Fort Zachary Taylor update for PIP 2007

[William Brand]

I know there is a strong need to know everything about the festival at this time, but some questions about the overall festival and the fort itself cannot be answered quite yet. We have to be patient for the time being. Meanwhile, let us all focus on the small stuff that we can and should be working on.

Hurricane is already doing his part very well in oganizing all that he must do to ensure that the Port Royal encampment runs smoothly. The Mercury group is doing the same, little by little, and the Red Coat camp is growing. We must not sweat the small stuff...

Recuitment

Basic or improved kit, depending on the individual

Individual camp needs

These three things are the most important, and after them comes the larger picture when more answers are available to us. As the year passes, I will post all necessary updates.

Things that we know so far...

All of the encampments (i.e., 1680 Port Royal, 1720 Mercury Careening Camp, The Red Coat encampment and the Sutlers Camp) will all be camped in the trees South and West of Fort Zachary Taylor.

We will have limited access to some parts of the fort. We will be using the Western side of the fort and the ramparts facing the ocean for some activities and battles.

Each camp will portray and control their own needs.

Each camp will have at least two campfires to be maintained and carefully watched by the members of that camp. Wood will be provided as it was in years past.

Water will be available for our use. It will also be required for fire safety. See above.

Several battles will take place at the fort, camps and throughout the park.

The camps each have their own prefered modes of dress and kit. Please see the indivdual threads for assistance and instructions.

People who are not staying at the camps due to health requirements or comfort or lack of accomodations may still participate in activities along with anyone else and they should be encouraged to ask questions and volunteer. The more the merrier.

There will be law enforcement present. This is due to park regulations. Don't worry. This presence will be small and it exists only to keep things safe should safety by required. Our own individual safety should by governed by our own common sense.

Participants who are camping on site can arrive as early as Tuesday, November 27th and stay through Monday, December 5th and Pirates camp for free.

The Wolf will do sailing trips as always. If you haven't seen a sunset from the Wolf, you haven't seen the sun set.

There will be a hanging or two. Come witness a hempin' jig.

There are bathrooms.

There may be multiple shower options this year. Warm and cold.

There are events outside the fort. Harry has asked us to visit schools and help promote the festival in any way that we can. We should be aware of the End of Hurricane Season Party, the Walk the Plank Competition, the Parade and the many other events llisted on the Pirates in Paradise website.

And last but not least, we're going to have a Hell of a good time. Oh yes.

[Rats]

[theM.A.dDogge]

thankyou william..or "red"...or do you prefer..Mr.wake?

your list answered alot of questions....looking forward to the updates...

[William Brand]

You're welcome, and William will do. I'm often called Mister Wake, but "Red Wake" is a nickname. William Brand is my pirate name, but William will do.

[Pirate Seika]

wow... this sounds like so much fun... can't wait to be there for the first time...

[William Brand]

I have received a great many more questions regarding the fort and the park and I will answer some of them now.

Will first aid kits be available?

Yes. As a state park, they are required by law to have first aid kits available around the park. However, we are still encouraged, especially those of you who are playing surgeons, to have extra bandages and first aid supplies in each camp. It never hurts to have extra.

Will we have access to the gate combination?

Yes. As the festival draws closer, a package of information will be sent to everyone who registers online with the festival. This will contain the information and the combination to the gate. Should anyone not receive this by mail, they will be given the information at the fort. You will be encouraged to register so that the park can get a better idea of numbers and needs.

Will we have access to any small boats for beach landings and assaults to and from the Wolf?

Harry is going to contact a local boat builder to see if we can borrow several small boats for night raids, day landings and possible interactions with the Wolf. We may be able to engage the Wolf or launch from it, but this is all very tentative at present. Harry will be speaking with the owners of the Wolf about this matter and I will let you know when I hear back.

How many actual redcoats will be in the Redcoat Encampment?

The number is unknown and may remain unknown for some time. There are several issues which make an actual list impossible until we get much closer to the festival. Harry will probably have seven or eight of the usual attendees, but time will tell.

Reminders...

Black powder weapons brought to the festival to be used in combat must be checked for appoval before thay can be used in engagements. Please be prepared to have any firing weapons approved by the park staff.

Also...recruit! We can never have enough pirates.

[Patrick Hand]

Wonderin'......

where be th' Pyrate bands.....

two years ago we had half the "Empty Hats" (I'm still in lust 'bout the cute fiddle player.......)

But where is "Capt Satly dog"

or

The " Bilge Rats"

the Pyrate bands......

heck..... if they can't do it without some money.....

question is how much.....

and do we wanna raise that much.........

we send in $ 20.00 each........for a good (well recognised) Pyrate band........

