Littleneckhalfshell

Ok, I know that WDW and the POTC ride are not exactly a textbook on authenticity, but on the ride there are a number of floating boats that looked interesting to me. Starting with the left side Q, just before you get on the ride boats, there is a boat being built on the ways, mostly just the keel and ribs in place, it is similar to the boat that is floating just to the left of the loading area. The boat seems to have a wide beam for it's length. Anyone have an idea as to what period and what kind of boat it is trying to represent? Also another similar boat is docked a little bit after the Mayor being dunked in the well, on the right side of the channel. Again, to my untrained eye, it looks as if it is part of the same style. The boats are single mast, not too big and might be able to be filled with boarders ;-) or at least make a good impression for a pirate festival. If you have seen said boats, and have an idea where I might find more information on them or their like, please respond. If you just want to blast away at all things Disney, go ahead, but it is not the purpose of my post, just want to know if these boats presented on the ride as props are only figments of an imagineer or have some basis in the real world.

Have not seen this mentioned, but I miss a lot.... The February 2014 issue of Smithsonian has a ten page article on Blackbeard and the cover is black with skull and crossbones and black beard spelled out in white letters. Seemed like a good article with some new information

if you look at pictures from say the Mary Rose or other warships prior to the early 1700's you will see that the sides are built upon a solid base whereas the new english pattern of roughly 1720 does away with the solid base and just uses cross pieces with the sides being the major structure of the carriage Here hopefully is a picture I took at the Nassau Pirate museum of one of their dioramas with a cannon carriage of the earlier type.

I was to the Pirate Museum in April of 2013. Nice little place. One thing that really impressed me was that they had the correct gun carriages in their dioramas and in the other cannon on display. Too often the bed-less new english pattern of 1720 is used for any naval carriage, and it is improper in my understanding for most of the period for Pirates. The older pattern was continued to be used on most Spanish and French guns way past 1720's.

These quotes from a June 10, 2013 HuffPost Detroit article. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/04/lake-michigan-shipwreck-griffin-_n_3384312.html "During its maiden voyage in September 1679, the Griffin departed from the area near present-day Green Bay, Wis. Carrying a crew of six and cargo of furs, the ship was never seen again." "The Griffin was the first full-sized ship to sail on the Great Lakes, and its fate is one of the Great Lakes' most enduring mysteries." "The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the state archaeologist's office approved a plan by Great Lakes Exploration Group, which hopes to identify the vessel as the Griffin"

definitely beats out a rooster in a wooden cage! or maybe you could use the flintlock alarm clock as sort of a 'snooze button' for the rooster ;-)

took a quick look to see if anyone reported this or not, or maybe it is really old news, but I just saw an article that they found Capt. Morgan's fleet off of Panama. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/01/captain-morgans-treasure_n_1728340.html

"And there is some evidence that gunpowder was mixed in with rums for various reasons." I wonder if the whole gunpowder thing has to do with 100 or above 'Proof', ie, not being watered down. I was always under the impression that the origen of the Proof system was that if you poured some of the liquor of questional stregnth on a small pile of gunpowder, and then attempted to light it...... The proof that the liquor was of full 100% stregnth would be if the gunpowder ignited, if it did not, the booze in question was below 100% and thus watered down. (100 Proof liquor is 50% alcohol and 50% water) Anyway, that is what I was always told. If you were out and about testing your Rum with gunpowder, maybe some sailors developed a taste for the sulphur residue, just like some sailors liked to spike their rum with nutmeg.

"" I guess it has origins back with the native Tanio who made a tea from herbs and tree bark"" Ahh...... maybe you should check and see exactly what the 'herb' was, it might explain the name!

is it available on this side of the pond? or just in the old country?

"Partner - A framework designed to strengthen the deck at a point where a mast or other device or structure passes through." (http://bewilderingstories.com/issue218/gilboy_glossary.html)

I know that with women, there was always the concern as to what they were wearing at Court or what is the latest from Paris, etc. Not to leave out the men, in some time periods, the 1700's one of them, it was important to show a proper leg (I think I heard that Ben Franklin was noted for this). But then, just as now, the common working man wore what was required of him by his job, employer, or just makes common sense for the job at hand. If you are not an aristocrat or upper management, you make due with what you have or can lay your hands on. Sure, there will always be those few that want to be roosters and cock-a-dodle-do, but for the most part I don't think there was that much change fashion wise for the common man or at least it was not as sudden and if they were aware of the change in fashion, it was not always within a common mans means to throw away perfectly servicable clothing and buy new.

