capn'rob

My "Latest Model" Cat O' Nine Tails will be accompanying me'self to PiP. Should one be interested I can be found in the Service of the Archangel. Dutch "X" (his mark)

I used to keep a list of all my projects on the boat's needs. It never got shorter! What I do now with lists, add the item when it's done and cross it off! It looks like the progress is fantastic!

Ye shall sadly be missed. T'was lookin for'rd t' seein ye and Mr. Longshanks. Wishin a speedy recovery, Happy Holidays and good health fer all!

Thanks to the Powers That Be that all hands were unharmed. Masts and yard arm, gaff and boom are easy to replace, All hands well, a precious gift. In the Heyday of Sail, the Great Clippers, there were fire axes by the shrouds on the rails at each mast. If a Clipper was sailing "whole Sail",all working sail, ringtails and stun's'ls, and a squall came down hard and quick. With no time to take in all in trim to topsails and staysails. With all that sail the ship would rapidly surpass its hull speed. At this point the bow wave and stern wave would continue to build as the hollow amid ship would deepen. The next phase, the ship would "Sail Under"!! It made more sense to cut away the spars, jury rig and go back to salvage what you could and coupled with the spare spars all ships carried, re-rig and carry on. They didn't invent the "Jury Mast Knot" because they thought it was cool looking. When I was a Broker I had a deal pending on a steel hulled ketch. It surveyed well and we went out on sea trial. She was a Ketch when we left, we came back, she was a Schooner!! From the spreaders up, the mainmast came down on deck. The mizzen and staysail were still set and she kept sailing! The buyer says "if he'll fix the mast, the deal's still on!" I was dismasted by a railroad bridge on a friends boat years ago. Come to think of it, I've been dismasted a lot. Fortunately Not Offshore! Smallboat racing and pitchpoling Hobie Cats will add to the ranks. Today I prefer comfort to speed.

I'm currently reading "Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean". Their vengence upon the Catholic, mostly Spanish was regarding the Inquisition. Having come to the New World with the Portuguese and the Spanish upon the beginning of the Inquisition was the Expulsion. A large number of Jews spread around the New World. From these people rose Samuel Palache, the Rabbi Pirate. Moses Cohen Henriquez, responsible for seizing the largest dollar value prize from the Spanish. His brother, Abraham was in the same family business. It was Moses Henriquez who arrainged for the Brittish to come to Jamaica. Columbus was given large estates in Jamaica in perpetuity. It was beginning to appear that they were backing out of their deal with his heirs. The "Bucaniers" of the Island of Tortuga could see their days numbered there and the Cohen Henriquez Brothers saw the strategic position of Jamaica for their line of work. Upon the Brits arrival, Port Royal was settled. This book has been quite a read. I'm at the point where the relationship with the Dutch is in flux. Stuyvestant lets them in then kicks them out then back in. I'm not done but I wish it was longer and some of my family was in it! Alas, Salt Water Farmers, Fishmongers and Taylors are we.

Aye,and t'is truth indeed. these storms care not for calendars nor flags! They get to their spinning, the glass falls as if a leak was sprung and it gets right ugly! Well Sir, here's to a storm free week! All the Best t' ye and see you soon, Dutch

Aye! Wi' no disrespectin o' yer moniker, Hurricane. One o' th best parts o' this Gatherin' o' fine folk is when we BURN THE COLORS WHAT REPRESENTS THE STORM OF HURRICANE STRENGTH BE APON WE! We'uns whot don't abide ashore fear those flags as much as the flag of any country nor pirate hunter! Fer all the Killicks and springlines or hawsers t' the wharf is but a piece o' twine if'n ye blows t' the fullest o' strength.

Did you encounter any of the Local Beverages? "Kalik Beer", "Vat 69 Rum" (pronounced Wat) and the ever popular non-alcoholic "Irish Sea Moss"? I'm glad you got to the Bahamas. Anywhere in the Bahamas proves that "It's better in the Bahamas!" If you were to get to any of the Out Islands, those to the East and the Southern Bahamas, you would find a very different place. The problem is that unless you own or charter a boat, preferably no deeper than 4 ft. draft, the best parts are hard to get to. Of course private plane works for many places too though I've landed at some Islands I'd rather not be flown to again. It was just where the boat was that I was to bring back to the States. Thanks for sharing your Voyage and keep sailing!

