capnwilliam

Aye, most strange, most strange indeed. Has anyone hear an update on this matter?

Capt. William

A little off the subject but that is a great painting, after I read this thread I was interested to find out more. There are several pages of history about it  here

Nice...thank you for the link.

"John Singleton Copley's Watson and the Shark was inspired by an event that took place in Havana, Cuba, in 1749. Fourteen-year-old Brook Watson, an orphan serving as a crew member on a trading ship, was attacked by a shark while swimming alone in the harbor. His shipmates, who had been waiting on board to escort their captain ashore, launched a valiant rescue effort.

John Singleton Copley, Watson and the Shark, 1778. National Gallery of Art, Ferdinand Lammot Belin Fund 1963.6.1"

So, a painting done nearly 30 years after the incident by an artist who wasn't there constitutes evidence that one of the rescuers - apparently a deck officer - wore shoes. Ergo, able seamen of the era ordinarily wore shoes?

So, if a veteran of the Battle of the Bulge told me when I was in college that his rifle had jammed during the battle, and I pained a picture of him trying to clear his rifle - which I made an M-16 in the painting - that is evidence that the U.S. Army carried M-16s during the battle of the Bulge?

Capt. William

Reasons we're in Iraq:

WMDs which were moved out of country before OIF1.

Remove a dictator, which believe it or not kept better control of the country than we have thus far. His methods cruel or not...

Oil is mentioned constantly but I've seen no evidence of this as far as our economy goes; I don't see cheaper prices or Citco pumping the fields...

Iraq is a major staging area for Saudi, Iran, and Syria.

...

Who's to say those are all the reasons?

The government keeps a lot of information from the public. Who's to say there's not a "need to know" list of reasons why we're there. That's why I remain neutral on the issue. How can I personally judge something that I may only know 20% of the information about?

Weapons of Mass Destruction: never existed. By definition they never existed, because if they did, we'd identify them. Are they nuclear bombs? Intercontinental ballistic missiles? Chemical weapons?

A pair of six-shot revolvers, maybe?

"Weapons of mass destruction" = "Saturday Night Specials". Clever term. Devoid of meaning.

Saddam Hussein was a dictator. Most of the nations of the world are ruled by a dictator. So what did we oust him in particular?

Saddam Hussein was not religious. By ousting him we opened the country up to the Islamic fundamentalists in Iraq, and destroyed the counterweight to the Islamic fundamentalists in Iran. And, it's Islamic fundamentalism that we're worried about?

Capt. William

Are you planning on fixing up a sailboat you already own? Or on acquiring one? If the latter, remember that the money you spend on a boat will always be just a "down payment."

They don't call a boat "a hole in the water that you pour money into", for no reason!

Capt. William

Conjecture and anecdote without historical reference will get you nowhere, Capt. William. As the good Foxe has noted, the record tends to support the idea that sailors wore shoes, and complained a lot if shoes were in short supply.

Judging from the rest of the clothing of the man in the bow, I think that he is a deck officer and the good, thick, well-oiled leather of his shoes need fear nothing from a little (or a lot) of salt water.

Anecdotally, however, having thick callouses on your feet will do nothing to prevent a stubbed or broken toe from kicking all of the various fixtures found on or near the deck of a ship.

I have seen portraits of elaborately garbed common seamen in the Mariner's Mirror. These did not, despite being historical references, convince me that ordinary deck hands of the Elizabeth period actually dressed that way. Artists of every era have taken artistic license to make their subjects more colorful and interesting.

I can't imagine how shod feet could get the purchase on lines that bare feet could.

As for seamen complaining about the quantity and quality of issued shoes: this would not prove that they wore shoes every day. Wouldn't they want to have a nice pair to wear when in port?

If our shod rescuer is a deck officer, then by definition he isn't a deck hand, and wouldn't be tasked with climbing the rigging. And if he saw someone in the water being threatened by sharks: well, I dare say he wouldn't delay rescue attempts by stopping to remove his shoes first!

I agree with you about bare feet and injury: I never even walk around my own living room barefoot! But many people don't share this fear, or aren't as clumsy as I am!

Capt. William

Jim, I want to do a drawing or full blown painting from that picture. Talk to Callahan and get me permission and yours as well.

It needs to be painted.

You do look authentic, mate: no doubt there!

Capt. William

They stay pretty well actually, the holsters are tapered and are a pretty tight fit, I usually prefer measurements of the gun barrels if possible to insure the perfect fit and if you prefer I can add ties to the top of each holster for a little extra insurance that these babies don't go anywhere. I can't say it isn't a little heavy and cumbersome but that's a huge arsenal to be carrying across your chest, If Blackbeard really carried 6 pistols and a sword that way he must have had a mighty big torso. So, I wouldn't reccommend running a marathon in this but for the look and functionality it is pretty effective.

Aye mate, it looks nice, but I'm too old and too lazy to tote around all that metal and wood and leather!

Capt. William

Check out this John Singleton Copley painting (it's 1778, not GAOP), noitce the man with the sailor slops over his breeches:

Aye, tis a pretty painting, to be sure: but do you recall think a workaday sailor regularly wore such pretty shoes? While out in a little boat like that? His shoes would be soaked through, in short order.

Capt. William

Pirate crewmen went barefoot aboard ship

um sorry, the debate on that one goes the other way IIRC. They would have worn shoes unless they absolutely positively couldn't get any. Something 'bout the lines being tough on the feet and such.

What about their feet getting toughened by the work?

I've done stage hand work. I once worked with a guy whose hands were so calloused from handling rope that he could haul on it all day (raising stage curtains and such: his usual work duty), it could tear through his grip: not a blister. My hands would have been bleeding within an hour.

