Capt.mino

Thank you !!! BR

Gracias!!! Excellent recipe!! BR

Dear Amigos y viejos lobos de mar, I am working in developing a Flavored rum project. Apart of the classical flavored rums i am looking to develope a real Pirate grog, bring alive again the real rumbullion.... So for this purposes i need the help of anyone who have the historic information of the different ways of rum flavoring of the pirates, privateers, corsairs, etc.. You can find info in the Book of Exquemelin, where the pirates flavored their rum barrels with spices like ginger, nutmegs, cloves, lemon, etc... There are also the folks recipes of the artisans in each caribbean island, but i am goin more deep, becouse i know that in this forum there are very well readed personalities on the pirate topic and maybe someone, who knows !..can give a new recipe that only appears in a out of print /old / Historic pyracy book of their private library. Gracias por su ayuda, sea cual fuere. Sincerely, Belarmino Rodriguez Santo Domingo, La Hispaniola.

What do you like in a woman? Inteligence, character, explosive passion, a sincere smile...and joyful heart. Physically that is. What do you notice first? Her legs...her hands ...her smile...a strong body...brunettes & red heads are the best !!....blonds always are having too much fun....

Christine ........the most gorgeous pirate lady that my sharp eyes had ever seen in this place.....simplemente..Hermosa!!!

...........in my car..Sorry!!..My ship!! : Flamenco and classic melodies from Cuba.....just for relax and enjoy the voyage.

Theres some interesting dates that can bring you some light: 1586 : the invasion of sir francis drake to la Hispaniola 1623: Constant buccaneers attacks to north shore of la hispaniola comming from tortuga island. 1627: A spanish battle ship squad attack and destroy all the pirate bases in isla tortuga. etc etc........

Thanks for the Info....now i know is valid to plan a treasure hunting day in that caves and cays with my metal detector....

There are a few cays and caves close to the shore , very close to the shore of the south east coast of the hispaniola island which its said where used as secret spots of some pirates...what any of you can say about it...is it true?..or false?...have any of you had seen any info or comment in book, etc...please let me know...i am about to visit that places : Cay willy simmons (located in Samana peninsula, Los haitises)...lore mention that was used very often by this pirate "willy simmons" have any of you hear something about him? Grottoes of San Gabriel (located in Samana penninsula, Los haitises)..lore mention that this grottoes used to be the hiding place of Pirate Jack Banister and pirate John Rackham......any bell ringing?... Please let me know about your info !!!

Estimado Capitan Flint; If you are looking for a nice, real feeling cutlass at a very good price, please head your ship to the web site of: Atlanta cutlery .com There you will find in swords - european ..a nice companion for your adventures.

My most sincere congratulations. Excellent work. Maybe the most acurrate research on Pirates aveilable in the net. I wonder why you dont have more pirate profiles, maybe time has been not very aveilable to you to keep on your good work. Sincerely, Capt. mino Ps: If you need nice pictures for your web site let me know, i got a lot of local archeological books and cds plenty of neat pictures of all types of small arms, cannons, ships, forts, instruments, etc etc., theres also a Spanish goverment library full of copies of documents, maps and portraits from El archivo general de Indias de Sevilla. (The need to read spanish is obligatory in most cases .)

I am just wondering how many pirates are here living in any Caribbean Island. If there are some...lets make a Caribbean pirates group !!!

Wow...very interesting reading. THat guy was a real demon of the seven seas !!!

Where you been?.....Bavaro, Puerto Plata, Cabarete....? Its very nice to hear that at least one in the group has been here. Did you visit the regular tourist places or did you look for the special spots around the island, the ones that you need to get out of the hotel , rent a car, ask a lot questions, get lost in the way 10 times..etc etc...but when you are there....is more than a wonderful experience !

