the Royaliste

It's been a brutal week, but our new topmast is finished and already swayed up, along with the tops'l and course yards,so..we're back to square-rigged and happy for it! Uprigging is complete, minus some rigging and line changes, and most of the painting is done. Hampton is in our sights, bringing up the question, 'Whassup with the docks this year?' Steel dock again, or? And if it be the steel Army docks, what be the installation plans?..Depending on the weather, we may be right on time, or..we may have to sail a few days early....inquirin' minds wanna know,eh?.....As for tarriffs or taxes, the ship's four pounders are always ready to say 'Duty Free'..........

I'd be interested in a parley with said Maritime Museum..might prove to be safe harbor in the off season..'tis a shame the winter temps aren't too wooden boat friendly....I'd hoped for more development here at the Old Beaufort Seaport....I'd really like a stash off season for our weapons and artifacts.....

After a rugged but successful haulout, Thursday last saw ROYALISTE relaunch at Jarrett Bay, NC....We are berthed back at Old Beaufort Seaport, and extremely busy uprigging for this summer's voyaging. Mizzen topmast is repaired and swayed up...Main gaff is repaired and in place. Weather's a little funky today, but when it clears, the Main Course yard will be rigged and the Course hanked on. I'm in the middle of the construction of the new Main topmast, and by next week, it and the Main tops'l yard and tops'l will go up. The powder is in the magazine, and the crew are aquiring their tans early....ther's a lot to accomplish 'afore she sails, but ROYALISTE will be ready for Hampton, lock,stock, and all barrels! ROYALISTE Wooden Ships on the Water......

Aye, mate!..Bang up job, now the citizen's will see it.......

....Buggar!...Sixty days, and I haven't even hauled the ship out yet!...That's enuff to make me a wee bit nervous,but...somebody closer to organizin' should click on the calendar and enter the data so this event shows up on the events portion of the bottom of the main page, eh?

.......*burp*......(Stynky's most profound response)

I seldom read down here in the bilge, but..Atta girl, there Snow! My oldest daughter was a rodbuster for many years, actually made it to Asst. Supt. before she quit the trade. It's hard on both men and women, my advice is get five years in for a minimum pension, then bail out. I'm a retired third generation structural Ironworker, so I know from whence I speak. Thanks to my former trade, I'm now a Structural Ironworker on Disability! (not really funny, but, oh well)..I ply the seven seas with this ship now.....

Aye, and as above mentioned, 'Military Bright' finishes go natural (brown) without steady maintainance. But don't forget the wood....Modern guns as well as replicas all have very fine wood finishes..Sandpaper is a modern invention. Back in the 'Day', wood was finished with stones, and depending on application, not very smooth..Scratches were prominent in bygone times.

Ahoy, ya scallywags!...It be time for a few additions to this 'ere schedule, as my March 4 post was 'wishful thinking', and this mostly be in ink now....It's lookin' like we'll be sailin' to Toronto around June 20,then after the fouth of July in Sandusky, it looks like Toledo around July 11, and the fine town of Port Colborne the first of August..We may be making a few unannounced raids in New York State after Bill Johnston's Pirate Days in Alexandria Bay. Privateer Royaliste will be both east and west on the Erie Canal this year, so those of you along the way, feel free to stop by for a visit and mebbee a tattoo, even with the masts down and alla the spars on deck!

Good luck on your yardwork; we're haulin' out next week to do the same..Also, we'll be cruisin' your way in June, so don't be shy, eh?

I'm not sure this far out from the date, but depending on the weather sailin' up the ICW, we could be in as early as Wednesday, ya just never know. If we are in port early, homeless vagrants that we recognise can usually rustle up deck space or something to kill time......I'm always behind in having enuff cannon loads made up, so it's a mad rush...

I'm pretty much in the exact frame of mind, Black Fox. Obviously, my personal preference is for wooden ships that sail the oceans, but.....in context, with each of your lines, I'm in total agreement. It takes a lot of money, blood, sweat and tears to keep these 'dreams' of ours afloat (whether your dream literally floats, or metaphorically floats matters naught to me, it be the same blood you shed; I've the scars for proof) Aboard Royaliste, we try to sow the seeds the yield to such dreams, so I could never wish them anything but well, whether you'd find me sailing on said dream or not....End of rant, just my PPO (personal pirate opinion,mates..)

****Bangs head to remove crusty sea salt in ears**** Aye, Sterling, I was thinkin' more along the lines 'o 'Pyrate Scouts'.....(raises right hook)..."On, me honor, I kinda swear to cheat,swindle,parley, pillage, plunder and profit"..........and as for 'curley toes', well this crew's feet be so gnarly an' curled up already from climbin' the tops'l geer, they kin hardly put on shoes, mate!..( I doubt if'n 'e'll be seein' any of 'em at the ball....)

