historyfanatic

WE HAVE THE WINNERS!!! 3rd Place Prize: Boarding Grapnel and two Reproduction coins goes to Matt Utley. Congratulations Matt! 2nd Place Prize: 3 grenadoes and two reproduction coins goes to Tom Hooper. Congratulations Tom! And the First Place Prize of a 1690's Doglock Blunderbuss goes to Gary Fentress! Congratulations Gary! Thank-you to everyone who bought tickets! We really appreciate it. We were able to raise a lot of funds for the Pirates of Paynetown event. You all helped make this happen and I am forever in your debt! This has been a huge success and we will probably do it again next year. Pirates of Paynetown is safe and will continue on for years to come! Thanks again! www.piratesofpaynetown.org

I will post a picture of the gibbet and coffin when I get them done. (Hopefully today) In the meantime, here is an 18th century anti-smoking ad...

Whadda ya think? He's about 5'4" tall. Unfortunately he's gonna spend a weekend on the gibbet in about a week at Pirates of Paynetown, but that's ok because he's already dead... His name is Thomas Guilford and he's a PYRATE! I managed to scare the dog pretty good this afternoon when I first got him put together. She didn't know what to think of it. My wife's not real thrilled either and has banished him to the guest bedroom because she doesn't want him to freak her out when she gets up for work in the morning... I think the neighbors got a glimpse of him in the yard while I was painting him, but that's ok, they already think I'm completely insane! Tomorrow I'm gonna build him a coffin! (Yeah, I know, he needs a hammock, but I don't feel like doing that much handstitching... The coffin will be quicker...) Oh, and the gold teeth are removable...

No, that's just where the paint is peeling... Don't be jealous! Go buy a junk aluminum boat for scrap value and be creative!!

The Lady Rose has undergone a bit of refitting over the last week. Still needs a little paint touch-ups and a few minor things, but for the most part she's ready for Pirates of Paynetown in a two weeks! Here are some pictures. New additions include a weighted leeboard in place of the keel she had last year, an extra jib sail, and painted mast and spars. In addition she has a new rigging system that works better than the old one. More efficient and less likely for me to smack my head with a yard whilst lowering sail. I think she still needs a bigger mainsail and a square sail would be cool and very efficient if I can figure out how to do it. She gets better with every overhaul! It's a real learning experience. Lots of trial and error... Hard to believe this started out as an aluminum speedboat... :) Next year she's gonna need all new sails... Blech! Pictures of the Lady Rose: New leeboard!

We need volunteers to do programs. If anyone is coming and is interested in performing or doing something exciting and visible, ie harrass the public, etc, let me know! Thanks! ALSO: We only have 17 tickets left. Once they're all sold, we will hold the drawing. Why wait if they're all sold, right? Pirates have no patience...

GR stands for "Georgeus Rex", which is Latin for "King George". It's a mark of distiction stating that the item with said mark is the property of the Crown. The broad arrow is always in accompaniement to it.

She does sit low in the water, but that's what gives it stability. And yet it's still a shallow enough draft to be able to get through marshes and swamps. She can safely carry about 450 lbs. Gets scary above 500lbs... When I first tried her out, I thought it was a little tippy, but then I learned how to use it and realized that it's actually more stable than a canoe. The only thing I will do differently on the next one is I will make it a little wider. Flat bottomed boats are very stable, but the wider you make them, the more stable it becomes. The flagpole and swivel gun throw off the balance a bit, but it's still not any worse than an average canoe. Without them it becomes increasingly more stable. Wider would allow it to accomodate the cannon and flag better. Wider still and with a leeboard added, it would be a fine sailing vessel... That's the plan for number three... Mission, The hardware is hand-forged... I used a coal fire, anvil, hammer, tongs, etc and some scrap steel. Next time I make hardware, I'll take pictures. It's easier than explaining how to do it...