Greetings, Calico Jack. Have you seen the work of a gentleman by the name "McCaffrey". He builds models of Admiralty Quality yet length on deck less than 2"! His work is remarkable. Since reading this forum I am going to see if I can find his models on line. I saw several works at the Museum Gallery at Mystic Seaport Museum.

I must say the Sheep weren't bad looking. I saw one cute enough to make a Ewe Turn ! (drum rimshot)

Ah, Lily, as for that background check. I was cleared of All charges and No Farm Animals were harmed in any way. It was all rumor and conjecture and over zealous police.

Agreed. Come to this side of the pond Hurricane, I'll see your Old Maui and raise you Hanging Johnny... While this is getting way off topic, I'd like to add a thought or two about shanties. Firstly, there are some jolly good shanties that aren't necessarily whaling songs, but I certainly agree that most of them, and all of the better known ones, date from the 19th century, or, at best, possibly the very late 18th. Either way, they're out of period. Now, I wonder about the reason for the lack of earlier shanties. It has been suggested that earlier sailors didn't really sing them, but it seems unlikely that one day in 1785 a sailor said "gee, I know we've been at this for hundreds of years, but this work would be so much easier if we did a bit of singing", and there are at least some sailors' work chants that go back to the medieval and Tudor periods, some of which may have been tuneful. I suspect the real reason for a lack of early shanties is that there was less of a distinction between working songs and social songs in the earlier periods. Three Poor Mariners, for example, is a song that turns up in collections from the early 17thC onwards, but has many characteristics of a later shanty (it's easy to bawl, has an easy to remember chorus, and can easily be accompanied by foot-stomping) so, despite its presence in popular singing books and setting to a popular dance tune, might very easily have been sung at sea as a work song. An alternative idea, given the stated importance of musicians in pirate crews, might be that sailors worked to music, but without necessarily singing: however, not every crew had a musician present, so it seems likely that singing would have taken their place. The issue can also be taken in that "Chanties" or "Shanties", the name some believe to have derived from "work chant", were Only sung while work was being done. If the Yard was Two Blocks, you didn't hang around singing until the verses were all heard. The Shanty was a Tool, no less than a Slush Bucket or a Fid. For the Sailor's entertainment there were songs sung before the mast known as "foc's'l tunes" or "Forebitters". They also would sing songs popular of the period. Fiddles and in some ships, banjos went to sea. However, this age of sailor was at the earliest I'm aware of in the late 18th century.

I've got a Silver Real Coin from that 1715 find. I got it in Key West at Mel Fisher's years ago.

Will certainly do so. Wishing the Best for your family and keeping all in my prayers.

Dorian, you've reminded me of several things. First, the bone chilling fear at the sight of a water spout and you're on the water with it! Second, why I don't race on sailboats anymore. Third, why I make no more offshore passages except on a cruise ship. Too many miles in crappy weather. Finally, I have seen first hand too much of the effects of wind and water when the conditions are in turmoil. I still live on the water and enjoy coastal cruising and recreational sailing but I've seen my share of the Oceans and give my berth to a younger shipmate.

There are more Day Sailers on the market these days than I've seen in a long time. I will keep a "weather eye" peeled and let ye know what I sees!

Ay! you mentioned the name of the horrible goatsucker! Now I'll have to begin the process of removing the curse. Does anyone on here keep chickens?

"Have ye any children?" "Aye, three." "Boys or girls?" "Oh, one o' each!"

Wear ship, wear ship, M.A. d'Dogge! Ye be foolin me wi' th numbers agin! Th last time ye had me so confused I was pullin' off me boots and socks tryin to figger what was which! Jus' cause ye kin cypher in yer head! Ye be runnin' me t' shoal water here!

"Been warned" indeed! The Forsaken, Poppycocks the lot is more like it. I doubts ye be venturin out o' yer land locked fresh waters fer fear o' salt or worse, soap ye mangey bunch o' ne'er do wells and pickpockets! Venture forth on the true waters, th Oceans that roll and let ye be warned. Ye'd ne'er last too long amongst th Bretherin o' th Black Flag. So, Forsaken, welcome. Sail amongst us if ye dares! p.s. Ye owes me a drink, too!