Billie Bonnie

Philadelphia's historic ships welcome you aboard ! Open orientation meeting: April 18th; 1:00pm Philadelphia's tallship Gazela, and the classic tugboat Jupiter invite you to join the crew of volunteers that maintain and sail these 100-year old maritime treasures. No prior experience is necessary, and their's plenty to do for folks of all interests and abilities age 18 and up. Tour the ships and hear about becoming part of the crew on Saturday April 18th at 1:00pm aboard the tallship Gazela. The ship is docked at the north end of Penn's Landing at the base of Market Street. For details call the Philadelphia Ship Preservation Guild at (215) 238-0280 or email pspgoffice@aol.com Volunteer crewmembers learn the ropes and develop new skills by attending classes and helping with ship's maintenance. In summer, those drawn to the sea come aboard and sail with professional officers and a crew of dedicated volunteers as the ships visit ports and maritime festivals up and down the eastern seaboard. While some love the adventure of living history, others find enjoyment in helping to support the ship behind the scenes or sharing this living museum with the city's youth through our educational programs. All are welcomed !

I am going to be in DC around January 24 & 25. I would like to meet some of the folks from the list. Keep me updated...I can come down early or stay a few days after. -Billie-

When I was in Jr. High there was this cartoon that I loved called Peter Pan the Pirates. Has anyone else seen it ?

Happy Birthday !

I actually had a few people call out Johnny Depp as well as Jack Sparrow, it is funny :) how that happens. Nigel, your story is great...I found that both from doing the Haunted Ship dressed as a pirate and also from doing Civil War reenacting....you just need to be open and outgoing and most people will be happy that your engaging them and making them feel a part of something fun and slightly weird that doesn't happen everyday. Another funny story from the Haunted Ship, me and some of me fellow crew members went out into the historic district of Philadelphia to do some Pirate politickin' ... rounding up willing victims for the haunted ship...handing out flyers and talkin' up the event. We came across a couple of Revolutionary War Reenactors leading a tour....we were walkin' straight towards em' and we knew we had to do somethin'. Our fine Captain approached em' and began to go into full pirate mode.. "So, where are you two fine lads off to tonight, eh,?" They jumped right into it...and we spent about 10 minutes improvising right there in the middle of the street with these two tour guides. It was great, some of the people in the tour got into it when two of the female members of our crew started flirting with two of the more attractive tourists. And a good time was had by all....plus several of the tourists showed up at the Haunted Ship later on that evening...just couldn't get enough of us

I always enjoyed this quote: ******************* "An apt and true reply was given to Alexander the Great by a pirate who had been seized. For when that king had asked the man what he meant by keeping hostile possession of the sea, he answered with bold pride. 'What thou meanest by seizing the whole earth; but because I do it with a petty ship, I am called a robber, whilst thou who dost it with a great fleet art styled emperor." --St. Augustine, The City of God

I was riding my bike around town on Halloween, mostly running errands, I decided to dress up in my costume a little early. I got allot of confused stares, a few whistles, and at least two "hey, its captain Jack Sparrow !" I guess you just can't wear a brown tricorn with long brown hair these days Later on that night I did a Haunted Ship at Penn's Landing (in Philly), it was the last performance, so of course we all dipped into the finest spirits available (Yuengling and cheap rum). I, foolishly decided to ride my bike back to West Philadelphia to my friend's Halloween party ...more funny looks and drunken yells on the ride back. I rode up to the house, and I totally forgot that I had been drinkin' earlier and proceeded to fall off my bike and flat onto the pavement in front of the house where no more than 100 people were staring...and now laughing on the front porch. More screams of Captain Jack Sparrow, and I played it off...like...yea I meant to do that..all in character...the show must go on !

Well, I guess I prefer the "vaguely effeminate confused looks of Mr. Depp" meself

Well, pirates have been following me all me life. As a young lass I was in love with fantasy movies, especially Peter Pan and The Princess Bride. Plus, I have always had a thing for outlaws. My family started reenacting when I was about 12, so I caught THAT bug early. I was involved with a pirate radio station for a while, and helped it become more of a corsairing radio station A friend of me Pa introduced me to the Gazela Philadelphia, I started volunteering and caught THAT bug a little late :) But I am learning all I can. I have always been interested in anarchist tendencies in history, and became obsessed with researching Pirate islands and communities, as well as communities that may have influenced Pirates (like the Maroons and The Levelers). So, thats how I came to our fine trade :)

Wow, thanks Red Maria !!

