Dutchman

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well, how tall are you and how much stooping into corners do you want to do? is there a poll length difference and would longer poles make a transportation issue? As i recall, you have urchens. from what i understand- they grow. will they be attending?

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our thoughts and prayers. lots of hugs as well.

THE pretend pirates came at dusk. October storms had buffeted the Georgia Lowcountry, and on the second Friday of the month, a rainbow ascended the Savannah skies. For all their claims of high-seas escapades, these pirates arrived mostly by land. In trucks and on motorcycles they came: old and young, black and white, entire families with their children done up in period garb, all following Highway 80 until the willows gave way to palm fronds before the beachfront appeared. “Arrgh,” one of them cried. “Arrgh,” sounded the reply, turning infectious like a crowd doing the wave on a boring ballpark afternoon, a guttural chorus of gentle self-mockery rising above the crash of the Atlantic. “Arrgh.” Long a sideshow at Renaissance fairs, craft festivals and historical conventions, pirate enthusiasts have become the darlings of seaside towns competing for tourism dollars. Like Civil War re-enactors, many of these latter-day pirates pursue historical authenticity — down to their home-sewn underwear, pistol ribands and molded tricorn hats. Some have even hired blacksmiths to reproduce halberd axes from photographs. They can discuss their exploits without breaking character. No Quarter Given, a journal of all things pirate, has counted nearly 130 re-enactment groups nationwide, compared with 9 in 1993, according to its publisher, Christine Lampe. But there is trouble in the world of the pretend pirates. Just as deadly divisions developed amid pirate cliques deep in filthy, swaying wooden hulls centuries ago, so too are sides taking shape today, though perhaps less violently. The “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies by Disney starring Johnny Depp not only fostered affection for long-dead seaborne robbers — a favor that does not seem to extend to latter-day counterparts such as the Somali hijackers who recently captured a weapons freighter — but they also gave birth to a new wave of pirate re-enactors. (The movies have collectively grossed more than $1 billion at the box office since 2003.) Longtime pirate enthusiasts, the 17th-century historical re-enactors who take their hobby seriously, find themselves sharing festival grounds with legions of would-be Captain Jack Sparrows dressed, more or less, in accordance with the big-screen version. Are they pretend pretend pirates? Traditionalists tend to view this new family-friendly theme thing with a sort of dismissive acceptance. At the Ojai Pirate Faire in California last month, a crew of pirate history zealots disarmed an unwitting Jack Sparrow, put him in a stockade and demanded a ransom of two harlots (a blonde and a redhead), Ms. Lampe said. “I know there’s some people who are tired of seeing so many Jack Sparrows out there,” said Ms. Lampe, a retired schoolteacher who prefers to be called Jamaica Rose. (She says Lampe is her “civilian name.”) Hollywood provided the spark, but some new converts spoke of a deeper restlessness. As Halloween approaches with distant wars unending, the country growing isolated and credit hard to come by, some described feeling as if they were born at the wrong time. “It’s the idea of being something you’re not, something you can’t be,” said D’Andrea Seabrook, 19, an art student who attended a pirate festival on Tybee Island. “It’s this idea of being able to go out and do whatever you want and be whatever you want and throw all these morals away and not care about the law, when in reality you can’t.” The costume industry has found no trouble tolerating the newcomers. A survey commissioned by the National Retail Federation predicted that more than 1.7 million American adults would dress as pirates for Halloween this year, beating out zombies, cowboys, devils and French maids combined. Among children, being a pirate ranked fifth. Not bad, considering that more than 1.5 million little Hannah Montanas plan to troll for sugar across this weary land. To meet the demand, some costumers have torn up their business plans. In Tustin, Calif., the Silhouettes Clothing Company abandoned its trade in 19th-century undergarments, according to promotional materials, to focus on developing “a well-deserved international reputation for clothing the top Jack Sparrow impersonators.” mong the sewing-machine-owning, library-card-carrying pirate history buffs, a few timbers have been shivered. But wariness of the new mainstream appeal has been tempered with some critical self-appraisal. “Why do some of them feel like they can wear blank spandex pants and a puffy shirt and be allowed to call themselves pirates?” said John Macek, a member of the Pirate Brethren, a re-enactment group formed in the 1990s in Columbia, Md. In an e-mail message meditating on the state of his hobby, Mr. Macek added: “Why do others bother to