the Royaliste

...Hmmm...Looks as tho' thar be a chance one 'o us will be able to catch Ace 'onstage', as RR agreement with the Channel Islands Harbor requires us to be 'open' from 1000 to 1400 on the weekends for the citizenry....half hour drive by Rumble Bee,so......mebbee we'll see the show, otherwise, we'll be drinkin' rum as required by 'job description'!!

Actually mates, we are about to 'away anchor' 'ere at Point Dume, where we sailed to from Long Beach. We should make Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard by eve, to get ready for the Seafood Festival this weekend. Twas great to meet up with ye all, and we'll still try to make Ojai.... Thanks again, 'Pearl....You and Lynn were welcome scallywags and many thanks for the help, both crewin' and workin' the ship with the crowds.... Iron Bess and Red Maria, same as always; we'll see you soon, ya Bloody Seadogs!!.......Time to sail, mates.........

Flint size depends on the style of the lock, but in any size, I heartily recommend 'Track'..they keep us 'Seaworthy'.......'specially in larger sizes like Grice and B.Bess 'Tower' 'locks...

...(The Tallship Royaliste lies on Her hook in Long Beach Harbor, enroute to the Channel Islands Harbor in time for Ojai)..... ...........Arrgh!..Ya Blooody Scallywags humble the Cap'n, ye do!..... It was our extreme pleasure to 'ave alla ye aboard, and you are ALWAYS welcome anytime, day or nite...... Again, the singin' and the comraderie were superb, and 'ere's another tot 'o rum to ye all!!..See you soon, maytee's!! ROYALISTE Headin' upwind, takin' no prisoners!

Avast, ya scurvey dogs!!!...'Tis a 'Bang-up' time 'ere at Dana Point, Port Royal Privateers, pirates, and assorted scallywags runnin' amuck, Tallships givin' up plenty 'o targets for the Royaliste' guns, and some lovely citizens to pilfer!!...Iron Bess, Red Maria, and the rest 'o 'New Providence' did some mighty fine singin' aboard yesterday, so if ye can catch them performing, by your leave, do!.....'Tis 9-11, so I've gotta run up Old Glory to half mast...carry on, sailors!! ROYALISTE Pride 'o Pirates Everywhere.....

Actually, we're in pretty good shape, all considered!...Busy shuttling stuff ashore to my pickup, makin' a wee bit more party room..Just bring a smile and a piratical intent, eh?.....On a different tack, we've had a bang up time with the other ships this summer, and some of the 'pranks' have been hilarious...That said, keep in mind that we put on a historical artifact display for people's education worth mucho's thousands of dollars, and some not replaceable end to end accross our decks during public hours. Some Kiwi friends with the best intent hurled a few water balloons, breaking a historical document on privateering encased in HUV glass, and discolored and rusted a saber blade from 1771 I aqcuired from a Smithsonian benefactor....Fun is fun, but be a tad bit adult about it..Discrepancies will not be tolerated.Now, where's the rum run off to???

Aye! We made port around 1330 yesterday, drug anchor once, but she's holdin' fine at present....A wee bit too many plastic boats in this anchorage for my liking, but it be a 'free ocean',so....Hard at it today working on the ship, and re-provisioning....

Ahoy, ya Scurvy Dawgs!!...The surgery went well, no hook yet, so....We'll be fending off from RR brief respite in Oceanside at around 0800 tomorrow, hopin' to drop the hook 'unofficially' in Dana Point around mid-afternoon, dependin' on wind......The powers wot be want an official parade Friday, so we'll be goin' back out for the 'Official arrival' then!...Thanks to New Providence, Iron Bess, Red Maria, Jamaica 'n Michael, and all of you headin' RR way for the Pirate raft-up of the summer!! The water tanks 'n rum keg's be loaded, and we'll be too, by golly! We've been averagin' at least six cannon shots per 'guest' this year, and I'm sure I kin do better, eh??........'ere's to a gRRRReat weekend, maytee's!! ROYALISTE Plunderin' the South Coast

Actually, the fiddles and drums do well, as long as the luthier did right with the types of glue. The period type drums seem to do well, since they are rather rudimentally tuned. As far as the woodwinds, might be tuff, as hollow round wood things don't seem to fare well.

We are makin' ready for sea again, after some deck paint and such, ready to 'way anchor on slack water around 0400, with a heading for Oceanside till Tuesday nite, then onward to Dana Point!! .....A new batch 'o powder just arrived, and we can' hardly wait!

Well, you ne'r mentioned an era,so..We're sailin' with some wooden recorders, a silver flute, and a '65 Fender Strat(Seafoam green of course) and a Pignose amp! We also take on a compliment of fife and drummers for battle sails and living history......(the squeezeboxes seem to rot at the bellows).....

:) Oooooohhh-Kaaaay, so...you get my Bloody two Maravedis worth,also!......We aren't 'in the movie business', but in 'liability crazy, United States Coast Guard up my arse-California', I rekon I shoot darn near as much gunpowder as anyone, and it goes like this. My decks are close quartered to say the least, and then add children and citizens...Whether it be carronades, blunderbuss', long rifles, pistols, or grenado's, the drill is the same aboard the Royaliste. All charges are pre-made in extremely thin paper, (read 'coffee filter 'or thinner, like tissue). Rolled on various diameter tube, then folded, glued, or taped. Powder added. Charge placed in whatever style weapon in use..rammed tightly home, no other wadding, stuffing, foam, nor anything remotely possible to be construed as a 'projectile'. Never a trace, nor a problem, and we've used 150 pounds this month. The tightness of the compressed powder is sufficient, and since it was prewrapped, no wad necessary. Try it or not, but it keeps the safety issue completely out of our piratical lives.......

