This Captain Twill forum is the only one I really read here, as I'm not terribly interested in pirate history. I prefer basic nautical history, particularly that of the 19th to very early 20th centuries. In doing some research, I discovered that the National Maritime History Society has opened a discussion forum on their wonderful website. Unfortunately, its so new I'm the only one who has posted so far. Even if you're not interested in the forums themselves, do yourself a favor and check out the educational tidbits on the site.
NMHS Forums
Richard