hurricane

I would try a place like http://www.newspaperarchive.com -- it has historic newspapers dating back to 1759. Good luck! Hurricane

I don't miss the rat race. Advantage of working for yourself. Just returned from four days in Green Turtle Cay playing pirate in the Bahamas. Luckily, my boss is real accommodating since he always comes along. :) Forgot to mention that Don Maitz was there and got to see some of his upcoming calendar art. 2008 will be even better than 07's! -- Hurricane

What a great idea. Unfortunately, the Port Royal contingent won't be able to avail itself. We're just swamped too swamped with voyages and our new Pyrate HQ to take on anything additional right now. But I'm looking forward to seeing what you all come up with. -- Hurricane

Simple. There is a hostel in Key West. It's $31 a night. Right off Duval and offers the use of their bicycles while you're there. Not luxurious, but it's a roof over your head, which is all you need when at the festival since you're out from early morning until late at night doing stuff. http://www.keywesthostel.com/ As for food, insiders know where to go to eat on the cheap. Right off Duval are the locals places where the food and booze is a lot cheaper than the touristy places. Just ask people like Harry, our Camp Commander, when you're there. Nothing is better than a hot Cuban bread breakfast sandwich and come cuban coffee for breakfast. Cheap too. There's also the usual fast food havens and with a bicycles it's an easy pedal up Truman for these. --Hurricane

I also have a great photo of me not posing with Jimmy Buffett in Key West while he was recording Conchy Tonk. -- Hurricane

A small correction. The population of Port Royal at the time was indeed approximately 7,000. But there was never a permanent garrison of 5,000 men at that time. The British military presence was one full time officer and two assistant gunners. They were supported by 1,500 militiamen who guarded the entire island. These were supported by volunteers in the town who operated the 145 cannon available. The population included the sailors - the town, built on 51 acres, never could accommodate 2,000 to 5,000 visitors ever. Believe me, 7,000 people are a lot of folks to pack onto that amount of space on the Pallisadoes. There's one thing you couldn't get on the island, by the way. Good bread. The bread there was terrible, partly because the wheat was already stale or spoiled by the time it arrived from overseas and yeast didn't do its job well in the tepid heat. That explains why there was only one baker listed in the merchant roster at the time. -- Hurricane

Our crewe is already booked for next year. We will be selling again, doing the tryal of Anne and Mary every day and more. Can't wait. A great event... not one to be missed. -- Hurricane PS: Seika... The only one on the crewe that didn't have his photo taken with Isaac was your Captain... :) It's a thing. --

The Pyrates of the Coast will be there - we will be selling and performing several shows as well as serving as streetsmophere. -- Hurricane

Here are a few of billions we have: And the Tryal of Anne & Mary Mary Read Speaketh http://www.piratesofthecoast.com/video/maryread.mov Anne Bonney Chimes In http://www.piratesofthecoast.com/video/annebonny.mov

It is indeed a grand time here. PyrateCon just started officially and it's moving right along. Lots of pirates and wenches here, great vendors and the location is fabulous. Started last night our with Tiger's Pirate Babe photo shoot, then off to rum tasting then terrific food at Yo Mamma's. Shrimp the size of a small cat there for the taking. We just finished the tryal of Anne and Mary... no camp - the straight trial -- followed by a terrific presentation by the two gals about their lives and how they got to where they were. Good times! -- Hurricane

First off, rarely do people who do such vile things go through the regular purchasing process. They buy them on the streets. So don't go on a gun control frenzy because of this. It appears he picked it up from a dealer this time but most violent crime perpetrators don't. So move on. Second, blame a culture that has been raised by parents who think a video game console should be their babysitter. They site endlessly acting out violence complete with blood and guts to the point where reality and fantasy blend together. They're not taught about the sanctity of human life, about problem resolution, anger management -- nothing by their absentee parents. I'm sick of the "village raises a child" mentality. Good parents raise good kids. Absent parents and those with poor parenting skills who don't give a damn about where there kids are at 3 a.m. are the problem. Finally, I see video of deer in headlights cops. I have a police friend who says that you hear the first shot you rush the building and follow the sound. Eliminate the shooter at all costs so he stops killing. The officers there had two hours to get their act together and still couldn't protect 31 people who didn't necessarily have to die after the first two if they had all stopped standing around and went building to building when they could have made a difference. Nough said... -- Hurricane

I think it'd be way more fun to drop the $1500 toward this: http://www.travelindustrydeals.com/news/2465 I wish they were doing something similar in the U.S. -- Hurricane

Let's see. $1500. See a movie or spend a week in the Bahamas. Think I'll stick with the Caribbean luv. Far more pleasurable. -- Hurricane

Sounds like fun. Unfortunately our crewe will be in Melbourne that weekend, breaking in our new pirate headquarters and grounds. Too bad the timing is so. We love road trips, particularly to see the guys up there. -- Hurricane

If there be apparitions with white sheets on in the south, don't be too sure that they're ghosts... -- Hurricane

Yup, looking forward to it. I am just finishing up my Port Royal presentation (what a doozy) and we're packing up the Pyrates store for the trip. Overnighting on the way in DeFuniak Springs to pick up a couple cases of might fine Florida wine to drink in the Big Easy. -- Robb

As a long time subscriber I think it has slipped some. And it has become way too California/West Coast centric. But I think that Jamaica's trying to get it back on track now that she shelved her real life job and hopefully it will return to its glory days, though the new color mags are stiff competition, at least for my coin, these days. -- Hurricane

Here's a treat for you. I was working on my Port Royal presentation and came across this - it's a 3D flythrough of the town before the earthquake and it pretty closed to dead on from the perspective of layout and architecture. Have fun in town... http://www.ats.ucla.edu/videos/portroyal_ref.mov -- Hurricane

Sorry, I don't follow the thread, just point our technical issues. If a Spainaird is stupid enough to enter the town during that period, it wouldn't be 24 hours before the militia would round him up (just for speaking Spanish), try him in the Court of Admiraly and hand his sorry arse at Gallow's Point. Just the way it was, during that time. After and up to the earthquake, Spaniards were tolerated by not liked in town. And, of course, the town was 1/3 the size at the time and not pirate friendly at all. -- Hurricane

Yum - love squab on a stick... -- Hurricane

This is true. Some of our crewe were the only ones on the grounds in 2004 and went into the fort. One of the lanterns broke for no apparent reason and one of our crew has photos of apparitions and such. Good place to go, especially back where the doc was treating people for yellow fever. -- Hurricane

Just a note. If you were speaking Spanish in Port Royal 1660 to 1680, you'd be considered a spy and hung. Depends on the time period of whether anyone would be speaking Spanish, since they were the bane to privateers and sailors living on the island at the time. -- Hurricane

Parrots. They were considered a delicacy in Port Royal. Would have liked to have tried one. -- Hurricane

Yes, the gang that does the hanging can on of their own crew to be Calico - no one there does a representation of Calico. But it would be a cool precursor to the tryal... -- Hurricane

It would be ideal for it to be Calico Jack that be hung since the tryal of Anne and Mary is on the weekend. Would be nice to see old Jack's body swaying in the distance. -- Hurricane