Get this book: (It has complete plans) Building the Pirogues, Jim Jacobs Building the Pirogue; Creating a Cheap and Ideal Boat for Hunting, Fishing and Voyaging, by Jim Jacobs. A thorough, step-by step guide detailing the materials needed and how to cut the parts and bring them together to build a handy little boat. Included are tables for part angles and the dimensions of the parts for pirogue of four different sizes, as well as the formulas used to figure the parts dimensions. A novice who only plans on building one boat using a set plan can build a good boat in a couple of spare weekends using this book, but there's also enough detailed information provided to enable someone to do their own engineering and designing should they “catch the bug” and decide to go further. 29 pages, over 50 illustrations $ 15.00 Click here for a picture of what it looks like without my "customizing"... It can be bought here: Blue Heron Mercantile Or you can buy a basic kit: Blue Heron BoatKit I chose to build it myself off the plans. I wanted to make modifications and I had to hand-forge all the metal parts myself. The plans can be a little tricky, but if you're handy with wood and know a thing or two about boats, you'll do fine. I plan on building more boats like this, so it's likely that someone could talk me into building them one for the right amount of swag...

Just finished building this... Er, I mean I stole it from the limeys... That's why it has all the British markings... Yeah... All the iron parts are hand-forged except the swivel gun. (Yes, it really fires...)

In response to a few questions... You do not need to be present to win. Drawing will be held on August 7th BEFORE the event. (DNR rules again) Winners will be notified either at the event if they attend, or after the event if they do not. Winners who are not able to pick up their prize at the event have the option of meeting up with me at an event to claim their prize or I will ship it to you at no cost. Thanks!

Hello everyone, Wanted to remind you that Pirates of Paynetown is just around the corner. We still have some room for camps, but space is filling FAST! We are now more than halfway to our maximum camp limit of 50 camps. It is important that you pre-register! You will not be able to set up and participate if you do not register! Please go to www.piratesofpaynetown.orgto register. So who is planning on coming? We currently have over 30 camps registered, 9 boats, 7 cannons and a LOT of pirates!

Folks, I still have about 50 tickets to sell for the Pirates of Paynetown fundraiser. Ticket sales are limited to a total of 150 tickets. First, second and third place prizes will be given away which means you have a 1-in-50 chance of winning something. Tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20. You can pay via personal check, PayPal, or Visa/Mastercard. In addition, we are more than halfway to our maximum capacity for camps, so if you plan on coming and you haven't registered yet, please do so right away to guarantee a spot. Registration is online at www.piratesofpaynetown.org. First place prize is a fully defarbed, brand-new 1690's doglock blunderbuss. ($550 value) Second place prize is a set of three 18th century grenadoes plus two reproduction coins. ($80 value) Third place prize is a hand-forged boarding grapnel and two reproduction coins. ($35 value) Take advantage of this great opportunity and help support our great event! (All prizes donated by our sponsor, Taylor Rose Historical Outfitters. www.taylor-rosehistorical.com)

FINALLY!!! The news you've all been waiting for!!! We've come to some sort of an accord with the state after about 6 months of parlay... Here's the latest! <a href="http://www.piratesofpaynetown.org" target="_blank">Pirates of Paynetown Official Website</a> The website is not finished yet, so there's may be a few links that don't work or new stuff added over the next few days. Fee is $5 per person over age 16. All costumed participants over age 16 have to register whether camping or not. This is for our insurance. (Also, since we have to send in our information ahead of time, we can't accept any registrations after August 6th. Thanks!) See you there!!! <img src="http://pyracy.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/huh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=" " border="0" alt="huh.gif" />

Yup, we use them for 1812 too. I carry them in a variety of colors...

Sash is 9-feet long.