Ahoy !ates !!....any fellow pirates planing to visit my gorgeous island ?....please let me know, for shure i can recomend you the best places to stay !!! A lot of real pairates places to visit...just write and i will tell you more... Mino

The Famous Voyage was a mystery before it began; only a handful of the men who set out from England on the Golden Hind in 1577 had any idea of the journey's original destination, and perhaps not even Francis Drake had an inkling of how long a path they would eventually follow. The mystery continued after the voyage ended; secrecy fostered confusion and, as will be seen on these pages, the confusion persists to this day. If you are interested to research more of the life of this GReat Seaman & Pirate, please go to: http://www.mcn.org/2/oseeler/drake.htm ...................... .......................... Late in 1577, Francis Drake left England with five ships, ostensibly on a trading expedition to the Nile. On reaching Africa, the true destination was revealed to be the Pacific Ocean via the Strait of Magellan, to the dismay of some of the accompanying gentlemen and sailors. Still in the eastern Atlantic, a Portuguese merchant ship and its pilot - who was to stay with Drake for 15 months - was captured, and the fleet crossed the Atlantic, via the Cape Verde Islands, to a Brazilian landfall. Running down the Atlantic South American coast, storms, separations, dissension, and a fatal skirmish with natives marred the journey. Before leaving the Atlantic, Drake lightened the expedition by disposing of two unfit ships and one English gentleman, who was tried and executed for mutiny. After rallying his men and unifying his command with a remarkable speech, Drake renamed his flagship, previously the Pelican, the Golden Hind. In September of 1578, the fleet, now three ships, sailed through the deadly Strait of Magellan with speed and ease, only to emerge into terrific Pacific storms. For two months the ships were in mortal danger, unable to sail clear of the weather or to stay clear of the coast. The ships were scattered, and the smallest, the Marigold, went down with all hands. The Elizabeth found herself back in the strait and turned tail for England, where she arrived safely but in disgrace. Meanwhile, the Golden Hind had been blown far to the south, where Drake discovered - perhaps - that there was open water below the South American continent. The storms abated, and the Golden Hind was finally able to sail north along the Pacific South American coast, into the previously undisturbed private waters of King Philip of Spain. The first stop, for food and water, was at the (now) Chilean Island of Mocha, where the rebellious residents laid a nearly disastrous ambush, having mistaken the English for their Spanish oppressors. After this bad beginning in the Pacific the tide turned, and for the next five and a half months Drake raided Spanish settlements at will, among them Valpariso, Lima and Arica, and easily took Spanish ships, including the rich treasure ship "Cacafuego," leaving panic, chaos, and a confused pursuit in his wake. During this time, he captured and released a number of Europeans, whose subsequent testimony survives. The plundering was remarkable for its restraint; neither the Spanish nor the natives were intentionally harmed, there was very little violence, and there were very few casualties. Drake's crew in the Pacific was of unknown number, with estimates ranging from around sixty to one hundred men. After stopping to make repairs at an island, Cano, off the coast of Southern Mexico and after a final raid, on the nearby (now vanished) town of Guatulco, the Golden Hind, awash with booty, including perhaps twenty-six tons of silver, sailed out of Spanish waters in April of 1579. As she left the sight of all Spanish observers, and of the captured Portuguese pilot who had been set ashore, she was accompanied by a small captured ship, crewed by Drake's men, which was kept for an unknown time. Sailing first westerly and then northerly, well off the shore of North America, the leaking Golden Hind reached a northernmost position variously reported as between 48 degrees and 42 degrees north latitude, a range which includes most of Washington, all of Oregon, and a sliver of California. There, somewhere in the region he named Nova Albion, in the strangely cold and windy June of 1579, Drake found a harbor - reportedly at 48, 44, 38 1/2, or 38 degrees. He stayed in this now lost harbor for over five weeks, repairing the Golden Hind and enjoying extensive and peaceful contact with the Indians. Before he left he set up a monument, in the form of an engraved metal plate, which has never been found. After stopping briefly at some nearby islands to fill out his larder, Drake turned his back to America and sailed into the vast Pacific. The crossing was uneventful, and landfall was made in sixty eight days, at a location which, like the Lost Harbor, remains elusive. The next months were spent puttering about in the Indonesian archipelago, making promising commercial contacts, local political alliances and trading for spices - and again entering the sight of witnesses. Difficulty in finding a route through the thousands of islands nearly ended the journey in January of 1580, when the Golden Hind ran hard onto a reef in apparent open water; but after several desperate days a change of wind brought salvation. Continuing westward, the Golden Hind crossed the Indian Ocean without incident, rounded the Cape of Good Hope into the Atlantic, sailed up the coast of Africa, and arrived triumphantly in England in the fall of 1580, nearly three years and some 36,000 miles having passed beneath her keel. Oliver Seeler

