Island Cutter

If you put in along the Hudson, anywhere between Haverstraw and Nyack, We'd like to come out and see you.

Thank you all for your kind words as well as for having taken a moment to view my site. To answer William Red Wake's question... I leave the iron work to another who is quite an artisan, but sees himself as "just a welder." I can put you in touch with him, but you might be surprissed at the talent found amongst "just local welders." The right one will find out-of-the-ordinary projects an interesting challenge... that has at least been my experience.

Greetings to Fellow Merchants & Mariners, and all those "On the Account" I wish to offer, as well as make aware of my Professional Services... I am Captain Darrike and I am dedicated to Bespoke work in the line of Sign & Letter Carving as well as Pub Sign Limning... To translate, "I makes signs fer ya on commission!" I speak especially to those who will be vendors at this year's Pirates in Paradise event. I can work both Playne & Fauncy. In wood or on cloth, both rustick and refined. If I can be of any service to you Please let me know. You may visit my website for examples of my work www.IslandCutter.com Please let me know that you are a Pyrate Pub Member when you corespond. Mod Edit: Made link active.

The image of the Danish Man shows what seems to be the progression of dress from the 18th C. to the 19th C. He has buff coloured britches, woolen socks and a vest over what actually seems to be a close fitting short coat. On his head he wears a knit stocking cap. The vest is certainly much reduced from the GAoP Style, but you can see the progression. The cut and fit have changed by the mid 1800's, but the basic elements are still there.

I have been in touch with Harry and I am in the process of filing the application. I quess that my question regarding the cottage was more of a "do you think it will add or detract from the atmosphere?" BTW: there are covering boards (not shown) that close off the bottom and hide the undercarriage.

Greetings All, I have been reading through various threads in this forum and I believe I have a handle on some aspects of PiP, but I still have a few questions... This will be my first year attending PiP and I am not yet a member of a specific re-enactment group. I hope to be coming down with things to sell as a merchant, but my merchant goods, while hand made and Historically inspired, are not replicas. I have noticed that the theives market area seems to have a bit of leeway for decorated and disguised "EZ-ups" which would make things much easier for me. So, gettin' to my questions... May a Merchant stay with (camp within) their merchant booths? If not, how might I find camping space among the Crews? I will provide myself Period Shelter. Lastly, here are a couple of pictures of a "Folding Cottage" that I have used for Merchant events. Bring it or leave it home... and why? Thanks in advance,

nnfgcvxn septimana Seems that we've got some cyber stowaways. They doesn't seem like real Pyracy memebers to me. Can we run them through?

I have found some very interesting things in researching my GAoP Character: A merchant turned "Privateer" in a Freeport in the Danish West Indies... Pictorial references for Danish Pirates are difficult to find. I would assume that they wore much the same kit at their English cousins, but with some regional accessories. I found this picture and couldn't help noticing some similarities to the common English sailor's kit The picture actually portrays a Danish man from the mid 1800's. A lot seems to have been retained from much earlier styling. So getting a basic GAoP kit together wasn't challenging enough... I want to be a Danish Pirate ta' boot... er, clog.

A few nots on finished boats, kits & costs... The basic plans for the original un-modified mini-skipjack, are available nearly for free... your local library might have an old copy of As I mentioned, printed plans still seem to be available for the Original Mini-Skipjack, and they are only $25 bucks... a bargain in the boat building world. I will produce instructions for converting this design to the "Black Seal" which is the Piratey version, based directly upon what I have learned from the skipjack. ***PLEASE NOTE*** there were a few critical typos in the original plans. (Dont cut the bottom deck until you talk to me.) Any little glitches have already been discoved and corrected in the pre-cut parts kit. I strongly encourage anyone who wishes to build one of these boats to spend the few dollars and BUY the book when you find a copy, then come find me for either advice, or some pre-cut parts. The parts kits will be available "a la carte"... you can pick and choose which parts you will need, and which elements are best purchased by you locally. The other nice thing about this approach is that you don't need to buy everything at once... build the hull first while you re-fill the "Sail & Rigging" kitty with you hard earned doubloons. I am going to start up a new Builder's Blog in the near future. It will cover some of the ins and outs of assembly as well as suggestions to help you decide which parts to buy, and which parts to make yourself. A lot depends really upon what tools to have at your disposal.

