William Brand

Aye. Throw the dice.

The Monmouth Caps are made by Kristen Wilkinson.

We're planning something special. This year I'll be even more sober and Chrispy will be even more drunk.

The added fee is no surprise to me. I'm more surprised that they haven't charged before now, what with so many tightening park budgets across the board. I've visited some five different parks in the last ten years that are now permanently closed. I don't mind paying a fee that seems negligible in comparison to my travel costs. I'm looking forward to the auction.

Aye. A very happy birthday!

I was sorting through some old files and found some limericks I wrote on a pirate site I used to frequent before I found the Pub. Period terms can be most suggestive in or out of context. He found a wench willing and able to be tied up and had on the table, but while tying the knot he was put on the spot by an uncertain groin in the cable. (When the cable does not coil as it should it is said to have a 'groin'.) When the coxswain went over the side Catalina would not let it slide It's a terrible pox to lose a good cox so she came hard about on the tide

To our own, Captain Lasseter! Sometimes Captain. Sometimes Quartermaster. Always a capital fellow. A very hearty happy birthday to you and yours on this most specific and individual holiday.

More cages with skeletons. I think we need at least ten.

Welcome aboard! It's good to see people joining in throngs.

No, it was a good guess. I actually first thought of trunnions, and thought that it might be some idiom for fixing the raft with rope on fixed points, but then I remembered trunneling, because I recently helped paint and seal up the ox barn out at the American West Heritage Center. The barn out there was built with the peg and post system of trunneling adopted from shipbuilding techniques. That barn is going to stand forever.

I'm sure it's an alternate spelling for 'trunneled' which is a shipbuilding term for fixing timbers together with long, wooden pegs. Water causes the pegs to swell and hold the timbers fast together. Great description. Thank you again for all of your avid reading.

Yes. In two separate drawings of the late 17th century a church is depicted in Fort du Rocher, which is not surprising, given the very Catholic nature of the French. I have seen other drawings of the island depicting buildings mounted with crosses, though I do not know the names of the churches or monasteries depicted. Since both the Spanish and French occupied the island more than once and sometimes at the same time, there would have to be churches. It's harder to find a Spanish or French settled island without one church and as many as a dozen. Both of these 17th century maps of Tortuga below show the same two primary locations, utilizing the most basic emblems for maps of the period. A fort (or whole community built around a fort) is depicted as a building with a large standard or flag flying from the roof. As period flags were often square, this just looks like a square flying from the peak of the roof. A church or monastery (or a community built around the same) will have a building affixed with a cross. Maps from the mid 16th century into the late 18th century use these two basic emblems all of the time.

First, our thoughts and best wishes to you and Poppa. We all hope that both you and he can weather a short, quick recovery. We're glad to hear that Lily and Jai are taking the helm in your stead and that Mike is supporting our efforts through the park services. We've already begun our plans and projects for the upcoming festival and we look forward to escaping what's expected to be a cold winter in these parts. I think we need to make a goal of finding boogater before this year's event! Or as I like to think of him...Bamboogater. Where is our supplier of all things bamboo? Again, best wishes in the coming weeks.

Welcome aboard! Where do you hail from?

Welcome aboard! Platonically.

Thanks for taking many pictures! It looks like a great time was had by all.

And I agree. I' was simply stating that I've seen people that choose to play every walk of life. I cited 'whores' to illustrate that hobbyists of our period will re-enact the loftiest and lowliest of occupations. I see a great deal of romanticism and idealism in personas across many genres (piracy, middle ages, civil war, etc.), so it's nice to see blunt, even honest portrayals from all aspects of society.

Cries of 'MAN OVERBOARD!' were heard everywhere at once, so that William chanced to wonder if more had been lost over the side than he had witnessed. He almost collided with Tudor at the stairway as he rushed down to the main deck. The crew had polarized instantly to Starboard and Larboard as every able eye scanned the water for signs of those hands carried off. Men piled upon the remaining line of rigging born up by Ajayi, so that he was relived at the rail, for strong as he was he was still recovering from too many injuries to bear up three men. It did not help that the Watch Dog bore over the netted sailors and threatened to carry the rescuers over the side. Even the line threatened to part. William arrived amidships and vaulted a man just recovering himself. He grabbed at the remainder of the bulwark and joined all the eyes and pointing fingers. Debris was on the water. Something, or many things together, shattered in the surgery then, and while the sound was appreciated as destruction, it went ignored on the weatherdecks. Another prisoner dared his feet in the chaos, not out of any defiance or decision to escape, but out of fear for so much damage in a storm that was regathering in strength. One of the Dog's men employed there gave him the working end of a musket butt for forgetting his place. Lazarus burst out of the galley, barefoot and wide eyed, now come to see what had happened outside his view. He was at the rail at once scanning for whomever had gone over. Bloody Thunder would have run loose again, but Andrew Light had the presence of mind to drop one loop of a cable about the neck of it, and though it tore free from it's place, the frigate was saved any further damages as a groin in the cable caught in the woodwork. Three men threw themselves upon the wayward gun and subdued it. John McGinty, still reeling from his own near demise and the loss of Ciaran, had recovered himself enough to shout out the location of the Patricia, for she was nowhere near the 'Dog at all. Overturned, seemingly unmanned and plowing through the water, she was observed trailing after the already vanished Navarra. The longboat was now little more than a wedge of wood tangled up in the line that had bridged the open sea between the two ships. The same line went taught and parted without much resistance, mercifully sparing the Lucy harm, but for what appeared to be the remainder of one of her own, for a boat of the cutter was damaged and sinking in the open sea. Jim Warren went forward to the bow with a speed he'd marvel about later. The adrenaline that had carried him forward flew him all the way to the figurehead and he was the last man of the 'Dog to see the Navarra disappearing under full sail bearing with her the line which carried the Patricia away. He sent her onward with more than a few carefully chosen expletives, and if curses were weight, then the Navarra would not outlast the hour.

The Marshall of Massacre Island. A movie title in the making. The Count of Massacre Island. Crew of the Count. Massacre Island Marauders...

I don't know. If the previous crew is completely disbanded, I really couldn't see the harm. Especially if they don't mind. You might be followed by the previous crew's reputation and interactions. Good or bad. You've done what I would recommend already, and that's to try and get in touch with them. If you're unsure, I would still recommend that you name yourself 'The (insert name here) Crew of Massacre Island'.

I've not heard the name before, but you might start from a different direction and name your crew for a ship of the island's history (assuming that you don't already have one). There are a great many recorded ship names from Dauphin Island's early period. La Renommee (Fame) Le Comte de Toulouse (The Count of Toulouse) Le Marechal de Villars (The Marshall of Villars) Phillipe Peacock Hercules Union Pelican Dauphine Vigilant Neptune Henry

Now I really wish I could make it. Drat.

You can get the zip ties in just about any color that you want, so if you prefer a black, brown or red, you can buy a color that won't stand out at as much and satisfy the most safety conscious organizer. It's also a good idea to acquaint yourself with the safety officers at all events, whether they 'peace tie' or not. It keeps everything friendly and you create a dialogue that's just as important for safety.

Just temper your wants with really practical alternatives. As a sailor, you could carry a big stick in place of a cutlass. If you look at many a drawing and painting of sailors ashore, you will often see them carrying a snapsack or ditty bag on a good stick, and sticks are good for weapons ashore. Since you're buying walking shoes, get yourself a good piece of hickory until you can afford a sailor's knife or a pistol.

If you end up anywhere near the Isle of Dogs in the Thames, get a picture. The Nubian Trader was built there. She later became the Watch Dog.