the Royaliste

I've a few irons in the fire that need to either glow bright, or cool off. Hunting a new berthing that will take the non-profit write off rather than my small cache 'o dubloons,then...after we make port down your way on the final leg 'o the Tallships Challenge We'll see if there's any interest in our 'hanging around' a bit, running back north if the business is there, or loose the main course and sail south...At this point, it's a quandry, but it'll alll become more clear with the onset of spring....Costa Rica's smellin' right nice............

Interestingly enough, I was just talking with my first mate about our new sails..Two new heads'l's,(my flying jib's okay), and I'm about to order a new main course..it be some major bucks, mate!..Anyhoo, they are all the weight of my main, upteen ounce, and I 'wuz szyin' that if'n I commit to having it built, we'd have to head on into the 'trades to warrant the thousands we've just spent....So, you're on, mate!..We'll talk next time you're around......... :)

Not that fire-starting accessories have much to do with 'pistols'(the thread title, methinks). but...without great difference to Townsend, if you want a good steel for flint, this forge is hard to beat..Fine forging

On behalf of the organizers, ASTA,(who have been doing this like forever) it is hard to imagine them in a role of 'paying' to provide the Tallships necessary for these events. ASTA see's little money, other than our paltry membership dues, so....maybe Tacoma isn't ready to grasp the concept of 'Tallship Gams'....too bad, everyone should have a chance to see vessels in my opinion. The lack of coordination when I first inquired up north, with no real way to generate any profit(We do need fuel and such) convinced me to start here in SF, instead of beating north to Victoria for the run downwind....things could always change...One of our local events tied to this in the spring has lost steam also, so that just leaves 'Sail San Francisco 2005'...

Aye! Far betteer ransomes for live bodies and floatin' prize ships!... :)

well, first off, one must swallow the the picture of the average pirate vessel being the size of a naval ship, and it all becomes clear....No need for formalities with a small crew. Gun crews would fall in as they were used to; many were ex navy anyway. Most gun drills are designed to increase firepower during line battle, not pirate threats or the more occaisional boarding..Smaller ships, smaller guns, even smaller crews required to handle them....Most encounters at sea by pirates were intended to result in booty from a picture of the inevitable without having to fire...But, back to the beginning...Lose the Hollywood image of pirates in a ship of the line; picture canoes, longboats, sloops, schooners, ketches........an occaisional brig...(yep, there really were other pirates besides Blackbeard and Morgan)

'Real' artifacts are extreeeemly hard to replace; any clue as to their insurance status??......

So what I want to know is what on earth was Jack Sparrow doing getting into a blood debt with one of the Monkees?

....."Here we come, (strum)...Walkin' down the street".....WHOOPS!...Wrong Hollywood Monkees!!!

Royaliste, I believe we left of our own accord and walked out in a dignified manner. I mean, who'd want to stay in a country full of heathens who throw tea in the sea?

Royaliste? Funny name for a republican

Ah, Foxe...You may 'believe' as you wish, history tells it a bit differently than 'we left on our own'.....Funny thing about the 'tea'..we were recently asked to reenact just that; dumping 'tea' in the drink!..(actually, it was a symbolic gesture by a gay marriage group, and I make no political alignments, so we turned it down).....Names??..As 'Jack Sparrow' once said...'That'd be the French'......We just keep it 'cuz Now, let's look at 'foxe'..on this side of the pond it's slang for something wot smells rather, well, you know!..As far as the vessel's name, away from her French and Indian War(your Seven Years War) roots, the former owner's wife's maiden name was Roi; the rest came easy, I guess!.......Still plenty 'o fluer di lys around the ship, and I'm a Swede, so it's more a matter of reverance, like the Swedish roots behind the carvings on the Kalmar Nyckel.........

Although they are far between on my Ocean, my side of the 'pond' does have some great reenactments, and the fun part is that most of 'em celebrate events chasin' you guys back to your side of the pond!

