very informative just don't read it before trying to sleep.

Is that the same Califonian that the History channel talked about on the save our ships special a few years ago or am I mistaken? As to more about the Royaliste what can you expect from the owner of the other ships news letter but you're right more would be nice......... Hey there office in range of hellava ....... couble round shot placed ever so delicatly in the front office might get a few words about the Royaliste placed in the articale..... we are pirates after all right..... course then it was the success that led to old Blackbeards downfall maybe they be doin us a favor

When I was in high school we read an account of a doctor captured by indians in literature class for our non ficition portion of the class. Supposedly this doc performed an apindectamy on the tribal chief. His assesment of the medicinal skill's of the native doc's wasn't too high but then he wouldn't even have understood infection. I have always doubted his account one of those rarely true I was the only survivor who so impressed the savages kinda things.

www.celestaire.com Moderen sextants at a high price but also some plastic ones to learn with gonna order me one soon.

For some of the more mundane stuff try http://www.tuckahoetradingco.com/gallery.html

Well I've seen these in other posts, www.long-sword.com http://shop.store.yahoo.com/the-forge/index.html http://www.loyalistarms.freeservers.com/pi...tlasses%20.html http://www.gggodwin.com http://sykesutler.home.att.net Hope that helps

Lets see here why don't we say......DO WHAT YA FEEL MATE!! I ain't buy'n a real antique wheel lock and then taken it out to the range but I got no qualms taken the torch to a model t so who am I to judge. I wouldn't shoot an origanal cause they have this nasty habit of goin boom in multibale directions at the same time ya know a rapid self dissasembly ( hey damascus steel aint forever mate) and in my opinion there are somethings ya just can't replace. In the end though after years of being a hotrodder and not given a damn about nos parts or what was factory origanal I ain't near bout gonna tell anyone how to blow there dough. Sorry all me southeren comes out when I get like this.

Missed three the opening of the movie the ring and the parrot.

Desert corsairs Rock pirates Cannon Fodder ( not really a desert name but...) Where the hell is that x Take a left at the ocean Ocean front property in Arizona

Aye old John did hate just about everyone. More to the point though I used him as refrence to show a greater truth the worlds millitaries hated privateers. Don't get me wrong they'd hire em in a heart beat (and who can blame em pirate and privateer investment returns could run upwards of a thousand precent :) ) but in general I have to agree with yee (besides alot of my reaserch (if you can call it that) has been on the navy side a things to date) Intresting though how piracy has effected our country as coastie points out the Coast Guard was originally two services revenue and life boat with revenue goin after pirates, the navy was although established un used till the menace of the barbry corsairs, and the Ailen tort reform act still doing good today. With the additonal threat of moderen piracy plaqueing the east china sea area as well as other parts of the pacific I guess the last chapter has yet to be written on pirate legacies.

Viking's attacked alot of shipping the end of it came when their boats became dated. When the caravels and their high for and aft decks came into being the vicking ships no longer had an edge as given the lack of firearms the methoed of attack was boarding witch was why the caraval's had those high fore and aft decks. If I recall there were pirates who prey'd upon the whale ships these pirates would have had to venture into the colder climes. ( I suppose)

As to the health insurance points of this thread if I recall the roman army had a simmilar setup. Just a thought

A valid point salembob and one I'm sure any self respecting privateer would agree with but if I may we all know many privateers continued on in they're role after war's end hence becoming pirates and that some pirates became privateers. As to their being really a portion of the countries millitary force I would agree with you however the men of those millitaries would not. In Evan Thomas's biogarphy of John Paul Jones ( the best one I've read to date) He speaks of the hatred Jones and the rest of the colonial Navy had for the privateers. From the material I've read it always appears that privateers were considered nothing more than a nessacry evil. ( this like any rule has some notable exceptions ie Frances Drake). Going back a little more towards the original tobic it has yet to be said that pirates ie the barbry corsairs are the reason we have a real navy. Millions for defence not a penny for tribute

Now wait just a bleedin minute here capnwilliam I happen to like me cowboy killers almost as much as I like me pipe. and am quite prepared to run you through if'n ya dont like it Seriously though as a question I have seen alot of refrences to scrimshaw as being well ....beautiful and detailed but given the lack of artistic talent I among me own mates one would presume there is alot of scrimshaw out there that looks as bad as the cross I carved into the front of me clay pipe. Any one have any refrences out there to this type of work. Always have thought that the attempts of those who can't carry a certian charm ( loosers motto )

A little of both mate but more of the latter than the former. As a side note from the reading I hve done from this period it looks like there were some pretty smart people acting as doc.'s around about this time just none of em wanted to be aboard ship longer than it took to cross the channel.

This whole thread has given me yet another reason why I'm glad I was born a man.

Aye capnwilliam sounds like a real 17th century doc already

Poetry for the NRA member that be me much abliged capnwilliam.