BEFORE the Pirates go out to sea, they give notice to every one that goes upon the voyage, of the day on which they ought precisley to embark, intimating also to them their obligation of bringing each man in particular so many pounds of powder and bullets as they think necessary for that expedition. Being all come on board, they join together in council, concerning what place they ought first to go to wherein to get provisions - especially of flesh, seeing they scarce eat anything else. And of this the most common sort among them is pork. The next food is tor- toises, which they are accustomed to salt a little. Sometimes they resolve to rob such or such hog-yards, wherein the Spaniards often have a thousand heads of swi- ne together. They come to these places in the dark of the night, and having beset the keeper's lodge, they force him to rise, and give them as many heads as they desire, threatening withal to kill him in case he disobeys their commands or makes any noise. Yea, these menaces are oftentimes put into execution, without giving any quarter to the miserable swine-keepers, or any other person that endeavours to hinder their robberies. Having got provisions of flesh sufficient for their voyage, they return to their ship. Here their allowance, twice a day to every one, is as much as he can eat, without either weight or measure. Neither does the steward of the vessel give any greater proportion of flesh, or anything else to the captain than to the meanest mariner. The ship being well victualled, they call another council, to deliberate towards what place they shall go, to seek their desperate fortunes. In this coun- cil, likewise, they agree upon certain articles, which are put in writing, by way of bond or obligation, which every one is bound to observe, and all of them, or the chief, set their hands to it. Herein they specify, and set down very distinct- ly, what sums of money each particular person ought to have for that voyage, the fund of all the payments being the common stock of what is gotten by the whole expedition; for otherwise it is the same law, among these people, as with other Pirates, No prey, no pay. In the first place, therefore, they mention how much the Captain ought to have for his ship. Next, the salary of the carpenter, or shipwright, who careened, mended and rigged the vessel. This commonly amounts to one hundred or an hundred and fifty pieces of eight, be- ing, according to the agreement, more or less. Afterwards, for provisions and vic- tualling they draw out of the same common stock about two hundred pieces of eight. Also, a competent salary for the surgeon and his chest of medicaments, which usu- ally is rated at two hundred or two hundred and fifty pieces of eight. Lastly they stipulate in writing what recompense or reward each one ought to have, that is either wounded or maimed in his body, suffering the loss of any limb, by that voyage. Thus they order for the loss of a right arm six hundred pieces of eight, or six slaves ; for the loss of a left arm five hundred pieces of eight, or five slaves ; for a right leg five hundred pieces of eight, or five slaves ; for the left leg four hundred pieces of eight, or four slaves ; for an eye one hundred pieces of eight, or one slave ; for a finger of the hand the same reward as for the eye. All which sums of money, as I have said before, are taken out of the ca- pital sum or common stock of what is got by their piracy. For a very exact and equal dividend is made of the remainder among them all. Yet herein they have also regard to qualities and places. Thus, the Captain, or chief Commander, is allot- ted five or six portions to what the ordinary seamen have ; the Master's Mate on- ly two ; and Officers proportionate to their employment. After whom they draw e- qual parts from the highest even to the lowest mariner, the boys not being omit- ted. For even these draw half a share, by reason that, when they happen to take a better vessel than their own, it is the duty of the boys to set fire to the ship or boat wherein they are, and then retire to the prize which they have taken. They observe among themselves very good orders. For in the prizes they take, it is severely prohibited to every one to usurp anything, in particular to themsel- ves. Hence all they take is equally divided, according to what has been said be- fore. Yea, they make a solemn oath to each other not to abscond, or conceal the least thing they find amongst the prey. If afterwards any one is found unfaith- ful, who has contravened the said oath, immediately he is seperated and turned out of the society. Among themselves they are very civil and charitable to each other. Insomuch that if any wants what another has, with great liberality they give it to one another. As soon as these Pirates have taken any prize of ship or boat, the first thing they endeavour is to set on shore the prisoners, detaining only some few for their own help and service, to whom also they give their liber- ty after the space of two or three years. They put in very frequently for refresh- ment at one island or another ; but more especially into those which lie on the southern side of the Isle of Cuba. Here they careen their vessels, and in the meanwhile some of them go to hunt, others to cruize upon the seas in canoes, see- king their fortune. Many times they take the poor fishermen of tortoises, and, carrying them to their habitations, they make them work so long as the Pirates are pleased. JOHN ESQUEMELING 1678