Wonder what that would be like with Rum sauce?

"in a month's time the Patient was perfectly cured" was it due to the ministrations of those attending him? or would it have been cured if he had just been left alone? Maybe the body said to itself, 'If we are to be delivered from this stench, we must bring things back on an even keel' on a more serious note: anything in that concoction that remotely sounds like it might help with leg swelling? more and more I am convinced that even modern medicine is more art than science, and that is just why they 'practice' medicine, because hopefully 'practice makes perfect' ???

ummmm, I know that we are not really know for our exact use of the english language, (except for maybe Capt. Jack Sparrow, with his interest in words) but I couldn't help but notice that you used the 'word of the day' as a NOUN in your sentence, and the dictionary listing you provided for it (thankfully, or I would never have had an idea you were refering to the flaming marshmallow) shows the 'word of the day' to be an adjective! as in "An incoming anthracoid Marshmallow maybe." I like mine crispy anyway.

hmmmm, did you scuttle your ship? or did it sink of it's own accord?

ahh, it looks ok now, how odd, there is no note that you edited it, as usually happens when I go back and correct me spelling ;-)

Mission, are you so in awe of this account that you are stuttering whole paragraphs? Or was it the concept of Disney doing a Princess movie involving Dentistry? (you posted the same three sentences twice)

The answer depends on your intended use of said cask, are you going to use it for a decoration or prop? Or does it have to be water tight? Also, what kind of hoops are you looking for? Casks can be held together by hoops of wood, iron, copper, and even rope or rawhide. Are the two hoops in question, missing or are they beyond repair? A lot of questions, but all the solutions depend on what you have and what you want or expect it to become. Easy solution for a decorative cask would be to replace or cover all the existing hoops with hoops of rope. Just splice the rope to the proper legnth, (just a bit smaller than the part of the cask that you want it to cover) and then stretch it over and down the side of the cask. Wooden hoops are also fairly easy to do but harder than the rope ones, since they require you to steam or boil the wood strips that will become your hoops, they can be connected either by a hoop splice (an interlocking cut) or by rivit, staple or nail. The hardest solution would be to match existing metal hoops, but it too is not too hard if they don't have to match too closely ;-) Harbor Freight tools sells a tool that will roll metal into a hoop of what ever size desired down to a 3" diameter I believe (very small barrel or mug) then you just drill and rivit and there you have it, if your measurements are correct, you have a barrel hoop. Same for copper or brass, just need the proper tool. I too just love casks and barrels and I am drawn to them at flea markets and auctions, but the empty money bag prevents me from being overrun with them. ;-)

Just a late note on using Baking Soda, you can blast with Baking Soda, Harbor Freight Tools sells a baking soda 'sand blaster' in two sizes. The advantage that it has over sand and other abrasives, is that it disolves in water, so clean up is a snap, also it is non toxic so it can be used around food items. Just not sure how well any kind of abrasive may work with brewer's pitch? The hot water approach may work better if it melts away the soft pitch.

I suppose no one knows if or when this show will cross the 'pond' ? Not sure what channel or network it would be on, maybe BBC-America? or Discovery?

one of the comments on the ball & chain from the Thames was that there was something fishy about the 'chain' The 'chain' was of the 'curb chain' type rather than 'cable chain'. The curb chain is a style that lays flat, due to the twist of the individual links, (think of how a dog choke collar chain is made). Cable patterned chain is where you have links that are flat, but are alternatly 90% in relation to each other. I tried to do a search on when curb chain came into use for utilitarian items (outside of jewelry that is) and was unable to come up with any information. The chain in the picture of the Thames ball & chain was curb chain. Does anyone know of depictions of, or other dated artifacts showing 'curb chain'?

it would be interesting if one of those 'food' contest shows, would put ships biscuit as a mystery ingredient! ;-) Then see where they go from there.

in what range are their prices?