Matusalem

Jolly'O, If I may speak freely, first where are you located? Lake or sea? I would highly suggest finding an organization that specializes in sailing school or camp that teaches sailing, at the very least a minimum of being on the water a dozen times. The easiest boats to sail are 12-14 ft (3-4 meters), particulary Sunfishes or Phantoms, Vanguards, and Lasers. As for me, I was fortunate when I was 12 yrs old, to enroll in a 14 day daily camp in my home town of Bristol, R.I organized by Roger Williams University. Every day we were on Sunfishes and Lasers. I was jealous of other students because theipr parents were rich enough to enroll them in the dorms (and get stoned afterwards ), while mom picked me up and drove me home. My mom inevitably bought me a sunfish (which was $750 new in those days) afterwards, which I have spent many a summer day breezing through all corners of Narragansett bay. Having my own little sailboat also gave me the courage to handle the heeling, wind, surf, currents, whixh I was initially petrified. And to sound idealistic, when Capt jack Sparrow speaks that the Black Pearl is...freedom, it is exactly that type of "freedom" for me. I was able to sail, even alone, to uninhabited islands such as Hope islands, despair island and claim them for myself for a few hours. Those who know Narragansett bay know what I'm talking about. Not a bad deal when you consider these were waters once sailed by Wm Kidd, Thomas Tew...you get that felling. That's my story, good luck!

I've been watching CSI:Miami lately. Few re-run episodes having to do with pirates and treasure this month. Funny coincidence being last week being the DVD release of POTC2, no?

Good information on shipwrecks: http://www.aquaexplorers.com/shipwrecks.htm Maybe we get lucky and find treasure: http://www.shipwreckexpo.com/fleastelcapitana.htm

Kass, I think I may take you up on that offer. I am planning on doing New Years Eve in Baltimore aboard the clipper. I'll write you over an email shortly. I am about to depart for Florida in an hour, staying at family for two days, then ferry over to Key West.

Navy Requirements, Kass.....British navy requirements. I would think that pirates were a bit more rag-tag. That was the point I was trying to make about Washinton's army. They, at times, were underfed, undersupplied, and often without shoes (which was not by choice).

Foxe, I don't doubt your word one bit. Yes, I was told that whalers were bare-footed. To what extent, I couldn't tell you. When we Yanks fought you Brits back in the 1770's, Many of George Washington's soldiers were bare-footed, even during a snowy winter, because they couldn't afford shoes. Same with Confederate soldiers during the American civil war...That's supposedly why the Battle of Gettysburg happened. I am even surprised to see news footage of Iraqi insurgents running around barefoot while firing machine guns. I, myself, walk around barefoot frequently in the summer, and by summer's end, I can walk on gravel without feeling a thing because of the callouses. The skin toughens up after a while. Even dog's feet are accustomed to rough surfaces because they walk on them all their lives. Modern life tells us to wear shoes, so we are so unnacustomed to building up our feet to tolerate walking on rough surfaces. As for me right now, it hurts to walk barefoot on my patio.

^Mad Matt is obsessed with Metallica. I am grateful that Metallica ever existed, otherwise we'd still be driving Chevy IROC Camaros and still listening to Bon Jovi and Journey. My bass player in my band was raving about them in '86 and I had no idea what he was talking about. <I have discovered that here are snakes in my back yard. Common garters, but snakes nontheless. This is November, WTF??!!! V Ever break a bone? ...and which one?

(sigh) The more I research, outfits, the more I spend. Now I'm running out of money quickly. Unfortunately in today's world, th cell phone bill must get paid first. I'm all for home fabrication, but I will tell you that even with all real vintage clothes I own , I'm discovering I still can't get what I want. I'm sure there are some folks out there that would agree.

Nothing beats a columbian necktie.

I can remember a few years back, a dream of an 80 year old man in tattered 18th century clothes, a few missing teeth , stubble, kind of piratey that was a street performer in Newport, Bowen's Wharf, during high tourist season. His act was a 15 inch high skeleton puppet similar to the thing on Youtube that sings Little Richard, except in my dream it was not a marionette. the old man was snickering and getting you to eye the puppet as it performed it's dance. I swear that, in real life, I have seen little dancing skeletons that are held together with thin wire, which these things jiggle and bounce. But in my dream, the skeleton puppet seems far more real. I remember when I was a kid, I was fascinated by the things that the 4th july parade vendors used to sell, noticeably a leash attatched to an invisible dog. This was a pretty hot toy back in the day. In my town that I grew up in, there are a lot of 200+ year old houses, and a lot of Revolutionary war reenactors during July 4th, so it makes sense how this all came about. I am trying to figure out how to build a non-marionette stand-alone skeleton puppet that I could use as a street magic act. I have a feeling that later dowen the road, this old man could be me. :)

I Think the bare feet part is undeniable. At least that's what I learned on a field trip class to the Nantucket whaling museum when I was in high school.