The source is easy to get: Go to yahoo, alta vista and about.com...type in all of them, one at a time: Pirates code of ethics. After that you will find a lot of information, wich as the good investigator that you look you are, you will read it, compare it, you will take dates to confirm , and finally you got your own conclusions, as i did. Then you can post your finds that enrich the minds of the seamans and Ladys of this great group with your well intentioned comments, so everybody coul get more closer to the truth of how pirates & Corsairs live and behave in that era. You can also correct the finds of others, giving more light with more "up to date " finds & discovers" of the topic in vogue. ..........is very easy.

About the year 1640 the pirates formed a kind of democratic confraternity. Their vows formed the Custom of the Brothers of the Coast, often called the Pirates Creed of Ethics. It was in fact the social contract of the expedition. It was always signed by the whole ship's company before any departure when the elected Captain and the officers prepared a charter-party. Every decision of importance was discussed, followed by a vote. Courage alone conferred distinction. a pirate ship was an extremely well-ordered floating community. xxxxxxxxxxxxxx 1-Ye Captain shall have full command during the time of engagement, and shall have authority at all other times to conduct the ship accordingly. He who disobeys him may be punished unless the majority vote against the punishment. 2- If ye Captain's vessel is shipwrecked, the crew pledges to remain until he has possessed himself of a vessel. If the vessel is the common property of the crew, the first vessel captured shall belong to ye Captain with one share of the spoil. 3- Ye ship's surgeon shall have two hundred crowns for the maintenance of his medicine chest and he shall receive one part of the spoil. 4- Ye other officers will receive each single part, and if ye distinguish yourself, the crew will determine how much reward to be given to ye. 5- Ye spoil taken from a captured ship is to be distributed in equal portion. 6- Ye who shall be the first to signal the appearance of the vessel that is captured, shall receive 100 hundred crowns. 7- If ye lose an eye, or a hand or leg in ye said service, ye shall receive up to six slaves or six hundred crowns. 8- Ye supplies and rations are to be shared equally. 9- If ye introduce on board a woman in disguise, ye shall be punished to death. 10- If one Brother steals from another, his nose or ears are to be cut off. If he sins again, he is to be given a musket, bullets, lead and a bottle of water and marooned on an island. 11- If there is any doubt in a dispute between ye Brothers, a court of honor is to decide the verdict. If a Brother is proved in the wrong, the first time he shall be pardoned, but should he offend again, he shall be tied to a gun, and there shall receive from each of the ship's company one strike of the lash. The same punishment shall be given to ye among us, including officers, who shall get drunk, while on the ship, to the point of losing ye senses. 12- Whoever shall be placed on sentry, and upon his post shall go to sleep, shall in the first case be lashed by all the Brothers, and should he again offend, his head shall be split. 13- All ye who shall plot to desert, or having deserted shall be captured, shall have ye heads split open. 14- Quarrels between several Brothers whilst aboard ye ship shall be settled ashore with pistol and sword. He that draws first blood shall be the victor. No striking another whilst aboard ye ship.

You are totally right, my lady Capt. Maria, right now the situation is getting out of control, the high level of ignorance and lack of education and human principles in third world countrys are creating a caos, in the era that we love, the 16, 17 18 century...you can feel the Pirate Honor in the air....today we the pirates are less than a human scum....remember the ones who kill the new cheif of the Cousteau society in a expedition in a Brasilian river mouth...just a few years ago...this guys can kill you just for chair in the ship cockpit!!...or maybe a compass in your panel...who knows...last year in haiti, a sailboat was attacked by a group of hatians, women raped, then everybody killed by shots...they clean up the hole sailboat..just leave the bodies... Well my dear Maria...if youre about to sail close to the coast of this countrys better get ready all your cannons, swords and your best shot of indecence...couse you will need it... Ps:... If by the way you are close to the Hispaniola south coast...dont hesitate to throw anchor at my dock...you are totally invited to my humble shack ...full of rum, doublons and lust !!!