Dont fret. Even those of us here right on the East Coast need good books and the help of friends to figure out all that friggin' riggin' ...and any navigable "puddle of water" is good enough when it's all ya got. The thing is to get "out there" in something. My biggest mistake at the beginning of my sailing "career" was to be thinking too big. I wanted a schooner, and the shoreline of the Long Island Sound once provided ample opportunity to fall in love with many a rotty hull... wilting wooden wenches all trussed up and rouged, hiding the years of misuse and neglect that lie beneath. when getting into sailing, smaller IS better. cost rise exponentially with the size of the hull. The initial costs are only the tip of the iceberg and the fees and maintenance costs can outstrip the sticker price of a used "bargain boat" in the fist year. Keep it small, keep it simple keep the fun in it.

Thanks for starting this thread... thread. I am in the process of gathering an accurate kit, in the face of years of "Ren-Wrong." I would like to not have to "buy and re-buy" as I have done in the past as I gained knowledge. I don't want to hemorage cash, but worse than that would be to waste money on crap. Shell I go with Kass and know that I am getting the right things... can I get away with some of the basics (shirt, slops) from Townsend? I have to buy soon, since my merchanting season is about to begin. What to do... what to do? I guess I'll check back here.

Yep, the very same... but modified a bit. I have been in touch withMike Stevenson - The Backyard Yacht Club but they are no longer offering plans for the original Mini Skipjack. They are working on "updating" the plans and enlarging the design. The new design is beautiful, but I personally like the size of the original, so I have edited and digitized the original offsets and can reproduce them as cut parts thanks to my ShopBot CNC router. Mr. Stevenson has been kind enough to ask only for the price of a set of plans as compensation for his design work when I set a finished boat or kit. I am a Pirate, but one with some honor. Mr Stevenson will earn his doubloons as will I. My real interests lie not in making money as a boat builder, but rather helping others to find the satisfaction of sailing a vessel of their own creation. If I can underwrite my nasty habit of attending Pirate Faires by moving a few kits or finished boats, then so much the better. To answer a question from another post... Mike Stevenson had the first time builder in mind when he designed the skipjack. Than is not to say it is "easy" but it is within the capabilities of a dedicated "first-timer" Having many of the basic parts already cut, as would be found in the kit, would give you the ability to assemble the basic structure of the boat over a long weekend... the devil is in the details, as they say. You could finish the rest of the boat in as little as a few weeks of spare time, or you can make a jewel of it and invest months. Do you want to sail or make "floating furniture" that is almost too pretty to use? I have done both and each has it's rewards. My vision is to be able to go to future Pirate events and sail with others who have build their own "Ships" Mr. Stevenson has devised a great game called Broadside, which is esentially a game of wet tag. I can't wait until we have enough boats to play. :angry:

Well... actually... I saw a very clever way to hide an electric motor by incorporating it into the rudder. It was in WoodenBoat many years ago. I saved the article (and every WB mag before and since) for future reference. This might be the design on which to apply the knowledge. At 5' wide, and with no thwarts to clutter the cockpit, "Black Seal" is not designed for rowing. I'd keep a couple of paddles around for an emergency, but she'll ghost right along on the slightest breeze. As for crewing a gun... I'd love to have a go at that. In fact My Lady, who is new to all of this "Re-Enactment Stuff" would probably jump at the chance. Right capable Lass she is too... Cuts her own bait and guts her own catch.

Well, I actually don't know why the designer of the original boat decided on "Skipjack". It is a great name but has little to do with the originals that we are familiar with from the Chesapeake.

Oddly enough, I used to live in Del Mar, CA... Even stranger than that is the designer of the original "mini-skipjack" was a neighbor of mine, but unknown at the time. I do believe that my "kit" version of this little boat will be shppable at a fairly reasonable cost. Short of that, I will probably make plans available, and you can do all of your cutting yourself.

Greetings All, I have been in the long and drawn out process of developing a little "ship" for those who would like to get into some actual sailing without spending a King's Ransom. What I am working on is a small (15’) sailing vessel that has room for two and the general styling of a Sloop of the Golden Age. This is NOT a replica. This is a small boat in which to play pirate with some sense of historical styling. I will be offering Finished Vessels, Kits of varying degrees of inclusion (size & weight shipping considerations vs exclusion of parts readily available to you at a local building supply store), and even the distinct possibility of boat building courses. What I ask of this Forum is you personal feed back on some of the aspects of this project. I will begin posting information under the heading of “Black Seal” which is the current working name of the design. Here is a link to the old blog (Blargh) that was started during early construction. It certainly needs to be updated, but I think that you will get the idea. Black Seal Boat Building "Blargh" My current plan is to have “Hull No.1” finished in time for the Salem Pirate Faire, September 15th – 16th. The location seems perfect… Winter Island Park has beaches and even a boat launch! The following is a picture of the original “Skipjack” upon which I have redesigned my “Black Seal” The major differences are in the finish and the fact that the Black Seal Series will have Galleon-like transom carvings and more “Piratey” details.

