Dutchman

one of our folks talked to the williamsburg folks about shoes. IFFF they make them for you, its around $600.00 and they will start this winter when they are slow. On the plus side, prentise store in C.W. carries fugawees and buckles, so you can fit them in the store. It's on Duke of Gloucester Street close to the historic capitol. Will run around $125 or so. On the cheap side, you can find some good one piece dress shoes at good will or thrift store. with a bit of creative stitching you can hide them in plain sight. one of my favorite and most comfortable pair is a four dollar pair of rockports i turned into latchetts.

EVENT IS CANCELED DUE TO THE UNKNOWN WEATHER FRONT THE EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED. THE POSSIBILITY EXISTS THAT IT MAY BE RESCHEDULED FOR NEXT WEEKEND. WE'LL KEEP YOU UPDATED.

pesky hurricanes! making calls now......... *edit-update* ok- here we go. it's now a hurricane themed pirate festival. It's still on! So here's the skinny. If we have to evacuate- you come first....... right after me.

Darn. a generic looking wheel from this angle im afraid. is there anything that would stand out about it??

......and an update for visiting pirates. below is the link for the legal stuff. in the rules for reenactors disregard the muster times. we will be setting up friday morning and afternoon, then breaking down sunday. If anyone is available, we would love the help! Saturday muster is at 0900- festvial opens at ten. WEAPONS- Tis a weapon cary friendly venue, but the island is playing off our rules. Pointy things need to be in a scabbard. Sharp things need to not fall into others hands. Please mind your surroundings when doing pictures. BOOM STICKS NEED NOT RANDOMLY BOOM! No- flash guards needed though... sorry, couldn't help myself. Alcohol and weapons of any sort don't mix at any time! If you want to shoot, let us know. If we get a warm and fuzzy with your description of how you shoot, we'll check your weapon and issue powder. Hint, read the black powder manual located in the link below. http://www.blackbeardscrew.org/Visiting_Pirates

"— Such a Day, Rum all out: — Our Company somewhat sober: — A damn'd Confusion amongst us! — Rogues a plotting; — great Talk of Separation. — So I look'd sharp for a Prize; — such a Day took one, with a great deal of Liquor on Board, so kept the Company hot, damned hot, then all Things went well again." Plans are done and the crews are gathering! Hope to see all there!

hey silas, got youre message but the computer isnt letting me reply for some reason. can ya post some pics and a reference scale?

well you see matty, when the user CENSORED the computer and the CENSORED is CENSORED, CENSORED results and the images are BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING! ...... hope that helped :)

makin a ditty bag to contribute.

ah shipmates, the next venture is always just around the corner. check out www.blackbeardscrew.org for upcoming pirate events. If you're ever this way and want to stop in, just call ahead. no worries. Sundays are workdays on Luna and we can always justify a trip to williamsburg any ole time.

ahoy all! plans are well underway and this is looking great!We had a conference call last week to work on the particulars. The days activities include cannon fire, raids, seabattles, scallawag school, living history and roving acts of pyracy! Below is the events facebook site, which has listings for the islands hotels etc... there is also a camp ground on the island for anyone interested in that front. Several of the Island restaurants are cutting deals but I don't have info on the specifics yet. Also, there is only one grocery store on the island so please plan accordingly. The ferry schedule is also posted. Coming from the outer banks the hatteras ferry is what you need. If you're coming from the mainland, you want the swan quarter ferry, which also is the approximate course Blackbeard followed on his return from the mainland. If anyone has any questions, please let me know. http://www.facebook....186552064811019 http://www.ncdot.gov/ferry/

from a research paper I ran across surveying various ships rigs up to 1720 , admittedly I can't confirm primary sources but this paints a pretty good picture. " the mainmast, foremast and bowsprit were usually "woolded"; that is to say they were strengthened by being bound round with rope at intervals. The number of these woolding was variable.......Probably eight to ten on the mainmast and one or two fewer on the foremast will be a fair allowance. The wooldings were usually evenly spaced with the uppermost about half the height of the masthead, or a little more, below the trestle-trees and the bottom one two or three feet above the deck." the technique...... what i'm able to piece together adds to what L. Silver has already described. The woolding is served the same as whipping the end of a line with the exception of a woolding stick is used on the wrappings to create a mechanical lever to tighten them. The ends are then tied to block and tackle to tighten. The ridge is then beat down with the woolding stick and then secured as L. Silver described. I have also seen metal bands at the top and bottom of the woolding. These bands are not on every example, but are seen pretty often in dutch paintings. I have no documentation as to their purpose but can imagine to reinforce the finished woolding. I'm hoping to do a pictorial this weekend to post.