Ahoyyyy !! Capt. William !! Looks like the area of operation of this modern "low life, scum des-honered pirates" are in countrys with a low security in their territorial waters...philipines, Africa...also in the coast of venezuela..and colombia...and Haiti...latin countrys that right now are fighting for democracy..no time to check out who is having fun sailing or navigating in his coastal waters ....and if we are talking about colombia..i will not get impress if someone tell me that the pirates were using a cobra attack helicopter to Board the victims ship....in a land of white powder money...there are no expensive toys for the bad guys!!!

piracy in the 16th & 17th centuries fell into decline for four primary reasons: The Ancient Fall 1. Technology: The increased size & speed of merchant vessels in the 18th & 19th centuries severely disadvantaged pursuing pirates; 2. Increased Naval Presence: The 19th & 20th centuries saw an ever increasing level of international Naval patrols along most ocean highways & particularly in support of colonial networks; 3. Increased Government Administration: The 19th & 20th Centuries were marked by the regular administration of most islands and land areas by colonies or nations which took a direct interest in protecting their merchant fleets. 4. Uniform Regulation: There was a general recognition of piracy as a serious international offense which would not be tolerated by countries determined to protect their national fleets and able to do so. The Modern Rise Following World War II however, these four self enforcing barriers to high seas piracy began to erode. The four factors have now actually begun to encourage the activity. Let's see how these same four factors have reversed themselves in recent years: 1. Technology: The protection once afforded to merchant vessels by their modern size and speed is now offset by further technical advances which have reduced crew size, as well as a vessel's ability to defend itself. On the other side of the coin, there has been a bumper crop of technological advances which improve the pirate chief's weapons of speed, shock, surprise, fire power and rapid escape. 2. Reduced Naval Presence: The trend is for smaller world Navies. Dramatically decreased international ocean patrols have left merchant vessels virtually unprotected on the sea frontier. 3. Disrupted Governmental Administration: Decisions by former colonies not to maintain ties with their home countries, and the financial inability of some governments to afford effective Naval assets &endash; are factors which have simply encouraged pirate attacks. 4. Lack of Regulation: In some quarters there has been erosion of the view that piracy is a serious international crime, or even a crime of which anyone should take notice. With most of the world's 64 million gross tonnage fleet under flags of convenience such as Panama, Honduras and Liberia, there is no political will to smash high seas piracy. Flags of convenience nations have neither the interest nor the ability to mount an effective deterent. To put it in another way, piracy is on the rise because there's lots of valuable stuff out there to steal &endash; but no one to stop them. This may not be politically correct, but where pirates are concerned, there are certain advantages to a world under arms which does not look to the United States to be its lone policeman -- as out world is today. Indeed, the number of international pirate attacks has risen in direct inverse proportion to decreases in the international Naval presence. This situation becomes even more confused and dangerous when you consider the number of countries which have extended their territorial waters out to 200 nautical miles, but failed to plan for a corresponding maritime patrol ability.

