Elena

There are knives specially made for throwing, and in the Mediterranean area many sailors, mercenaries, rogues were familiar with them. They have both sides sharp, and the handle is made of a light-weight wood, so that the weight gets in the blade, to ensure precision. I had read more details, but I can't remember.

Threatening to kill their families. A man would tell anything to save his only son or his daughter...

Many happy returns!

Many happy returns!

Many happy returns!

Many happy returns!

Jean Bart (21 October 1651 – 27 April 1702) was a Flemish sailor who primarily served the French crown as naval commander and privateer. Jean Bart's site - because I didn't want to quote Wikipedia.

Many happy returns!

Many happy returns of the day!

Many happy returns!

One man's pirate is another man's corsair... or hero. It depends who had signed the letters of marque (or gave approval - because how do we know if the Muslims operated with letters of marque and not with another kind of agreement?). This applies exactly as with Sir Francis Drake and many other privateers: for Britain, they were privateers and heroes, for Spain - damn pirate enemies.

I agree with Mission. This is a wonderful place for research, and I found lots of interesting topics. I also found friends to give me a helping hand, and it doesn't happen everywhere. And the concrete aspects, both history connected and reenacting connected can't be taken on Facebook! Facebook is good for exposure of the site.

If it has resisted so many years, I don't think it's dying.

Many happy returns!

Thank you too!

Many happy returns!

Many happy returns!

Thank you very much, Daniel, you have helped me a lot. These are some intriguing ideas, I haven't thought about a few of them! We have done sea battles and storms, (and of course they aren't outdated, they might be happening some other time too) and the keelhauling of a man followed by a mutiny happened on the privateer ship . A flogging according to the articles had happened on the pirate ship... but all the others are good for the Navy... Thank you!

Well, I admit that when I run out of inspiration on the piratical side, there has been a list of possible things which have happened in the pirate world on one of the sites somebody from the Piracy Pub has, and it has helped me a lot. The list said (I am giving it because I don't remember on whose site it was, and because it helps illustrating my question): - Wench prisoners' auction - taking a ship as a prize - getting a pirate in prison then plotting a prison break - a trial and a foiled execution - a mutiny - dividing shares - duel suppervised by the quartermaster - tavern transactions ...etc. The list was longer, very helpful, and we have been doing some of these topics... with our own twists, of course. Now, my question is... what can happen aboard a Navy ship? I'd need a few ideas, because the ones who are playing the captain and the first lieutenant are usually without ideas. They start topics just to play pretend with their characters, then they wonder why nobody answer because they have no idea where they want the topic to go, then the lieutenant throws big smileys at me on yahoo "If you have any idea, I am ready to listen..." So please help me because there is a topic at sea which is going nowhere and I really want to save it. The idea up to now is that the captain is visiting another allied ship - there are three ships who have caught two pirate ships into a trap. Now the captains are discussing, aboard one of the ship, in which port they will go with the prize ships to be judged and awarded, while on the other ship... what happens? I would like a few general ideas, because what doesn't happen now might happen later. Thank you very much!

Thank you for your nice words - adn, by the way, Emil is a name from my country too, the male from Emilia!

I liked it too. Congratulations! I have a monthly newsletter for "Before the Mast" too. It's called "Chronicles and Histories of the West Indies". The latest issue is here . Not many sites have a newsletter.

We are a friendly bunch here, and please look around for anything of interest to you. The one who is marooned in a sealess zone can always write about adventures on the High Seas...

This is Sol, my pirate captain; this is Angel, presently pirate, former corsair and smuggler, this is Chago, a mercenary, and this is Belle, a tavern keeper and pirate host. If you want Navy guys, I have a couple, too...

Exactly, Daniel (besides, your list of shipboard weddings is 100+ years later after the Marriage act ). But your other points gave me some interesting ideas too, for one of the two weddings I am planning in my story... if there was a priest aboard a Navy ship (and there usually were, I know it) he could perform a perfectly legal wedding... even if finding a subterfuge to announce the bans quicker than it should (the bride being pregnant too, and the supposed father - who isn't actually the one, but the one paid to give her a name for the child- willing to cooperate)