study pirates in minute detail to get it ‘right,’ because after all, these guys were just a bunch of criminals, murderers, etc? Why the animosity between these two groups? What would your grandfather have said about your hobby? Many of these re-enactors claim to be ‘educating the public,’ but just what gives them the notion they are knowledgeable enough?” For tourism promoters on this wind-swept barrier island, where pirates once found haven among the Savannah River waterways, education has ranked in priority somewhere behind filling barstools. Four years ago, after finding little success with promotions, including a Labor Day Luau, Tybee Island officials announced the pirate festival on a whim. “It’s done this time of year because business is slow,” said Paul DeVivo, a member of the tourism council, estimating that the festival had injected $2.6 million a year into the local economy. “We just lucked into it and we’re running with it.” As the festival date approached this year, the Jolly Roger flags began to outnumber Georgia Bulldog banners along the sprawling verandas of the old wooden colonials. The Marshall Tucker Band was booked. A sports bar announced a late-night wench contest, an oyster restaurant advertised $2 grog shots and surf shops sold T-shirts with slogans such as “Surrender the Booty” and “Prepare to Be Boarded.” Despite the stormy weather, thousands of pirate re-enactors, pirate admirers and pirate-curious onlookers arrived from Macon and Augusta, Ga., the Carolinas and beyond. “It’s for the kids,” said Chad Carty, 33, who brought his children from Indianapolis. The oldest of the three, Ethan, 7, wore a vest, knee-length britches and an eye patch adorned with a “Pirates of the Caribbean” sticker. “I like their swords and the guns, and I like tattoos, and they swordfight,” Ethan said. “I like the pirate ship.” Along the festival grounds, set up in a parking lot, more elaborate costuming was on display. Don McGowan, 52, a truck driver from Cynthiana, Ky., wore a braided goatee, printed bandanna, ruffled shirt, red sash, baldric, cutlass, parachute pants and sandals, sacrificing some authenticity for comfort as his outfit progressed from head to toe. Relaxing at a table, he offered a dramatic salute to a similarly attired passer-by. “I’m more into the history part of it,” Mr. McGowan said, recounting childhood trips to Ocracoke Island, N.C., Blackbeard’s hideaway. “The ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ brought it all out. There were 10 or 12 people running through here with the lanterns straight out of ‘Pirates of the Caribbean.’ ” Indeed, for every finely considered sartorial homage, there seemed to be a child running around swinging a glow-in-the-dark sword. A group of Shriners fired cannon blasts from atop a 1963 Ford school bus refashioned as a glowing Spanish galleon. A band covered Gram Parsons. Vendors hawked jewelry, airbrushed tattoos, beads, packaged eye patches, skull rings and golden teeth (“fits like a cap, matey”). At the Acme Costume stand, a jar of eyeliner pencil was marked “Johnny Depp Eyes, $2.” Resplendent in long black hair, a talisman of buffalo teeth, a silver ring in the shape of a serpent and a .41-caliber sidearm, Dwight Yanguas, 52, indulged numerous requests for photographs. His teeth were even rotted. Mr. Yanguas, a vendor of handmade wooden long swords, daggers and cutlasses, stumbled into his trade in the 1990s, seeking to trade his shopping-mall maintenance job for show business. “I would dress up as a medieval knight,” he said. But soon, he added, “all the kids would come up to me and the first thing they would say is: ‘Are you a pirate? You look like a pirate.’ I said, ‘No, I’m supposed to be a knight.’ So I decided if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. From there, I went total pirate theme.” By popular acclaim, the festival prize of $100 in gold coins and gift certificates was awarded to Lindsey Lee Miller, 23, from Marietta, Ga. She credited her sultry red costume to the work of fairies plying woven wolverine fur, Brazilian peacock feathers and ivory. One of Ms. Miller’s costumed companions, Robert Bean, 45 and known as Pirate Bob, pronounced her triumph a rebuke to the Hollywood imitators. “I find them dull and boring,” Mr. Bean said. “Everybody can be Captain Jack. Why not strive to be something different, like Lindsey Lee here?” As the festival neared its finale, spectators gathered along the main beach road to watch the pirates on parade. They unfolded portable chairs, crouched on curbs, leaned from balconies and let their children play. With a patrol car to lead the way, the pirates rode wooden floats towed behind sport utility vehicles. Some threw beads. A marching band pounded out a heavy rhythm. A pet-rescue group, a science fiction club and a group of bicyclists with eye patches, buccaneer caps and beer cozies passed by, all arrghing away. Behind them a big green garbage truck flying a Jolly Roger balloon followed, its passengers dressed in lace, waving to the crowd, honking the loudest horn of all from the cabin of the good ship Waste Pro, its slogan painted to proclaim: “God Bless America.”