Sorry mate, I've been distracted with other threads... Just looked at this. The pattern ye want is: Kannik's Korner Patterns I have a couple of these to offer right now... They are not our usual handstitching work, but they are cheap! They are both made of a light cotton canvas with a muslin lining. Buttons are handmade flat brass. This one is a size 42. (In other words, if your chest measures 42" it'll fit ya!) $75.00 +$5 shipping The hat is for sale too, $18.00 This jacket is a size 40" chest. (I was barely able to squeeze it onto my size 42 suit form. This was difficult, so it won't fit properly on someone bigger than a 40. (FYI) This jacket is also $75.00 +$5 shipping. The sash is also available for $28.00 (100% silk) All these items are brand new.

Well, this is our third year, so I wouldn't say that I'm starting an event... More like trying to keep one going. I also run a very sucessful juried 1812-era reenactment in Indiana. It has county funding and the county provides the insurance. Let me also point out that Pirates of Paynetown is NOT a ren faire, nor is is meant to be run like one. Pirates of Paynetown was started primarily as an opportunity for hard-core 18th century reenactors to kick back and let their pirate side loose (which is highly frowned upon at juried historical events for F&I/Rev War) and to provide an opportunity to play with our period boats on the lake. No attendees are expected to do anything more than wear their period clothes and attempt to keep their camps historically acceptable. This is why I don't "pay" the reenactors who show up. Most of them are coming from a different background and a different system than the ren faires offer. I can get fifty reenactors to show up in a field anywhere without having to pay them a cent. Ideally, yes, I'd prefer not to have to charge anything for putting on a weekend-long historical beach party. But unfortunately the insurance expense is what's getting in the way. I could try just asking for donations, but I fear that what will happen is I'll end up spending a small fortune out of my own pocket that way. I'm not trying to start a ren faire style money-making machine. I understand how those work and I don't have the funds to do it, nor do I wish for that big of a headache. Around our area the only reenactors who get paid are the ones who can put on a half-hour long first person presentation, theatrical shows or musical groups, or people who have big, expensive equipment such as cannons or boats. I've never been to a camp where I got paid to just show up in period clothing and do regular camp stuff. It seems that so many events across the country are run in such a variety of fashions that I guess there is no middle ground. I've learned through this post as well as a similar one on FrontierFolk.net that it's impossible to please everyone. I will ponder the issue some more before I make a final decision about how to fund Paynetown this year. Thanks for all the feedback from everyone. It has been most informative.

The chamber isn't interested in anything outside of Bloomington. The local CVB has a mild interest, but they won't help us this year. They are going to be offering small grants starting in 2009, so that may be a big drop in the bucket depending on how much they'll offer. The drawback is that those are temporary and only are available for 2-3 years in a row. Yup. Need wealthy investors... It's too bad that John Mellencamp isn't interested because the event is held in the shadow of his mansion!

This is an excellent idea, and well worth investigating. Been done did look'ded into! I asked the state about this idea a few months ago and they informed me that they don't want to be liable for anything and they don't want anything that may happen with us being reported to their insurance companies. They even got the state lawyers involved! (shudder) Great idea though. Wish it would've worked. Yes, I would like to change locations, but find me something with a 15,000 acre lake that isn't run by the state and all the amenities that we have. All other sites on the lake are run by the state and now that Paynetown has set a precedent, no other site will agree to less. As for visitors, yes, if you came in on 446, it looks bleak, but on the other side of the lake and within a half hour or so, there sits the two biggest tourism attractions in Indiana. The town of Bloomington, and the Brown County area which is like a miniature Gatlinburg. The people are there, it's just that the state sorta dropped the ball on advertising last year. (That's another thing I'd LIKE to spend some money on.)

