Captain_MacNamara

Me and both my sisters grew up driving motorboats, but that never felt "right". In stormy weather or fair, made no difference. The most fun about it was when Lake Texhoma was churning with 5+ foot swells... gave us good "sea legs" so to speak.

More recently, we've been messing about in our 13 1/2 foot boat, the 'Sea Mist', which is still in the process of being converted to something more proper and pyratey.

True enough, but you don't put smoke detectors and banana peels in barrels... nor will they give you radiation poisoning...

(To clarify, that is under normal circumstances. Sure, if you are buried in just the radioactive parts of say, several thousand smoke detectors, then yes you might get sick.)

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/41661

VERY good article. And yet another vivid illustration of the misleading nature of "mainstream" news media. I've heard from alot of people about these pirates, but never once until this article the reasons... and valid ones at that, that made these men turn to piracy.

"There are Pirates and Emperors, but they're really the same thing."

Another thing that I often point out, as alot of the time "pirate personae" are ridiculed and frowned upon in the local SCA circles, is that one nation's hero is another nation's criminal... or Pirate.

Wot picture?

WANT.

Seriously, what would you charge for beckets?

It depends... I'm about to start a set for oderlesseye. His will come out alot more proportionate, because I am getting all-new materials for his. After I finish his, I'll let you know.

Very nice work, I know how to tie all those knots (yes the star knots as well) I started knot tying in 5th grade and you are doing a beautiful job. I know how much work that is.

Thanks

Here's the same becket, tarred, with the (still not quite dry dammit)cleat sitting on the axle:

Thanky... I went with the edge design I did on the lid because I always liked the look of Long John Silvers' tables... that is, before they changed styles.

Chest update...

The spar varnish on the chest is taking forever to dry because of the damnable humidity here lately. After an all-nighter, however, I managed to nearly finish one of the beckets:

3-lead coxcombing on the eyes, mirrored continuous crown sennits on the upper portion of the becket, and 33-lead grafting in hemp for the handle. 2-lead 5-bight 1/4" cotton turks heads just below the eyes, with 2.4mm hemp wormed into the middle for contrast. The handle is flanked by 3-lead 5-bight 2.4mm hemp turk's heads on either side. The "washers" are 1/8" vegtable-tanned leather, pinked(the edge notches), and stained black. I broke with "tradition" on the bolt. I used 4-point star knots for the ends, with a 4-lead continuous crown sennit for the axle. Normally, there would be a leather "sleeve" covering the axle, but the thing is already too fat.

Before anyone asks, yes they are disproportionate... they came out too fat because I used what I had on hand instead of buying new material. Un-tarred 2.4mm hemp and 1/4 cotton line make up the bulk of the work. My next set will come out more proper, as I'll have proper materials.

More update pictures:

Becket in progress, with 3 strand coxcombing on the spliced eyes, and 3-strand cotton line wrapped in several layers to build up the tapering handle. Below that, the becket cleats, carved and painted with my SCA coat of arms.

Close-up of one of the eyes.

Close up of the becket cleat.

Here's the lid now that I'm finished carving it...

The design was originally a tattoo design Pynch did for me, which then became the symbol of the Iron Lotus. It is relief carved, and the raised portions are painted in a very watered down matte black acrylic. The lid, as with the rest of the chest, is stained in red oak.

PM me with some ideas, and I'll get to work

What do you need in the way of leather?

I am interested in something like this:

Except that I'd want it with shorter quillions, with the ends of the quillions shaped like this kind of cross:

I would also want a bronze skull pommel (no gemstones), and the blade to only be about 6-8 inches long, with the hilt proportionate to the blade.

And it would need to be sharp.

IF that's do-able... and if you need enough leatherwork to justify it.

Mere words cannot express nor fathom...

I may just have to send you the Iron Lotus log...

Seriously, nice work

Aye, welcome mate! An' I'll 'ave a double rum... with more rum, sez I!

What I am currious about are these "Milk finishes" and how does one do that..I want to do a painted Black

or forest green milk finish. that part of the job I will do myself..

As am I... This being the "test run" chest so to speak, I am staining it in red oak. But for my "real" chest, I was thinking maybe a black milk paint finish with a purple trim...

Edit:

More progress pics

I opted to make copper nails out of copper rivets, though you can't see them all that well in the pic. I also finished shaping the lid, and cut out recesses for hinges. The design in progress on the lid is my tattoo, designed by our very own Pynch.

I made the till box from an old cedar jewelry box. A bit of a shortcut, but it works beautifully.

And for the love of the sea, shop around! I failed to do so and put down nearly $1000 on our cannon, which came from Wild Imports. She's a damn nice piece, but I really wish I had shopped around for a better price.

Glued together with gorilla glue...

Word of warning, this stuff gets everywhere and is tougher than the wood. And it doesn't wash off hands.

I like that

I decided to get some pine and make my first chest out of pine just to get a feel for it. I compromised between straight and slanted sides, coming up with a slight slant. So far, I just have the pieces rough cut, but I'll be throwing her together over the next few days. Still working on the beckets as well... and then once she's together save for the beckets, I plan to do a bit of carving before I stain her in red oak to start. Haven't decided if I am going to do any painting or not yet... my choice of colors aren't exactly "period friendly".

Edit:

The tape's just to hold her together for the picture.