I'm happly drunk (again) just wonderin" why we don't have any Pyrate mussicians doing a "live from PiP" kinda thing................

I wanna make PiP "THE" must go ... for Pyrates.... Ojai (California) is ok... but it's just a renn faire taken over by Pyrates... not the same as a PYRATE faire...........

Where are the good Pyrate bands........... the ones we listen to all year long untill PiP.......

[Captain Jim]

I think we need to stop referring to this as a "Pyrate Faire." (Not aimed at you Patrick, we all do it.) After all we are trying to do something different, a careening camp, eventually to be as accurate as we can get without a ship aground (unless the Royaliste wants to volunteer; I hear they have experience with this sort of thing.) Anyway, let’s sharpen up the vocabulary and distance ourselves from the connotations associated with the word "Faire.”

Just a thought.

[callenish gunner]

i think you both have some valid points ...if we set the environment of the carreening encampment with some local sutlers coming ashore to give some credence for their being their ....we could include some musicians into the mix so as to give the attendees some other entertainment besides just the works of the camp and the battles and a trial/hanging

it is about atmosphere that draws in the tourist crowd as well as just the history buffs ...it needs to be a larger than life experience to keep it growing for the reenactors so we have a continued place to gather and enjoy the comradre' of the brethren ....just m' tupence worth

[hurricane]

Most pirate bands we all listen to charge money to appear at events. It's the way they make a living. Many others are just too busy to come all the way to Key West with just the promise to camp for free. Most want hotels, and per diem, as well as transportation covered. That really adds up fast.

The festival doesn't have much of a budget, at least it never has. So the entertainment there is whoever shows up that knows how to play an instrument.

It's always been a good idea, but it's never been a huge priority. Again, this isn't a faire, it's a gathering of pirates who want to represent history as best they can. So the entertainment would eminate from the camps themselves if this were a pursuit of authenticity.

And at this juncture, it seems to be a better use of limited funds to advertise more, rather than fly in 'name' bands known only to us.

That said, I believe our group is handling kid's programs for the fair this year. So we will be doing some things outside the box for the kids at the festival.

-- Hurricane

[Patrick Hand]

I understand that a band has to make money..... bills and such....

But my arguement is.....

If ye be a Pyrate(or wanna call yer self a Pyrate band).... hell..... PiP is the Pyrate place ter be.......

drat.... advertising.....

OK.... expensive advertising..... (heck as a costume designer I have to see most of my proffits going out to advertising... gotta keep working....)

"LIVE AS SEEN FROM PYRATES IN PARISICE".................

awh heck...

we will still buy thire music........

SO.... a Pyrate band "donates" one weekend.... playing at PiP......Dang... adertising...(good tax write off for them also) (OH yah...and in Key West..)

Outta fairness.... how do we get some of the Pyrate bands to play at PiP (kinda worth thier time..... but we can't pay full time fer that)

Heck... I go to PiP for my yearly vacation.... I save up my money to go there..... maybe if the pyrate bands can't do no better.....

nah.... that is negitive.....

ahw heck.... two years ago... we had half the Empty Hats..... (still in lust with the sexy fiddle player)... dang she was sooooo pretty.............)

Just wonderin' why the Bilge pumps or any of the other Pyrate band dosen't see the advertisement potential (well aint the tax write-off (as little as they are....hell going to Key West for a business trip.....)

I ain't a Pyrate whore....

I do Pyrate cause it's fun,...

I can understand someone making "some/ fair" money offa being a Pyrate...

But at what piont do you become a pyrate whore.......

[hurricane]

For most bands, it's a business. That's how you make money or a living. Even our own band charges what would be a small fortune (in PiP) dollars to perform at corporate gigs and festivals. The simple matter is, if it's the choice between a paying gig or a freebie, bands take the paying gig. Just the way it is.

Heck, our own crewe bagged on 2005 because we had the chance to go to Jamaica to perform instead. Let's see: All expenses paid to Jamaica or pay to go to KW on your own dime. No brainer.

Further, it's not really an incentive for a band to play a gig where everyone already buys their music. It doesn't add to sales of CDs. It's just a house concert... not worth the time and expense (and it's a big expense to fly four or more band members down to KW, house them, feed them, transport them, etc.). It costs them far more money than its worth.

As for the advertising, I was referring to using any available money to advertise the festival in KW, on the cruise ships coming to town, etc. To get admission sales, people need to know there's a festival. The admission sales help offset the costs of the festival and benefits Friends of the Fort. So to increase the budget you either need sponsors or more sales.

