Captain Jim

But not when driving the golf cart "blind" in the parade...really, ya gotta see that.

Congratulations! See you next year.

From my reading and viewing, it's my understanding that the permit was pulled after the bird shot incident, after which the event continued without any BP (or modern shotgun shells, for that matter.)

Happy Birthday! May Ye have many more circumnavigations of the sun!

This is a problem when one gets into "mixed" munitions. One year at Pyrates in Paradise we had a guy using pyrodex pellets in a caplock. As he was standing BEHIND the front line he managed to come VERY close to spraying people with bits of burning pellets. One of our line actually heard the difference in his gun and shut him down. We ALL need to be aware of conditions on the line and be aware that the FIRST rule of any firing line is that ANYONE AT ANYTIME CAN CALL A HALT TO FIRING FOR SAFETY! Even in the middle of a battle or scripted demonstration, if safety is in any way questionable, call a hold. And anyone, ANYONE, from gun captain to new recruit, to, yes, even audience member, if they call for a halt, DO IT! You can always begin again. You can never recall a fired round. Still, that doesn't address mixing up live rounds with blanks. Only the ship's gunner can do that.

Blackthorne, I think that the ship in question was using one or more signal cannon that fire 12 guage blanks and not muzzle-loaded black powder. Live ammo got mixed up with the blanks. Still, this is gonna be a black eye we in the re-enactment community can ill afford. Designated and certified gunners for all crews are an absolute necessity, with all ammunition (blanks, BP, ball and shot) under lock and supervision of that gunner or gun captain. I truly hate it when someone, through negligence, malice, lack of training or stupidity does something like this.

I've always wanted to do a black pistol, ebonizing the stock and deep rust bluing the lock and barrel, but that's a whole different effect.

I would imagine that the paint would have been applied uniformly, as anyone taking any real care would keep the metal clean in the first place. Basically these were "community" guns, kept for use when needed. Just a supposition on my part, as I can't find any reference for painting guns to begin with.

All that work and then they put a modern acorn nut on the volume knob. A knuckle bone or a tiny skull would have been so much more appropriate. Still and all, quite striking. Oh, and the fifth string is a "C" normally found on the viola. The viola lacks the violin's high frequency "E" string. So here you have a greater range of tonality.

The talents of this bunch never ceases to amaze...

Raphael Mission, churgeon, for all your whimsical and disturbing medical needs...

Bog Bone. The latest in Pyracy Pigments from Scott Paints

Happy Birthday, Mate! May ye have many more.

Happy birthday, and welcome back!

Yeah, dress like that and I would blend right in with the locals, especially on the other end of Duval Street.

Nice. I, however, am not such a refined personage. Just a rough old sailor. T'would be pretentious of me to wear such a fine garment.

I saw this topic and thought, "Here we go again." Then I saw that the good Doctor had started the thread and I thought, "Mission's been out in the sun without his hat again." Then Mission quoted a source and I thought, "Really? Now we'll never be able to shut down this argument from folks that think POTC is real history. Then again, maybe I'll become a Pyrate Lord!" And then the source is traced to Johnson on Bart Roberts... Never mind...Shortest. Thread. Ever.

I'm in for four. Not for the kit mind you, but for my camera bag, computer bag, maybe a modified baseball cap.

Aye, a bit of rain and a little wind. Not going to shutter on this one. Good to go through the drill, though.

I'm with Cascabel on this: report it to the police. They will get the word out to local pawn shops to bolo this stuff. And, like Cascabel said, it might all magically reappear after the cops talk to the ex. Still, I'll keep a weather eye out.

I think Swab is gonna get the "Most Direct Hit" award, although there a few more of our pyrates located in the Keys.

Keep our brethren in the Keys in your thoughts. They're sittin' on the bull's eye.

A picture worth the proverbial thousand words...

Ready to batten the hatches here in Myakka (east of Sarasota). I won't put the storm shutters up for a TS or feeder bands, but I still remember Charlie. Hurricanes sometimes do unexpected things. Getting gas today, testing the generators, charging up batteries. Getting more rhum, and limes, just in case.