ahoy hook, ya really need to get yerself down here and see! The insurance is being worked out. looks like a whole new building instead of a rebuild- which is what is needed. the attitude of the museum and community is great. they are looking forward to luna being moved over once we get her keel bolted back on. The parts of the old town railway have been resurrected and installation will begin this fall hopefully.

i had worked the night before and we were on board by five thirty. we were under way as soon as we could see the first channel marker. The redball was rising as we headed into it. A slight swell, a rebuilt 1930's diesel burping away- man I was done. Chugged along at a steady seven knots. We had a bit of fog and some squalls as we crossed the mouth of the York, otherwise a smooth ride. If you look at the details in the top pic, the wheel and spot light handle are original (as well as engine controls which are out of view) the compass is a 1934 naval surplus.

bump- this is still way cool!

Took the weekend off with Madam Grace and we stowed away on board the F.D. Crockett. She is a 65 ft seven log buyboat built in 1924 to haul produce and goods up and down the Chesapeake Bay. Built in Poquoson, VA we headed south to serve as the flagship for their annual worboat races. Cap'n John turned the wheel over to me as soon as we left the creek, which floored the hell out of me. Just two pictures. one of me on the wheel and the other in the rack. yeah, plush accomodations. We made home in the cargo hold for the weekend!

ummm, people, boats, places???? sorry mate kind of vague question. what ya looking for?

slow night at work. i happened up the clips while looking for something else. It's a neat drill, i'd love to be able to run this at an event. Please disregard the coasties safety issues.

ack! bloody hell. i just found my old tallow horn. how am i going to fit that one on?

solid footwear and clean, well padded socks should be got now as well.l. It's amazing how those little bits of coral in the path come to life and attack your feet! I'll be working on my contribution to the dead mans chest this weekend.

well i'll be jiggered. just found these descriptions- Blacking guns, shot, &c. Coal tar alone, or mixed with a little salt water, is a good thing for blacking guns and shot. It should be laid on quite warm, and if the day be cold, a hot shot may with advantage be put into the guns to warm the metal, and make it take the blacking better, due attention being previously paid to unloading. Lay the stuff on as thin as possible, with paint-brushes, using hot loggerheads or bolts to keep it warm. If well laid on, and wiped afterwards with an oil-cloth occasionally, this process will prevent rust and preserve the good look of the guns for a length of time, without having recourse to washing with water. French recipe for blacking guns, &c. To one gallon of vinegar put ten ounces of lamp black, and one pound and a half of clear sifted iron-rust and mix them well together. Lay them on the guns after a good coat of black paint, and rub it occasionally with a soft oil-cloth.

thank you for the compliment michael. Having two beautiful and functional pieces you made, it makes quite a nice show. Jim, i hear what you're saying about the placement. The cant was set when the rig was baking- not sure how it got there, i believe the shrinking leather found the path of least resistance. I wonder if soaking and rebaking would allow a fix? I work from the center line of my body out so the knife is the first thing I naturally want to get to in an emergency. Its just years of muscle memory. The spike is going to take some tuning and playing to get right. It has some meat hooks around the edges so it will need to be filed. I may end up building a new sheath if i can't get it working- oh well.

backseat driving... i should have placed a bit more of a space between the knife handle and the spike. when i reach for the knife i catch my fingertips on the spike.

hey beatrix, threads tend to waver around a bit. how about adding some life to this one and posting the pics here. not all of us use facebook.

thanks william, I know we have flogged the knife horse to bits. I always have a knife on me and this knife has been with me aboard for years. I'm really looking forward to having a proper spike on the belt now. I had been using a modified rail spike- a bit clumsy. This is also the belt that is always on me doing events. I tell ya, I feel neeked without it.