Out here on the Bloody Blue Briney many Tallships(including ROYALISTE and LYNX) use Main Powder Hoiuse. Best prices, fast shipping, and they eat the Hazmat and shipping. Storing large amounts of black powder becomes tricky,as you may purchase up to 50 pounds, but only store 25 pounds legally in an APPROVED powder magazine. Homeland Security has their issues, eh wot? ROYALISTE Pillagin' the South Coast, and Takin' NO Prisoners!

Excited???...Bloody Bloomin' 'eck, why, we're locked, cocked, and bloody ready to rock, matey's!! Besides the obvious fact that the Pyrate Ship Royaliste hasn't been outgunned the entire summer, why..it's about Pyracy,eh?! We've extra gunpowder stored, and as I type, the scallywags from the crew are droppin' off the chase truck in Dana Point, (so, thar not only be pirates in them waters, watch out for the lean, mean Hemi-powered Rumble Bee in the parkin' lot!!).. We are sailin' on the mornin' tide, hidin' in Mariner's Basin in Mission Bay, stoppin' in Oceanside next to the Jolly Roger, then on to Dana Point!...Since we are truely a pyrate ship year in and year out, not just when 'it fits', be prepared to party,and....if you've the rum, courage,or dramamine, any costumed scurvey dogs seekin' shelter are welcome on RRR deck to sleep, as we've a full ship's cover to keep it 'cozy'.... ROYALISTE Raidin' the Southland, and Doin' a Fine Job of it, eh?

Yo, Redd!!..If you have the means, stop on by the ship in Oxnard for a shot 'o rum, n' conversation!!

Or it means that I've been re-enacting for 26 years, as practically every kind of soldier (I have yet to do horse mounted cavalry) from the age of Rome to WWII, and I've just seen my fair share of things go wrong. I believe in all that time I have been witness to or heard about three or four snapped tangs, and I have seen one axe head go flying through the air (not a pleasant sight). That being said, I feel we've diverged from the original "where to buy it" aspects of this thread to more historical aspects of combat, the how-to, which I believe is more appropriate to the Capt Twill forum. If some of you can put your ego's in a box for a while, then open any copy of 'Neumann', you'll realise that mucho blade styles exist in history.As for the blade tip mentioned, I've a similar one on display at present throughout Southern California. The Smithsonian tag is still aboard ship.1770 is the date of use.

Had the best of plans to make it, but...me sawbones saw fit to do some slicin' and dicin', so......couldn't swim thru the anesthetics!!!...We'll have the ship in Channel Islands Harbor, 26 miles away, so a Saturday morning raid to Ojai will hafta do!!

Me too!!!!!...We'll be putting to sea Friday, but it still be a week away, darn!

Tarred marline comes in many diameters, depending on the application desired. We prefer that which is supplied by American Rope and Tar. The finest kind, also a great source for Stockholm Tar, the boiled pine pitch used to creatye tarred marline from hemp or various twines.

Aye, it'll be quite a challenge in itself tryni' to fund this adventure!..On a closer tack, Dana Point is lookin' like one fine pirate affair, and after that, the Tallship Royaliste is rumoured to be headin' for the Channel Islands Harbor to begin interpreting living history through piracy just in time for the Seafood Fest and the Gold Coast Faire at Ojai... ROYALISTE Takin' No Prisoner's, Mates!

..........The brothers LaFitte :)

Uh Oh! Better make sure my health insurance premium is all paid up if I'm to go to the top of the yardarm. I'm there for ye, Captain. Bloody 'eck, you'll do fine, but...as far as yardarm falls, aim for the blue, not the brown!

Avast, ya scurvey dogs!......It's startin' to appear that the Royaliste may be pyratin' those very waters this year...We're ironing out the route to the Great Lakes, and there's a slight chance we'd be thru the Carribean in time.......... ROYALISTE Raidin' the Southland!

We were talking of doing a leg up the Mississippi, but they are talking of sheathing the Bounty in steel to do it, and I have waay too much love for me wooden ketch to do that to her...On another tack tho', I just confirmed a call during a surgery today placing the Tallship Royaliste in the 2006 Tallships Challenge in the Great Lakes, so....head to Chicago, eh? ...P.S. Pearl, 'o course we ain't no 'race boat', just says it all for the crew's ability and our sailmakers skill!....for sure, the photo op is good, mebbee a trip to the top of the first yardarm be in store! ROYALISTE Raidin' the Southland, and Doin' a Fine Job of it, eh?

Ooooooooooh, a lotta PLUNDER'N!!! And on that 'Plunderin' note..We let the MAritime Museum know that if they arrived one morn' to NO H.M.S 'Surprise', that the fine crew 'o the Royaliste would be a'crewin' the H.M.S. ROSE back to Canada!..and nevermind the 'plastic' guns, as the gundeck 'o the Royaliste would be a coverin' her backside!!!.