Aye I see an interesting pattern here...but I am sure I am mistaken, so please clarify... some reenactors are asked to pay in order that certain other reenactors are able to be paid? I must be reading this incorrectly.... Ask them to donate their time in order to cover the insurance expenses. Ok, let me point out that we have not paid anyone to date for their services with the exception of giving powder to the cannons. On the other hand, we have heard rumblings that some people would like traveling expenses paid for large boats and large cannons. (I understand this as I have one of each. I don't mind paying expenses out of pocket though because it's fun, but I do understand those who have to travel long distances.) I have also been informed that a simple "fuel expense" allowance would bring in at least three other large boats and 5 more cannons. It's very tempting... Furthermore, the entertainment doesn't bring any money into the event. It just attracts the attention of the public, which keeps the site happy and allows us to continue playing on the water every year. It's a sad thing, but the state wants to make money off of gate admissions, but they don't want to have to lift a finger or spend any money to do so. I just want to put on a good pirate event and after jumping through all the hoops the only thing i've accomplished is I've made myself tired. And FYI, I was talking about the reenactors paying $5-$10 for the weekend. That's not unreasonable considering you get free firewood and ice and the DNR campground next door charges $20 per night. Also, that "camp fee" would be waived for anyone who wanted to put on a show of some sort. (i.e. swordfights, hangings, etc. Archangel would never have to pay because they're too involved!) I just figure that if someone's going to sit on the beach and drink rum all day, the least they can do is help support the party that I'm putting on for them out of my pocket...

Problem is that the state charges the public to come into the park, so they won't allow me to charge them again. Besides, the logistics of funnelling the public through another gate just wouldn't work. This is going to take some serious pondering because without funding, we can't get the insurance policy that we are required to have. (Insurance is the killer...) I'm pouring money into this thing out of my own pocket to make it happen this year. We're looking for sponsors, but it's late in the game for that. Better luck for next year. We're giving away a doglock blunderbuss in a raffle (donated by me) along with other prizes (donated by me) and we're having a silent auction at the event with goods donated by me and friends of the event. I thought that maybe the reenactors (many of whom herald this event as the most fun they've ever had at any event) would be willing to kick in a bit to keep it running. Especially since they get a lot of amenities that other events don't offer like restrooms with running water, hot showers, free ice, firewood, etc. We don't have to pay for these items, they are donated by the state, but the insurance is what's a big killer. The other expenses on the list are paying reenactors to bring cannons, paying reenactors to bring boats, paying reenactors for entertainment, etc... See a pattern here? With the exception of the insurance and possibly a few advertising dollars (the state helps us with local advertising) everything is going back into the reenactors. I guess I'll have to keep thinking...

In reference to crate pricing... You may order sets of 6 at a time for $100 plus shipping... That means you get two free... Remember these are going for a good cause too. And if you want 12... You can get 4 free... Bwahahaha! And yes, the law requires that they have those holes in many states.

Oro is gold, pax is peace... Peace of gold? Anyway, Yes, I agree that using the cheaper fabric for the kids is better. But fustian is also really good. One word to the wise if you are planning on making your own patterns: In the 18th century, as today, clothing was made to fit the way a person stands. Unfortunately posture has changed greatly over the last 300 years. 18th century posture was to stand or sit up straight with event a slight curve to the back and shoulders pulled back harshly. This was the posture they were accustomed to, so it wasn't as odd to them as it is to us. Reproduction clothing made off of books such as Janet Arnold's will come out with such a posture fitting. In other words, if you copy a 300-year-old-garment and put it on a modern body, it's going to be too tight in the back and shoulders. You'll either need to adjust for modern posture, or tell the kids they are going to have to sit up straight. :) I recommend making a mock-up before you cut the expensive fabric. Use anything cheap. ($1 a yard stuff from wal-mart works for this) Make sure the pattern is going to fit proper. That way you don't waste a bunch of really nice fabric by making it a hair small or something.

Always pre-shrink your fabric. Yes... However, do not wash wool in warm water or put it in the dryer. It will felt something terrible and you'll be left with a much smaller, though thicker, piece of fabric. This wool felt is great for other projects though! I didn't include the front of the breeches in the pictures becuase they are fall front with is wrong for GAoP. You'll want French Fly fronts which are easier and more correct. I didn't want to lead you down a wrong path... I do other time periods outside of GAoP, but some parts are essentially the same such as gussets and things.