We sail (yes really sail. In a real boat with sails and lines and all the other fiddley bits) a very wide stretch of Hudson's River known as the Tappan Zee. It seems only natural to call ourselves "ZeeWolves" and here is our ensign...

So, it is not a huge event, but it does seem as though it will be a fun event. It seems like a great location. I don't think that we could ask for better than an Island with camping. To those who have attended in the past... Did you camp or did you find lodgings off island? I am hoping that there will be a bit of a "Gathering" around a fire, after the event.

Odds Fish! This post on an event in Salem is turning out all the "Brethren" in me own backwaters. "Islanders" are ye? That's me birthplace. And Matusalem right here in these Costal Woodlands to me South. So, this Salem Faire draws some crowds... that would be good. Are we talking hundreds or thousands? Either way, I am sure it will be great fun. Salem is always an "interesting" town to explore. Well, back to carving and gilding for me. Got to earn me dubloons.

Aye.. a maneuver I know well. The Tappan Zee stretch of the Hudson is my homeport area. The Hudson River Jibe can be a bit of a "timber shiverer" especially when the wind is up. "Reef early and often" they say around here. So, do we have many Mates here in the NorthEast that might be making for this event? It would be surely nice to yarn on a bit with others "Out on the Account."

Glad to be hearing some talk of the Salem Pirate Faire. I have my sights set on attending as a Merchant and I might even use the event for the christening and public launch of the first in a line of little Pirate "ships" The "Black Seal" (its current working name) is based upon a 12' Stevenson Skipjack. I will be offering them both as kits and finished boats. If any one is interested in taking a look here's the link to the woefully neglected blog from when I started the prototype. I really need to update that.. Boatbuilding Grog Blargh ... and that's just things that float! I will also have my full line of handmade craft items, all with a Piratical Theme. So let's here from anyone else planning to go to the Salem Pirate Faire. Captain Darrike

Yes, an actual raid from Sea... now that would be a sight to see. There is a very quick-to-build (as far as boat building goes) design that has historical evidence... the forerunner to the dory design actually goes back to the introduction of "water-powered" sawmills in the 1300's. This made wide, flat boards more economically available and boatwrights in Northern Europe were quick to develop a hull design to get maximum use of the boards. I'll spare you the further details but to say that the historical synopsis is available in the introduction of the book entitled "The Dory Book" by John Gardiner. This book is an absolute Must Have on every boat builders bookshelf. I wish I lived closer to more of this crew. It would be great to get a gang together o build a few for the very purpose that you mentioned.

Thanks for the feed back Mate. I know that it's hard sometimes to share information with unknown vendors... we all eat off of the same plate so to speak, but I think that my work is different enough to not be competative to other vendors based on the nature of the product. I seem to remember that the event used to be centered around the Theives Alley at the Schooner Wharf. I was wondering if the tourist traffic was actually finding its way over and into Fort Zach.

Odds Fish! A real sailor among us! Yes, you are on to something there regarding the peak halyard and... you caught me... The finished skipjack pictured is that of another "Backyard Boat Builder" and we are all working out the kinks of converting the original "Vis-Queen" lateen rig to something more "piratey" I built my first "mini-skipjack" about ten years ago and rigged her with a striped tanbark & natural, standing Lug sail. Smart as paint she was and boy could she fly. Not great to windward, but she was a witch off the wind. I only got to sail her for a few months in the Keys before life intervened and I had head back North, sadly without my boat. I am trying to see my way clear to bringing the "Black Seal" to PIP this November. If you can make it, I'll be sure to see that you get a turn at the helm.

Forming a fleet of small 2-3 person "Mini-Pirate Ships" to ply our trade on the waters in the NY Tri-State area. Boatbuildign classes are now forming for the Fall & Winter. Looking forward to hearing from any and all interested. http://360.yahoo.com/blacksealcaptain