Buggar!...Avast, mate, are we talkin' 'pyrate fest', or a flippin' Boy Scout troop meetin??....inquirin' minds be awantin' to know, eh?

As we travel about, we find many 'types', if you will, of 'swordfighting' technics amongst the public. In 2005, to add a little something to our presence as 'pirates' in various ports, we started giving stage combat sword fighting lessons to both young and adults....It began with some excellent instruction from our above sword expert, Iron Bess...Some people prefer martial arts training, some medieval, etc. We are not trying to teach offensive weapon technics, as their are automatic weapons that cover such action. We prefer the authentic looking, but not aggressive Stage methods. We find that many are doing the same positions, just different numbering...We don't teach fencing, which is totally different in scope. To date, I suppose we have numbers in the thousands. Some supplementation by a Chicago group have helped get us along as for advancement, but you still can't beat the excellent methods practiced by Iron Bess...Thanks, 'Bess, we owe it all to you and your thoughtfulness...BTW, regardless of other methods, ours have been 'right on' for the three films under our belts so far....

Hmmm, it'd prolly depend on whether the security cameras caught ye lashin' 'er to the larboard anchor first!!

Aye!.....Why, we're alla the time a'hopin' that the crew stays clean enough not to scare away the general public,but this be far too early in the voyage for..........'soap'!

Jeesh, Joe...I usually know of most ships being built.....Missed this one!..my guess is it ain't a wooden ship. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I'd hate to think that the 'grapevine' let us wood guys just upstream down....

Sorry, mate, you'll hafta keep wondering, as Royaliste was doing charters from Kingston, Ontario to Florida and back....Got a description?? ..Color scheme??

Aye, it be RR pleasure, and basically, part of the purpose of Privateer! (our not for profit cover). Don't get me wrong, instilling some imagination in young and old alike is our number one function. But that said, it's the folks like us who like to play and 'dress funny' that are our 'cheering section', rooting and supporting us 'spiritually' if you will....(as if bloody pirates have any spiritualism!!)..so we always return the favor. We've only had one or two times where some citizen complains.....and those are the ones we explain the fine art of keelhauling..

'e be welcome, mate...And a 'stop on by' has always been an invatation to any 'Pubsters', (not the general public, mind you..we do discriminate, as properly attired pyrates have always had 'special priveleges' aboard Privateer Royaliste)..That goes for any Pubsters in any port we visit..If'n it be hot, or whatever, be 'e in your kit, c'mon up to the front of the line and 'speak up', eh??...those not in costume, sorry, but the end of the line is waaay back there....

Ah..a fine offer indeed, sir..but..on a minor note, the ball is a little rich for our blood, and when we sail on the festival schedule, we have to limit the amount of garb, as there is just so much room aboard, so the 'fancy' stuff stays behind in the trailer in favor of 'deck seaman' stuff...Now, the BIG reason....without offending anyone, I generally pull first anchor watch, so the crew can party some...Most all of the Tallship Festivals furnish a motel room for each ship's captain...since 2004, I've never used the room furnished, we just let the gang split the time showering, and soaking up some air conditioning...Last year, in Miramichi, New Brunswick traveling with Pride of Baltimore II, I gave in, being a wee bit under the weather, and used the room....When I returned in the morning, our precious bronze swivel gun was stolen,so......Part of the Ship, Part of the Crew, me bucko's...on a different tack, stop on by, we're generally pretty 'deck friendly' in the evenings. If'n 'e do wanna little deck time, please leave swords behind, or check 'em on deck, as their isn't much 'swing room'.....About that 'sitter', we may be packing our grandson again, the three year old powder monkey, and 'Heir Apparent'' to the ole Privateer.....

Avast!..Fresh dispatches arrived on the packet....June 20..Toronto!....July 11, Toledo,Ohio....August first, Port Colborne, Ontario..nothing as good feeling as some more villages to shell, raid, and plunder!..we'll be sittin' pretty low in the water from alla the swag,eh wot? ROYALISTE Raiding two Nations; Privateering 101..........

Hmmm...Sixty five degrees, Wind at around thirty knots right now, but......seems to be an ulgy low pressure system.....it's gonna veer to the west, with the possibility of 70 knots!....Fenders all on one side, docklines doubled up,so...Heeeeere we go!!......(can anyone spell 'tornado'??)

.....Meanwhile, back aboard ship, the rum is flowing, the seadogs are plotting, and eyeballing the powder magazine.............