Here are some books on women sailors: Female Tars: Women aboard ship in the age of sail; Suzanne J. Stark Seafaring Women; Linda Grant de Paw Women, Work and Sexual Politics in 18th century England; Bridget Hill Iron Men and Wooden Women: Gender and seafaring in the Atlantic World; Margaret C. Creighton The Tradition of Female Transvestism in Early Modern Europe; Rudolf M. Dekker Amazons and Military Maids; Julie Wheelright Granule:The life and times of Grace O'Malley; Anne Chambers ************************* I have not read all of these; some I used as sources for a paper I wrote on English Radicalism in the 18th Century Caribbean. I highly recommend Iron Men and Wooden Women though. Granule I got while I was in Ireland...I am not sure how to get it here. -Billie-

Here is a song about Grainne Mhaol ...who is Grace O'Malley (Grace is her anglophone name). This is a song that you learn when you are first learning gaelic. The tune is very popular, there is also a working song called Oro, Oro that is about Irish men being forced to work overseas because of the famine. Se do bheatha a bhean ba leanmhar! (Welcome Oh woman who was so afflicted) B'e ar gcreach tu bheith i ngeibhinn (It was our ruin that you were in bondage) Do dhuiche bhrea i seilbh meirleach (Our fine land in the possesion of thieves) 'S tu diolta leis na Ghallaibh. (And sold to the foreigners) Chorus: Oro, se do bheatha 'bhaile! x3 (Óró! You are welcome home!) Anois ar theacht an tsamhraidh. (Now that summer is coming) Ta Grainne Mhaol ag teacht thar saile, (Grainne Mhaol is coming over the sea) Oglaigh armtha lei mar gharda (Armed warriors along with her as guard) Gaeil iad fein 's ni Gaill na Spainnigh (They are Irishmen, not English or Spanish) 'S cuirfid siad ruaig ar Ghallaibh. (And they will rout the foreigners) Chorus A bhui le Ri na bhfeart go bhfeiceam (May it please the God of Miracles that we may see) Muna mbeam beo 'na dhiaidh ach seachtain (Although we only live a week after it) Grainne Mhaol agus mile gaiscioch (Grainne Mhaol and a thousand warriors) Ag fogairt fain ar Ghallaibh. (Dispersing the foreigners) Chorus

There are many examples of sailors openly fighting and rioting with Press Gangs. Many of these were accounted in various publications and a pamphet called "The rights of the Sailors Vindicated" is an account of sailors in London..both their politics as well as street fights Some of the larger riots took place in New York and Maine. There was a press-gang from the HMS St. John that was attacked in Newport by a group of sailors, they hunted the ship down and fired cannon at her ! There were also many times where sailors burned down British ships who were in the practice of press-ganging. Apparently local officials could sign "press-warrents" that allowed press-gangs to opperate . Many of the instances where sailors rioted against the press-gangs, they were also fighting aganst the local officials who were letting it happen. Press-ganging is also an extension of "spiriting" where young adults (mostly in Ireland and England) were kidnapped and sold into slavery, many were forced to work on ships. There were many reasons why a crew might mutiny and turn to piracy...press-ganging, forced military service, and slavery were some of the many reasons.

I don't have any of my stuff online yet. I'll scan in some of my slides if I hear back from Black Bart...I should have put my work online a LONG time ago. Maybe this will get me motivated to do it . I never have been much of computer person I'm a luddite at heart -Billie-

I have a BFA from Tyler School of Art. Most of my stuff is fine art, slightly abstract printmaking and painting... I have done illustration before though. If you send me an example of your work and maybe a description of what your looking for in the illustrations (you said Dreamie's stuff wasn't "dark enough") I'll whip somethin' up for ya' Basically, if you saw the work I usually do you'd be like, "what the hell does that have to do with pirates??" -Billie-