capnwilliam

All ye TRUE Yankees have the nakin's of a fine pyrate crew! (Here in New Orleans, some call me a Yankee, but I be just a transplanted Philadelphia, and as ye know, they are NOT true Yanks! Capt. William

Capt. Flint and Katie, congratulations on your anniversary! My Janet and I have but two years together, but I hope they have been as happy for her as they have for me! Capt William

Ach, I found yer site but I guess I was just reading into yer message that there was a picture of yer sword aboard same. Capt. William

Ahoy, Animal! Yes, I'll check out yer sword pic. What sort of scabbard do ye use? Capt. William

Yes, and you have to consider the velocity involved. Consider an ordinary pistol bullet. If you threw it at someone it might sting or raise a bump; but push it to the 700 - 1500 feet per second velocities attainable out of a pistol barrel and it's a whole 'nother ball game. Capt. William

I was just on it for a few minutes, toward the end. The questions were flying fast and furious! It was hard to get in much of anything. I did ask the question about the historical setting and was told that it was 1740's. There were a lot of questions being asked about props, how the actors reacted when certain things happened during filming, etc. that I didn't know enough about the movie to be able to understand. Capt. William

Will have to check out Dixie Gun Works; thanks for the tip, Capt. Flint! Capt. William :)

Well, Contraband Days is coming up this weekend. Anyone else planning to be there? Capt. William

THAT must have been a sight to behold, Jamaica: for-real target practice aboard a ship with black powder cannon! Funny that you mention "skipping" the cannonball across the water. Off the coast of Mississippi there's a place called Ship Island, with an old fort. The National Park Service guide wnen I was there said that such was the common practice in shore-to-ship attacks; the balls traveled a much greater distance that way, and struck the ship at the waterline, which would of course sink it much quicker and more effectively than would be the case otherwise. Capt. William "The fight's never over while there's a shot in the locker"

Faire windes to ye and yer pirate venture, Redhand; ye sound like a dedicated yet fun-loving crew of history buffs. Beluche, who just joined this list, is looking to build a pirate crew for the New Orleans area. Capt. William

Aye, Animal, wench-exploring be a fine and noble activity! But me lady wife dinna permit me ta explore any others! Ah, but she be a fine wench, so I thank me lucky stars I have her. Now, if ye be a single pirate, why, explore the lasses to yer black heart's content, by thunder, 'n I'll drink to ye! Now, as to swords: what kind do ye have, from whence plundered, and fer how many doubloons, if'n ye don't mind me askin'? Capt. William

Aye, Jamaica, the only sailing I've done is on a lake in a wee nutshell pram that my wife owns and helped build (I call it a "bathtub boat"). It's docked in her father's boat house in Alabama and we're in New Orleans. The few occasions we've gone to play with it, we've had the deuce of a time getting it out to the middle of the lake, and an even worse time getting it back to the dock (had to be towed on at least one occasion). I'd rather do my sailing aboard a bigger vessel that's crewed by people who know what they're doing! We're thinking about taking a Windjammer cruise, if we can get the funds together. Does anyone on the list have any experience sailing with Windjammer? Or better yet, aboard a historic sailing vessel? Capt. William

Rumrunner, a good source to learn about black powder cannon - even though their technology is a bit OOP for pirate groups - is a Civil War reenactment group. Here in the New Orleans area we have the Washington Artillery, some members of which have been trying to recruit me, which I've resisted, largely because I belong to too many things already! Even better, of course, would be an American Revolution or War of 1812 group, because there you're dealing with pirate-era cannon (linstocks, etc.) Best of all would of course be to hook up with a pirate group that does cannon. There are a surprising number of places that allow black powder cannon firing, WITHOUT projectiles, of course. In downtown New Orleans the Washington Artillerry fires a few rounds every years for Jackson- Lee Day. Projectile firing is almost never done, anywhere. One exception is a Civil War umbrella group called the North - South Skirmish Association, which engages in actual target shooting competition using period rifles, muskets, carbines, pistols, and cannon. But almost always when BP cannon is fired, it's just for the sound and the flash. Capt. William

Aye, Capt. Luigi 'n Tiny, it seems to me that only pistols or cutlasses will settle THIS score a'tween ye twain! Capt. William Fight Promoter

If you are interest in the Elizabethan period, Roanoke NC has a full-scale replica of a vessel they call the Elizabeth II; a sort of typical-model of a type of vessel that would have traveled to the Hatteras colony in the 1580's. Capt. William

Yer absolutely correct, Capt. Waever. 'Tis fun to play the fantasy game with our pyrate brethren who are long gone for Davy Jones' locker, but let us never lose sight of the fact that real world pirates were (and are today) often some of the most contemptible bastards around. I wouldn't want to get within a nautical mile of them, and if I did, I'd fain swap a chest o' rubies and emeralds for a .50 caliber heavy machine gun mounted on me gunwales! Capt, William

I checked out Loyalist Arms: their several models of naval cutlass look terrific, and run in the $78 - $106 price range, which ye are NOT going to beat! Aye; now, afore I plunk down me hard-plundered doubloons on one...somebody better provide me with a heap of negative feedback. (Start with, "and what makes you think you'd be happy luggin' that yard o' iron on yer hip all day", e.g.!) Capt. William

Well, Red Maria, that sounds might decent for an indecent soul! Yes, I am in LA, not L.A. But it sounds as though much info can be gained nonetheless via your computer site cites. Capt. William

That Loyalist Arms cutlass sounds like a great purchase. I must check that one out. BTW: I LOVE that new "Jack Rackham" smilie. (I GUESS he's smilin!)

Yes, Jamaica Rose, I'm going to try to get him aboard our NQG crew. Capt. William

Will your group be there, Hurricane? Capt. William

Mon Dieu! Where is this most interesting institution located, Marie Rouge? Capt. William

Are there any other pirates on this list from the New Orleans area? A local Baratarian is trying to expand his group into pirates in general, and is looking for crew members. Capt. William

Aye, Capt. Weaver, thes-here capital o' New France - under temporary Yankee occupation - does raise as much mold as it does cain! That's a goodlie list o' books. I'll have to try to read some when I have time! Capt. William

Yew have some good cites there, Red Maria, and yew seem knowledgeable about the sixteenth century. Are yew in the SCA, perchance? Capt. William