A Seamans Camp: making camp authentic and nautical

[Patrick Hand]

Why would a group of Pyrates be camping?

Basically it's because the Faire, Festival or Reenactment is on shore. Unfortunately, there are not enough Tall Ships for us to play on, and it would be impractical to row the public out to a Pyrate Ship anyway , so we're stuck trying to justify a reason why we're camping.....

At a Faire like Ojai, or the Northern California Pyrate Festival, most groups don't bother with any explanation, just bring out and set-up all the Pyrate/Nautical stuff you have for a cool looking Pyrate-like camp.

Ojai and the Northern California Pyrate Festival aren't Reenactments anyway, they are just fun Pyrate Faires.

PiP really isn't much different; it's just some Pyrates at a Civil War Fort....

A group of us wanted to do something a little more Authentic (OK... that should be Aesthetic ), so we decided to set-up a Careening Camp (NOTE: I think the Buccaneer Camp is suppose to be in Port Royal, Hurricane is setting that up)

This year, we will be camping outside the Fort, in the trees, so the camp should look really good....

It would be "nice" if we did have a ship that we were careening, but that ain't going to happen .

A better story (If we had more cannons) would be.... Because a Ship is defenseless when it is being careened, we are a temporary shore battery guarding access to where the Ship is being careened.

Setting up a Careening Camp, gave us a plausible explanation of why a group of Pyrates were camping on shore.

Other reasons for Pyrates camping.

Buccaneers or Logwood Cutters lived on shore.

Buccaneers/Pyrates after raiding a town, waiting for the Ransom money (You�d need a Spanish town for this one, and you'd be living in the houses, not camping anyway)

A bunch of the crew has scurvy, so with fresh food and rest, you are waiting for them to recover. There was something about that in the book Selkirk's Island and I'm not far enough into Dampier's New Voyage Round the World to get to that part yet.....

Another option is to not bother setting up a camp, just stay at a hotel and then assemble for a raid. Unfortunately, that just isn't as much fun.

Being on a Ship would be the best place to reenact Sailors/Pyrates, But lacking a Ship, we have to "make-do".....

On Authentic vs. Aesthetic

For an Authentic Careening Camp Shore Battery, we'd have Cannons, some Food, and maybe a Sail for Shelter, with all of us sleeping under it. Having a Campfire at night might give away our position, so after dark, we would go without light. Food would be cooked in a communal pot, and a barrel of Rum would help pass the time.

In an Aesthetic Camp, we would each have our own Tents, so we didn't have to sleep together, a campfire at night, and candle lanterns so we don't stub our toes, or trip over anything on the way to the privies. And Rum to drink as we sat around the campfire, having fun and enjoying being in Key West, at PiP with fellow crazies.

[Calico Jack]

As BlackJohn pointed out, a Careening camp is also an excellent reason to have everything, including the proverbial kitchen sink, from aboard ship. In such case, the more the better! Make liberal use of any small props and tricks you can think of, to increase the effect of the camp. Makes it nicely Authentic, too.

Scurvy and the like are fun, even to establish a small part of the camp as Scurvy-ridden [blacken teeth]. Depending on your surgeon, Scurvy can even be considered communicable [!]. As mentioned in an earlier post, whilst the "quarentine" sign is appropriate enough for our Navy camps, it seems less likely for a pirate hospital... A surgeon's station nearby would be a good indicator in exchange. Lots of your surgeon's chosen remedy [purgatives, or bleedings, or exercise and fresh air] too.

In all, I think your careening camp might be the most useful excuse of the many possible at any rate. So... tangent done, and back to the topic at hand? Good "easy" and "cheap" tricks to indicate a nautical/maritime encampment of pirates, as distinguished from the [pick a navy, and navy] Navy?

[Rats]

I like the hasty hospital idea! Especially if your ship has taken damage and you need to get some work done, I would think the last thing you need is a bunch of the tables and the wounded laying around.

Of coarse, once on land you could also press some locals women and children into helping with the wounded and such??

You could then have some of the crew pulling guard and also forging for supplies and information

R

[Mary Diamond]

Having a "laundry-list" sign of which disease is being treated, while not plausible, would certainly pique the public interest, encouraging further discourse on previous ailments treated. This could be particularly useful if our surgeon was lacking in period implements with which to draw attention.

[Rats]

I'm actually thinking even the most rudementary tools would even be better. After all, I'm sure it would be rare to have the best and the even the most practical instruments!

[Patrick Hand]

After all, I'm sure it would be rare to have the best and the even the most practical instruments!

Aaargh... but we can raid Charlestown and get wot we need......

[Gsc]

if one of PiP's goal is education of the public, I feel that maybe having "extra" period items around camp is great for "show & tell" with the public.

I was the head curator at the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History for 4 years...I did alot of outreach at public schools, museum tours & arranging our yearly Living History Fairs... people do love the "little details" and you'd be amazed at the interest many patrons show when you take a few minutes to tell them about specific items...

[Patrick Hand]

if one of PiP's goal is education of the public,

eeergh.... PiP is just a Pyrate Faire.....

the 1720 Careening Camp and other camps are an attempt at doing something a bit more period...... But Pirates in Paridise, is more than that..... Hey.... Key West.... Babes...Rum...Drinks... Fun..... and a few camps having fun trying to be sorta-kinda authentic (aesthetic)....

Well there were the school visits........ but Hurricain knows more about that......

[Jacky Tar]

Patrick is too modest. I've never been t' PIP, but I've learned a bit, just by readin' how he prepares fer the event.

I think everyone's attempt t' make the camps more authentic is very educational.

[Gsc]

Aye- FUN & educational... It honestly sounds like a great time. I just finished going through a couple of hundred photos from the PiP 2006... I am going to do my best to make the '08 faire...

Good luck this year and make sure to take lots of pics of the camp.

[Capt. Sterling]

if one of PiP's goal is education of the public,

eeergh.... PiP is just a Pyrate Faire.....

the 1720 Careening Camp and other camps are an attempt at doing something a bit more period...... But Pirates in Paridise, is more than that..... Hey.... Key West.... Babes...Rum...Drinks... Fun..... and a few camps having fun trying to be sorta-kinda authentic (aesthetic)....

Well there were the school visits........ but Hurricain knows more about that......

Ah come on Patrick, you can lay on the beach and I can educate the kids all about drunken pirates and rum! We can make an object lesson out of it!

But seriously, if there are school visits to the area during PiP, the Archangel crewe would be very interested!