Thanks Red Cat Jenny, RumbaRue, Dorian, Patrick, ands especially Foxe and Kass. Now I have a better insight. I have a couple of yards of some linen solid, which I dyed crimson, and some chequered cotton, but the chequered cotton looks a bit like the shirts that civil war reenactors use ( small 1/4 inch 4mm wide plaid like weave). Now, I'm not sure whether to leave the ends frayed for effect . Foxe asks about me in pictures.....well, this will take a few days, which I promise I will post right here when I return from the Key West festival. No turning back now.

Feet........principally. It was much easier to climb the yardarm with bare feet than shoes. I noticed, while watching Master&Commander (1805 era) some of the youger crew looked like the shoes they were wearing had thin soles, like capezio dance shoes. They didn't look like the typical buckle variety of 18th century. Aubrey wore boots but that is a military outfit. I think boots are more for cavalry, and 'JMO', the bucket boots look more like Three Musketeers. I have a theory that when Disney made up Capt. Jack Sparrow, they almost copied the Captain Morgain character off the rum bottle because it's so instantly recognizable.

I know a magician never tells the secret to his tricks, however, can anyone help me with the last and final bit to my period outfit. I am having trouble trying to figure exactly what material the neck scarf ideally should be and how to wear it, if it is ever worn. I see some period photos with, and some without.

Pyrating is privateering for one's self, only more private, I guess. The british privateer ship HMS Gaspee burned in the waters of Narragansett Bay in 1772, that's a bit beyond GAoP. And the locals who burned that ship took some cargofor themselves while they were at it....kind of reverse piracy, but the American history books call it one of the first battle of the American Revolution.

I thought copywrite only means that you can't make money off of someone else's project. seems to me, maybe for a presentation having nothing to do with sale of the music is fair game. However, I have noticed lots of websites that play midi files of tunes, and I don't think it's because midi sounds nice.

Great Job! I am envious and want to do the same to my back porch, however I may add a bit o' tiki and surf theme. Either way, I'm jealous. Maybe I missed it somewhere, but would you be planning on adding some theatrical lighting too? The skulls would look awsome in a splash of green spotlight.

Pilate!....as in Pontius H. Pilate, not the excercise.

Unless anyone on this site has a band or knows someone who is willing to be a hired gun, you have to consider the copyrwite infringement issues....best to pick someone that is 1. already dead 2 .already public property. I would pick Wagner ( flight of the Valkyrie, etc.)or some dark Tchaikofsky stuff. Handel seems too royal (as was done to the soundtrack of King George III). If I had my way, I'd go with Dead Can Dance (4AD label), but that might be an infringement problem if you have commercial uses in mind.

^mentally, no.....hearing christmas caroles on the radio at this particular time makes me irritable. <debating selling my restored 57 Ford to buy a sailboat. V Ever been bit by a dead bee? (...think Walter Brennan)

I've only seen the Kalmar Nickel once, and took interest in crewing square riggers last year upon being aware of such programs as the Sultana, and the above said ship. 'tis unfortunate that I will not have such opportunity to meet Cap't Hiott, which you all speak so highly of. I go through Delaware so frequently. My condolences, nonetheless.

Vintage footage: http://youtube.com/watch?v=MNMQ1kN0pYQ

Welcome aboard, Capt'n Rice! I've seen Sloop Providence on many an occasion, somewhere between Bowen's Wharf and the State Pier. Fine vessel. I'm friends with the crew of the Endeavour nearby, but that's another story for another day. I will also be in Key West, in garb. I was down there last June, and amidst all the motorcruisers ( and a pudgy Merv Griffin & his pudgy dog on his megayacht) in the harbor was a small wooden square-rigger , sailed in from Germany, at the dock. Pretty young crew, guys&girls....literally looked like the cast of Survivor, with the scruffiness to boot. Varnish worn off the wood by the sea salt. No reenacting here....now, that's sailing!

It is ironic that we on this shore celebrate a holiday created by the concept [of a ship full of religious exiles] that was never intecepted by pirates. It must be that the bounty of faith in aboard the Myflower was not enough to fulfill the will of pirates because they only had the thoughts of gold & ambergris on their minds, so to speak.... You folk from UK, while you may not celebrate Thanksgiving, the road here starts in Lincolnshire. Happy Thanksgiving all!

I took 6 years of piano lessons, only to find my heart settled for the guitar and forgot how to play piano. Been through my share of bands. Now my new thing is the upright bass (or double bass) played in the rockabilly slap stype of early 1950's Elvis, Carl Perkins, and Gene Vincent.