Hmm.......'A Signal Victory', The Lake Erie Campaign 1812-1813, and 'A Short History of the Naval Operations in Egypt 1798-1802', and lastly, 'Pursuit of Honor, number two of Nathan Beauchamp, Royal Navy

We've done the boarding events, did one for 'Make a Wish' off Angel Island. The real problem trying to get other vessels involved is the yardarm proximity; most will not risk damage in the upper spars. On the other hand, we've had the grapples in our gunn'ls in Canada, and I've offered any other ship willing to 'toss away'...few takers Now we are hunting a nice longboat to do boardings and shore raids, then it'll be part of our routine.

..On the mock sea battles..We regularly go toe toe toe with already mentioned ships as well as others not mentioned, and combined with shore battles involving the Fort here, the only real difference betwixt 'the days' and now is exactly no blood, heavy damage, or cannonball; the rest is still the same; the manouvers, the adrenalin, the preparation( nothing worse than not enuff powder horns, and plenty 'o cannon rounds left!)..You feel very much like you've been at sea all day doing battle...'cuz you have!..This summer will yield a few really grand ones with a few more ships around at the same time with cannon aboard...maybe 5 or 6 ships or more.....Now, any of you 'shipless' pirates, start savin' your dubloons, and get a signal, as we are lining up the targets as I type....And, yep, if you DONT dress as a pirate, you aren't coming aboard!........And, it's lookin' like we're Carribean bound sooner or later, so Florida is also in RR gunsights..........

After Tallships Challenge 2005, this could be 'interesting'...

Carribean Fun...

'SAIL HO!'

Hmm, I don't hang out 'ere much anymore, but to diversify the slant on this, I'll put me neck on the choppin' block and cover a base or two IMHO...First, as to 'why', at least in our groups, it has become an issue of comraderie, regardless of flash or the lack of it...A great reason to share wonderful moments in time, even dressed as pirates..As far as costuming, well...I've watched quite an evolution in respect to 'on deck fashion'....A year or two ago, many or all of my crew looked like Port Royal on a hot Saturday night, fluffy, gaudy, eccentric....Then, like someone else here suggested, they started sailing...Pretty soon, costuming evolved to more of what worked for sailors, period or not, since the fluff can't take the rigors of the sea....That's with participating, functioning 'pirates'...Someone has mentioned a time or two to take a sail, if possible, weapons tied, basically a 'charter tourist'.....('Tis what you will be, as I've already mentioned how the ren faire fluff won't cut it on deck, in 2005)..Why do it???...If the vessel you are on doesnt want you attired properly, or doesn't allow weaponry, then you might as well stay on the ferry, eh?.....Bottom line...I've tens of thousands invested in actual, period gear from cannonballs to blades, to artifacts and reales,but......I enjoy the smile of the little kids on deck spoofing on Poison Quill's flamboyant attire as much as his dad's eyes ooogling my 1771 French Officer's saber....it's all about removal from your present doldrums, and entering the realm of fantasy, whether your fantasy is 'accurate' or not!

Here's to the Pirates of the Pacific (hoists his mug - which still have coffee in it this morning).

Captain

Aye!..I'll be drinkin' to that, mate!....And, as for modern 'piracy', ..the state just allotted me 17 pounds 'o powder for this year's Civil War reenactment to cover that which I blew off last year...Hmmm, post- 9/11, and the government's givin' pirates black powder.... Quite the coup, methinks!

ROYALISTE Scourge 'o Mare Pacifica

I had another thought regarding the quest for accuracy as a "pirate". We have one MAJOR strike against us, which is that none of us, no matter how accurate, will ever get to actually reenact a pirate boarding/prize taking, AT sea, with TWO period correct ships. Nope.

It's the bane of our quest, eh?

So in a sense, all the proper stitchery and correct clothing in the world will only serve to make us accurate early 18th century citizens, or sailors in between jobs. Which is fine, I mean we're all bound by this limitation, but it just means we always need that premise of "well this is our camp where we're hanging around while our ship is careened." Or, "well this is our impromptu market where we're selling our stolen goods to locals".

Generally speaking, the overall purpose of reenacting is so the public can come witness as close to historical events as possible. Rev war, Civil War, Jamestown, Sturbridge, etc, can do this with impressive accuracy to the original event, often reenacting battles or daily life in great detail on the soil where it actually happened. We can't do that. We can only sit on our barrel and tell little Johnny about the ship we just seized last week off Virginia.