Just today a friend called me and asked if I wanted to have a small sloop for free.

I hate you.

LOL

Seriously... people around here want anywhere from $500-$800 just for little 8 foot Jon boat, and those aren't worth spitting on. The 13 1/2 foot Jon I have right now is going to have ALOT of work done to transform it into a dory-like mini-sloop, but I'd REALLY like to have something I can get my whole crew aboard, which right now is about 18 people.

I'm working on mine... Well, the beckets at least. The wood itself is going to cost me upwards of $75, because I want mine in oak. I haven't decided yet if I am going to "cheat" and make copper nails out of copper nail rivets, or if I want to fire up the forge and try to make some square headed nails. Either way, I plan to glue it together as well, and even though it's not "correct", I prefer the slanted sides.

Pyrate rum... or in a pinch, Cap'n Morgan's Private Stock.

I could see what I can come up with as well. I'm not up to forging a curved blade, but if I can come by a blade, I can hammer out a decent looking custom guard.

Here's mine:

https://pyracy.com/index.php?showtopic=12685&hl=

And I am here in Oklahoma as well.

I 'kin make ye beckets. PM me with details and an offer if'n ye so desire. I 'kin even make the wood cleats that attach them tae yer chest.

The Iron Lotus - Captain Duncan Patrick "Mad Dog" MacNamara

We're located in Oklahoma, and our MySpace is http://www.myspace.com/ironlotuspirates

We're still transitioning from our old website, whose host is closing down all their webhosting services, to Myspace... so check our MySpace for updates.

Full SCA Name: Lord Captain Duncan Patrick "Mad Dog" MacNamara Nevarsson Seamus O'Dohmnaill of Clan Haddock, Pirate Lord of Northern Ansteorra

Unfortunately, no. I forgot to grab not only the mainmast, but the camera as well.

Went back out to the lake today, which has calmed down considerably. After about 45 minutes of bailing, I had her floating again, and got her dragged ashore. There was a pint-sized White Crappie in the boat as well.

She's pretty banged up, but she still floats. With our maiden voyage of the unfinished boat, we figured out what all needs to be added to her not only for aesthetics, but to make her more stable as well. Hopefully, we'll have her back out for a second run in a month or so.

Oh, it was a blast, up until the loss of the boat. Hopefully I'll be able to get her out later this week.

We're all still laughing about it though.

Well, I believe an update is in order. We took her out for her maiden voyage yesterday, at a rather large local lake. It was a hot day, and we worked up a sweat riggin' her for sail. Unfortunately, we left the mainmast back at the house, so we had to use a smaller aluminum pole, and forgo rigging the main. This meant naught but a loose-footed jib and oars... So we took her out with the intent to just see what happens.

We rowed out about 100 yards offshore... the waves were only about a foot tall at this point, and we ran up the jib. It was a beautiful sight, once she caught the light breeze, with our colors waving lazily above. We came about, and started heading back to shore... and then the wind picked up. We were fighting both the current, and the wind at this point, which had changed course. We lowered the sail, and rowed for all we were worth, belting out "Haul away Joe" as we went, but made no headway. The seas had other plans for us it seemed. After about 45 minutes straight rowing with no headway, we came about again and ran up the sail. She caught the wind, and even with the tiny jib as our only sail, she started pulling for open water at a decent clip. Then the wind picked up some more as storm clouds came rolling in.

The rolling waves were cresting at four foot whitecaps now, and the wind was a steady unrelenting force. She was rolling on the waves faster now, and we laughed as the spray pelted us, our little thirteen and a half foot dinghy the only boat out on the lake. We were about three quarters of a mile out now, rolling on the swells. She weathered the change in weather well, and didn't take on but a half inch of water. We set our course toward the other side of the lake, where there was another boat dock and swimming area we could safely put in at. We were having a blast, making fun of the other boaters who were too timid to be out on the lake.

Then the mast snapped at the deck. She heeled over a bit, but nothing serious as I worked to right the mast. The wind was even stronger now, and I braced myself against the starboard side, keeping the mast upright and braced against my body. The sail held, still full of wind, still carrying us to the far shore. The waves were still at about four feet, but coming faster now. The air had turned cold, and the water colder still, but we were still having fun. When we were about 50 yards out from the dock area, people started gawking, which we had expected... it's not every day you see a pirate boat under sail, bearing down on you. All but two of the people there piled into their cars as fast as they could and left! Then we aimed our little boat at a spot of beachlike shore, and saw only too late the rocks that blocked our access. Too late to come about now, we braced for impact, ready to hop out and drag the boat ashore. She came to a full stop, and then the first wave hit before we could even get out. She was half full of water with that first wave, but we still hauled as hard as we could on her to get her ashore. No such luck... She was completely full of water now, and she couldn't handle the strain. With the waves pounding on her, and her being full of water, the starboard side buckled under the strain. We tied her off to a rock, and looked for a ride back to the other side of the lake.

Once we got my truck from the other side of the lake, we tried to pull her out, but she refused to budge. We tried bailing her out, but with the waves coming in as they were, the water was filling the boat faster than we could bail it out. We stripped her down, left her tied off to a rock, and came home with our tale.

Once the weather dies down in a few days, and the lake calms, I'll go out and try to bail the water out again... but even if she's lost to us, we have our adventure, and ideas for improvements. Most of all, the desire to get back out there.