Capt. William

Does anyone know if they plan to ever do a sequel to this, my now-all-time-favorite movie?

Capt. William

I know there is a big debate weither pirates whore boots or shoes but I wont get into that here.

Pirate captains wore shoes. Pirate crewmen went barefoot aboard ship, and wore shoes, if they had them, when they went ashore.

There, that ends the debate!

Capt. William

Reading Treasure Island as I boy when we'd go to the seashore in Ocean City, New Jersey: and imagining that I was THERE...rather than just...here.

Capt. William

I Have compiled a dozen or so list of reenactor clothing suppliers and sutlers, and they all have tricorn hats, except I can't find anything earlier than 1750 and later than 1660.

After doing me homework, I have concluded that 1700-1725 tricorns seem like they are much bigger in loft, and a bit more upright than 1750s-Rev War counterparts. In fact, I went out of my way to install cable television last year just to get the Discovery Channel (or was it the History channel) docu on Blackbeard, andI saw that a few of the reenactor characters had some unusually vertical looking tricorn hats. I have to do it right before I go to GAOP...the hat is very important to me. I'm not looking for French court royalty stuff with maribou feathers al la Louis Quatorze (the 14th), just something a bit more rapscallion and ruffian, and not so much Barbossa or Musketeers....just a bad-ass seaman with authority. Any advice?...cause I got the credit card ready.

One bit of advice would be to take with the proverbial grain of sea salt, anything ye see on the History Channel. I've seen Sir Henry Morgan's buccaneers in the1600's armed with percussion muskets from the 1800's.

Also, Thomas Jefferson sporting a goatee.

For documentation, you can rely only on primary, period sources: period drawings or paintings or narratives; or on secondary sources that rely directly on them. (And sometimes, even these things represent artistic license, faulty memory, etc.)

Capt. William

And delighted I was to meet the many pirates in attendance: especially Blackbead, and Piratesse: two of the nicest pirates I've ever crossed paths with! 

Capt. William

Oh, thank you!! It was excellent meeting you! My husband and I both admired and were intrigued by your vast historical knowledge. You definitely were a deciding factor in "Was it worth the trip?"!

You wife was also delightful!

Why, thank ye fer yer compliments, PirateSSE! And you certainly were a delightful audience!

Capt. William

Perhaps in a few years....I'd love to go....and plunder!

Why not next year, shipmate? We'd love to have ye aboard for 2008.

Capt. William

Be there a crew out there looking for 2 pirates from Torontuga?

Preferably one in Florida.. as we set sail there whenever possible..

We aarrrr dishonest, unreliable and drink.. but we aarrrr pretty...lol

If you wanted to port in New Orleans instead of Florida, you'd be most welcome to sign aboard Jean Lafitte's Baratarian cannon crew. After all, I know that both of you know now how to shoot a cannon!

Capt. William

All shipmates who attended PirateCon: I'm curious to hear your comments about it.

Capt. William

Well, PyrateCon 2007 falls into the annals of history, and they're already starting to plan for PyrateCon 2008. I reckon most attendees are home or on their way home.

We all owe a big thanks to Admiral Rudy, Bosun Carmina, and the Sea Wolf for all their hard work! I was delighted to see that Carmina and Dave Smith were presented with awards for their herculean efforts.

And delighted I was to meet the many pirates in attendance: especially Blackbead, and Piratesse: two of the nicest pirates I've ever crossed paths with!

Capt. William

They are quite lovely!

Capt. William

ARE they doing a picture about Lafffite?

Capt. William

Hurricane speaks true! The two pirate wenches testified brilliantly in their own behalf (and surprised I was to learn after the trial that they were largely ad libbing!) The prosecutor and the judge - old wine-besotted bloke that he was - did a great job also!

It's been mentioned before, but tis still true: it was a lot of fun putting flesh and blood faces on the words and avatars we see on the list.

Many of our mates told old Capt. William they liked his ramblin' about naval gunnery: which made me old heart feel good!

It's been a boatload o' fun these past two days, with vendors and lectures and demos, parties and movies: and yes, I understand that it's definite for New Orleans for 2008, as well: that it's already been booked for the Bourbon Orleans: a better establishment than the Holiday Inn, sez I: a bigger venue, and right IN (the HI's merely "near") the French Quarter!

So, RumbaRue, we will hold you to your promise for next year!

Capt. William

Rumba, I understand that it's already booked again for here in New Orleans for 2008!

Capt. William

Mates,

I can't wait to put some faces with the names; those gentlefolk of fortune in the Fort Worth/Dallas area that can't make the voyage are green with envy and wanting lots and lots of pictures. I'm still getting in wares and will be bringing some of the most beautiful and unusual pieces of jewelry that I've ever made, treasure chests both large and small, enough replica flintlocks to arm a full pirate crew, hat pins both with and without feathers, pirate toys for kids of all ages and at least one unusual treasure from the land of the Hindi - an authentic phurba. It's all coming together nicely and Captain Jasper and I look forward to a long weekend of piratical fun! We're bringing lots of beads to throw at the parade, too . . . hope to see some mermaids along the way!! Till we meet in the Big Easy - a fair wind and a slow galleon to all me pirate friends!

Blackbead

What is a phurba?

Capt. William

Aye mates, just finished my paper on "Cannon Crews", Pyrate Queen Jan just finished hers on "The Baratarians": we're almost ready to get under way!

Capt. William

This Con is going to ROCK! Imagine all the pyrate vendors, entertainment, speakers, classes, and meeting folks you've only ever chatted with online and all just walking distance from the French Quarter.

If you're going to visit just one pyrate event this year. . . PyrateCon is the one to invade!

No one could say it better!

Capt. William