Even French & Indian War groups or fur traders can faithfully do what the originals ACTUALLY did. We can't.

It's kind of sad in a way. Even IF a hardcore pirate reenactment group could get access to some ships in the West Indies, and set up a battle, it could only be witnessed by the public on land half a mile away.

So as I continue to delve further into this world of reenacting (reaching for accuracy, not fantasy), I'm considering adding a subtitle to the phrase "Pirate Reenactor" :

"Early 18th Century Seaman What's just returned home from two years at sea and all I have to show for it are the clothes on me back"

The 'West Indies' would be great, but that also is an area for discussion. Thanks to Hollywood, evryone thinks all piracy happened in the Carribean....Jeesh!....We've done a bit of 'hardcore pirate reenacting',all on the backdrop 'o the Pacific Ocean, so.......be sure and 'piece tie' your piracy.........

As for horns and flasks, from my deck carronades to a boot pistol, it all takes powder and accessories.......How much 'o it that goes with at the time of a boardin', well, that would have been a matter of preference.....Edged weapons were primary weapons,not pistols......Pikes req'd no powder at all!

If you've done any trapping, or know any fur traders, you will understand that other that all being canines, the Wolf, coyote, and fox are all their own number one enemies in that order. In nature, they are dependent on the same prey animals, and they are very territorial,so...a fox will run from the first two, the coyote, from the first one, etc...Modern game calls for hunting coyotes are taped call of fox in distress,etc...As far as tails, they are fluffy and interesting, but hard to keep forever, as the tanning solution has a hard time peenetrating the tube of skin that surrounded the bone in the tail.....

Grapeshotjoe,

I'm not sure the Royaliste fully answered your question.

In pyracy, it ment no mercy would be shown if the victim did not surrender ; no lives would be spared, and no chance of freedom

No Quarter isnt 'pirate', it isnt even particularly nautical, which was my point.....Originally invented by the Greeks, Romans, or somesuch, it's a military term, which would be understood by anyone under fire....DeGuello,' No Quarter', lotsa applications, manylanguages, same meaning...Jolie Rouge, etal.............

I for one would just as soon be totally suprised for my admission price, without any pre-concieved ideas, rumour or not. So,...'ere's my version of the 'rumour mill'...

I just received a new sail from Canada, to keep all things 'period' in sync..A heavy air working jib; it's simply gorgeous!!..Now, waiting on a new matching stays'l, and a new Main Course squaresail...Then, the Tallship Royaliste will be set for most any voyage wot lies ahead!!...Many thanks, Andy Soper at Kingston Sail Loft, Kingston, Ontario!

I believe that there are zillions of phrases that endure, but most are ship related, not pirate; finding their origins from the Navies that ruled the world at the time. No Quarter given is a battle term, not a 'pirate' one specifically. Sorry to burst your bubble, but remember, 'pirate' was just another part-time job for most........

The interesting part will be trying to keep my first mate from pryin' paint can lids off with it!!.....or reaming out carrronade touch-holes... ..As far as firing, I lean towards very light loads in my brass barrels, in comparison to my steel barrels; had the wonderful experience in 1973 of having a brass barrel come apart ....really interesting, it was!...It literally looked like an 'Acme' product from a Wiley Coyote invention

I imagine it'll do as well as a 6 1/2 inch barrel'll do!..The bayonet is triangulated, like a Chinese SKS....nasty 'lil bugger, eh?

Nice piece. Now how about some details? Price? Where'd you get her?

Wartooth

Well, let's see...I'm smithing a 1750's era longrifle, so I went online to order a tang screw, some inletting silver sheet, and some balls..Then wot do I see but this freshly listed, 'one of a kind' jewel here, so I clicked 'add to cart'....around 350.00, from Track of the Wolf..seems to be indian made, as I have the same wood and lock on another blunderbuss.....50 cal. barrel, .75 cal. bell.....I'll let ya know how she fires in a week or so, whenever the ups guy shows up.......