good point on the mold dorrian. definitely do that before it sets. As to the mix. the original waterproofing calls for turpentine, linseed oil and pine tar in thirds. the pine tar is definitely an aquired smell. Remember how the Explorer (and I) smelled at the blackbeard festival instead of at Deltaville? She had just been oiled with this mix and its a bit strong for wearing on the head- even by my standards. I used the black paint because it matched my hat blank. The paint is actually what stiffened it, compared to other things i've used the pinetar mix on. Using the paint again, I think I would reduce it to maybe 1/8. Here is another trick. add a bit of bees wax, not parafin, to the mix. of course this means heating it when ever you want to use it, but it adds a wonderful texture and enables your projects to withstand a monsoon. I have a hat that was treated in just bees wax, linseed oil and turpentine and it holds up just fine. Just be mindful of open flames- ye get a wee bit nervous.

i used turpentine, linseed oil, and black oil based paint on one of mine. got it plenty stiff, but set the felt and it shrank when it dried. now i have a beautiful hat but it doesnt fit.

cant see the trees for the forest --- i'll still offer to see you there in 28 days.

wow, thats a good arguing point ....... i never said he wasn't. he could be from Bath, Bristol, or as one person suggests from Germany and name was Titschki. what we know and can all agree on- - a pirate known as blackbeard died in ocracoke nov 22, 1718. The whole issue is this... for 290 years I know of no one who has been able to document the full truth of the legend- simply because it has yet to be found. So we have two options. trust the word of someone who was of the era, but who's work we can punch many holes in about a name that does not appear before this time frame. -or- look at documents gathered that dispel various myths and legends about the entire incident. as a result the further back we go in the time frame we are left with fewer options about what really happened. As historical reenactors/ armchair historians/ snotty critic/ whatever/ it would be a great injustice to Blackbeard himself to allow the blatant misrepresentations, such as the number of pirates hanged or the size of the invading ground troops from virginia (one man and his servant does not equal a force, sorry) to continue. we may never have an absolute end to this story, but to debunk one persons atleast partially documented work and theory, when the earliest source can do no better and in some cases is completely contraindicated, is just sad. So i challenge folks with this. take the timeline from The Last Days of Black Beard the Pirate and go on a field trip. visit the places and see what it was like. could Blackbeard have really seen Maynards rigging from the opposite side of Ocracoke Island as described? Why would any sensible pirate crew want to be there in november? Visit the homesites, see what they saw. I wish i could say visit a cemetery, but blackbeard is in hiding and i'm not about to tell where his possible relatives are resting. I'll see you at the point in 28 days.

ohhhh i see.......

well all historians and researchers must start somewhere. so again.... where did johnson come up with ed teach from bristol?

blackfox, you're just a geek that drools all over himself. jusk kidding mate. missed you the other week. you going to be with us in november???

so, blackbeard passed multiple colonial governors to get to Eden to accept the kings pardon. does anyone have any documentation of an edward teach/thatch (not "blackbeard") causing trouble in any colony before 1716? i'm having a moment- when was he associated with philly? 1717 i think???? if there was such an issue, why does spotswood not mention anything in the known colonial governors of virginia journals of edward teach known as black beard out a' pyrating before he sends maynard out. think about this. a normal investigation begins with receiving a complaint about a person- accomplices fall into place during the investigation. How could spotswood have received word of them both at the same time? Part of the art of being corrupt is doing it in secret. for a pirate to be so closely tied to a governor while only being in the colonies for but a few month- there seems to be a very intimate connection. can anyone help shed some light? edit* kevin and i must have been typing at the same time. he posted immediately after me, so some of the above may be mute.

mate, can you help explain the connection between Eden and Blackbeard? Why would gov. spotswood invade a bordering english colony?

i stopped counting at 37

if the top inch or so is loose, would something like a snow stake work? no idea what it looks like down there.

unfortunately, a lot about blackbeard is a pretty story. again, none of us were there. Johnsons tales often do not add up and infact contradict some of both maynard and brands descriptions of the events. Where did Johnson get his information? Other authors have used Johnsons works and present them as facts. Foxe, I stand corrected on the "only source" comment, twas late and it did not come out as intended. lets try as a primary source instead and as noted above, there are discrpencies. Noone has a complete story and never will, but to base 290 years of spotty government (land deeds, wills, some court documents) records Kevin has been able to fill in some timeline gaps and readily admits that there are speculative connections. If we take Blackbeard the Pirate, Blackbeard, and The Last Days of Black Beard and lay them side by side we will have three separate views. Some based on fact, some on folklore out of all three. for a critic to completely dismiss kevins work is a shame. Blackjohn and foxe, have either of you talked with kevin? send him an email, keep an open mind and see what he has to say.

David Moore is one of the museums archivist of the Queen Anne artifacts and the two times i've spoken with him seems quite nice. The conversations revolved around the Queen Annes Revenge and not Black Beard per se. actually, Kevins book had not come out yet, so there was no issue. I think Mr Moore might have a bit at stake since the museums display is mostly based on the traditional story- might cost some pennies to re-do it eh?? I do wonder how he reviews Johnsons works??? If this is the sole basis for his history of blackbeard..... Lets face it, none of us were there in 1718 and most folks have a biased opinion of history based on 290 years of traditional story. I would lay a lot of merit towards Kevins works and as he says this is a best educated guess in some aspects, but he does bring a lot of new information to light.

better late than never.

from a safety standpoint we try to use ramrods as little as possible. less chance of it getting forgotten in the barrel from the excitement of the moment, of course this means no wadding. the other advantage is if a misfire occurs you simply upend your weapon to render it safe- hard to do if its wadded.