Places like Pirate Soul don't sponsor and will never sponsor. They've made that quite clear in the past years. Neither will a lot of businesses in KW because it draws traffic away from Duvall. So money continues to be tight, unless Friends of the Fort is fortunate enough to get a grant, which they festival has been lucky enough to secure in the past.

Good luck getting entertainment... just don't see it happening from a business perspective. The numbers just don't add up to make it worthwhile.

-- Hurricane

[the Royaliste]

I continually see references to 'tax write-off'..you need to make a whoppin' sh*tload of cash to even begin to worry about 'writing-off' any amount. That includes 'for profit' businesses and 'not for profit' businesses. Flippant use of the tax codes winds up with someone in the pokey, speaking from past experiences..........

[hurricane]

Yes, those are indeed dangerous waters to sail, Royaliste. Those in the safe harbor of corporate toss it around like it's the thing we all live for - those tax breaks. Rocky shoals they are... :)

-- Hurricane

[Patrick Hand]

Hurricane… you are absolutely right… fantisy is nice... but it ain't going to happem....................

So much for hoping Jimmy Buffet would ever show up at PiP…..

[Silkie McDonough]

I'm all for making our own music. We tried to get a "song book" together last year. Lets try again ...now where did we put that thread?

Silkie goes searching through old threads.

[Mary Diamond]

Well, we are 147 days away from PiP 2007

The sheer number of Pub folk planning on attending/supporting this event is simply wonderful! Would it be possible to get an update on marketing efforts?

Thank you!

[William Brand]

I spoke with Harry Smid today and I have a few new updates.

First, to answer Mary Diamond's question regarding advertising. Harry did not receive as much county money as he had hoped to this year, but they will be doing a poster campaign around the island as they have done in year's past. Part of the event will be sponsored by Geico insurance, so expect to see the gecko at least once. As attendees, we are all encouraged to spread the word by word of mouth.

Next...the boat...

Harry contacted T.J. McDermot, a local boat builder, and he has donated a white, 12' skiff. This is a wooden craft which can except lines for a mast and tiller. The boat requires a few modifications, but it is in good shape and can hold about 6 people. However, the boat does not have any oars, so we'll need to discuss donations for the purpose of outfitting the skiff. This is a permanent gift to the fort and we will be allowed to use it year to year for night raids and other enactments. We will work out a shared schedule and boat teams at a later time.

And finally, volunteer registration...

Everyone participating in the activities of the fort must fill out a volunteer registration. This allows the Fort to insure that you are covered by insurance during your stay. This is offered to protect the park and us as individuals. It will be a part of the regular registration form and it will serve to recognize those first aid volunteers and safety volunteers as well.

There are some more tentative announcements, but to avoid speculation...and pirates loooove to speculate...I shall save them until I know more.

[Jack Roberts]

Are these volunteer forms available online yet?

[Capt. Sterling]

Not a bad idea... perhaps it would save Harry some last minute work if we were to fill them out prior to the event

[William Brand]

Harry is reformatting the registration form to include the volunteer form, so that we only have to fill out one form. These will be available online very soon.

[Captain Jack Morgan]

As for the advertising, I was referring to using any available money to advertise the festival in KW, on the cruise ships coming to town, etc. To get admission sales, people need to know there's a festival. The admission sales help offset the costs of the festival and benefits Friends of the Fort. So to increase the budget you either need sponsors or more sales.

-- Hurricane

Pirates of the Treasure Coast will be in KW this month at the Hemingway Festival Street Fair on Duval, and would be more than happy to pass out information about the Pip festival, to help bring out a crowd to the fort this December.

We had the pleasure of meeting Harry at last years Pip festival and hold him in very high esteem, not to mention the festival was a lot of fun.

If someone can produce flyers for this event, we will distribute them to all that look interested(and may even pin them to the backs of those who are not.) Savvy?

We could also place a large ad, or post a link on our web site PiratesoftheTreasureCoast.com

let us know what you think.

piratetreasureco@aol.com

[William Brand]

I will make sure that you have handouts for the event you are attending, and thank you for the offer to assist.

[Patrick Hand]

Just trying to figure out.... are we going to be inside th' Fort... or out in the trees?

Hey... if were out in the trees..... can I string up a hommoc an' my tarp....?

Or would there be a problem with that ?

[Jack Roberts]

So the PiP volunteer forms are up on the PiP website.

My questions are...

For us in the camps we are "Reenactors"?

Do we have to fill out a form for everyone? Meaning for my wife and I

do we have to fill out a form individually or will one work for the both of us?

Oh by the way my wife will be completing a first aid course after this semester so she might be able to volunteer for that. I'll have to double check with her.