There are generally three categories of pirates. The first type of pirate is your standard issue low-life criminal. These are scum who find it more expedient to just steal your finger, instead of taking the time to remove your ring. The second pirate type is a more sophisticated organized crime group such as the five gangs thought to control a significant percentage of piracy in Southeast Asia or one of the several triads believed to control this crime in China. The third and perhaps the most troubling type is the "Semi-Official Military Pirate," examples of which have been seen in China, Indonesia & Somalia and elsewhere. When you're all alone at sea, it is particularly scary not to know whether that approaching Chinese Coastguard Patrol Boat is: (a) The Chinese Coastguard on official government business, or ( A real Chinese Coastguard Patrol Boat, but freelancing as a pirate ship to earn some extra cash for the holidays, or © Actual pirates who have merely painted their vessel to look like one of the real Chinese Coastguards. Either way, not much can be done except to hold your breath knowing that an hour later you will either be dead or alive. Even if the patrol boat is on official business, that's no guarantee of safety. Have you had quite enough? Sadly, there will be no happy or just endings to these and so many other stories of innocent vessels caught in the web of International piracy. How do pirates do it? There are essentially three types of pirate attacks. The most common type of attack is where pirates board the merchant vessel, rob the crew and escape. These raids on merchant crews are understood to yield an average US$20,000 haul. Considerable cash is commonly held in a merchant ship's safe for payment port charges and payroll fees. The second type of pirate attack is a more ambitious one where pirates not only rob the crew but steal the cargo. While simple robbery crimes normally employ pirate crews of 6 to 7 men, gangs of 70 or more may fall upon a merchant vessel when it's cargo that they are after. Unless the pirate gang is very sophisticated, untraceable cargos are preferred such as timber, wire, metal & minerals. The time of attack is almost always between 1:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. During those hours, most of the crew is either asleep, on the bridge or below decks in noisy engine spaces. Little attention is paid to the sound of grappling hooks thrown over the stern. Even a vessel making over 17 knots is not safe from expert pirates who come along side at high speed and board in seconds. Because vessels focus their attention and look-outs forward for navigation ahead &emdash; pirates almost always approach and board from the stern. These can be pretty sophisticated thugs, using radar and global positioning systems to track their prey. Modern pirates have even been known to carry computer generated cargo manifests which have been obtained in advance for later use during machine gun enforced "shopping sprees." But with profits from stolen cargo ranging well into the millions of dollars per vessel, pirates can well afford the luxuries of both new technology and proper planning. One favorite scheme is for pirates to literally interview their intended victims at port and then radio ahead to the pirate ship at sea when the time for attack approaches. Pirates perfected the technique of planting a phoney crew member aboard the victim vessel who would then telephone to relay his ship's position and route. The rendezvous would be deadly. Another trick is a new twist on what I call the "Little Mermaid" concept. Pirates using prostitutes for luring crews into what I would call "submission" so that their vessel might be more easily attacked and taken. The terror experienced by lone victims at sea is not an emotion we can readily understand. Pirate gangs are generally thought to average about 5 attacks a year, always retreating to the safety of a small local port where they are often protected by the locals. Indeed, piracy can be thought of as a cottage industry in areas of Indonesia and the Philippines where agrarian pursuits alone may be insufficient to support the local village economy. Indeed, it should be recalled that the United States Marine Corps. was originally formed to battle the local pirates of Tripoli. History does repeat. The third type of pirate attack is used to create a "Phantom Ship." This is the most sophisticated version of the crime, where pirates take literally everything including the merchant vessel itself. The pirate's first step is to locate a suitable ship for use as the "Phantom." As we have already discussed, pirates can target and capture a ship, but another choice is to simply buy one from another pirate. Anyway, regardless of how your "Phantom Ship" is acquired, the next steps are to repaint her, rename her and reflag her &endash; The next step is to find a shipper who is short on time to move his cargo. An excellent victim candidate is anyone with a letter of credit about to expire. Next, the pirate gang or its bogus shipping agent simply offers up the renamed "Phantom Ship" as carrier, loads the cargo, issues an authentic looking bill of lading to the proper destination port -- and sails off into the sunset. Obviously, the Pirate diverts the "Phantom Ship" to a different port, selling the cargo either to an existing partner or an innocent buyer. Once its cargo is discharged -- the time has come to again repaint, rename and reflag. What a business!!

"Piracy is the act of boarding any vessel with an intent to commit theft or any other crime, and with an intent or capacity to use force in furtherance of that act." In order to distinguish it from simple highjacking, a piracy crime requires that two vessels are involved in the incident. The second requirement is that the crime has been undertaken for private, not political purposes. These can be important considerations when determining coverage under a policy of marine cargo insurance. For example, in one famous British case from years ago, the marine policy was "warranted free of capture, seizure and detention...piracy excepted." All was well for payment of the claim, until it was discovered that the so-called "Pirates" who took the assured vessel had actually been attempting to overthrow the Bolivian government! Seizure of the vessel had been a political act.

Pirate attacks worldwide increased in frequency and violence last year, with a total of 445 incidents reported compared with 370 in 2002, the ICC International Maritime Bureau reported today. The number of attacks using guns rose to 100 from 68 in 2002 and hostages taken nearly doubled to 359 seafarers. Ships were boarded in 311 instances and a total of 19 ships were hijacked. Indonesian waters continue to be the most piracy-prone, with 121 reported incidents in 2003, followed by Bangladesh with 58 attacks and Nigeria with 39. Attacks off Nigeria almost tripled compared with last year to 39, making Nigerian waters the most dangerous in Africa for attacks on shipping. The report showed some new trends. Hijackings of merchant vessels and their cargoes ceased last year. All hijackings reported were in two main categories - military-style operations by militant groups seeking to hold crew members for ransom to raise funds for their cause and attacks against soft targets such as tugs and barges.