Roll Call 2008

[Master Sully]

O,o,o,o,o, bring the ship, bring the ship!!!

[RustyNell]

O,o,o,o,o, bring the ship, bring the ship!!!

We tried to bring it this past PIP but dock space was going to run them $1645.00 a day for dockage.

We're already working on dock space though so we might have better luck next year.

It's not a wooden ship, its steel. and it loosely resembles a spanish galleon, think Disney...

you can see it here

http://www.piecesofeight.com

We have a blast

[Cpt Sophia M Eisley]

Thanks folks for filling me in. Nigel, that looks like a comfy sleeping arrangement! *thumbs up from me*

Fayma - I grew up in Colorado, but have been in Florida a few years, and my blood must've thinned out 'er something. Nearly froze in CO over the holidays (when it was in the teens). For this event (depending on sleeping arrangements), I'll see to making sure it's comfortable, warm or not.

[Jezzy The Butcher]

Callahan Crewe of the Sacred Heart:

Captain Callahan

Quartermaster Fayma Callahan

Toby of the Ships

Morgan Drake

Aye, I be stayin' with me friends, the Callahan's fer certain! Fayma has threatened t' kidnap me and drag me down fer it, if I don't do it on me own. Good thing, Fayma, m' sweet friend, I'll already be in Florida this year fer Thanksgivin' fer one of them Faires, so I'll be meetin' ye here soon! Love to ye and th' Cap'n! ~Jezzy

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n304/Ma...trait02Good.jpg

Arrrsome portrait of me done by th' one n' only Capt. Callahan

[Jezzy The Butcher]

Having lived in Colorado most of my life, camped in all weather, this is nothing to fear! You will be most comfortable with a light blanket as needed (but mostly not). The night breeze may make it a plus to have the blanket, but I have only needed a small one a couple of the nights in 2 years. The weather has been very cooperative to say the least!

Fayma, Darlin'! So good t' see ye here! I shoulda known t' find ye here at a PYRATE PUB.

Barkeep, bring me n' me dear friend a round.

So, how 'ave ye been, Darlin'? I've been down here in Florida, doin' these faires. Mostly in cold wind and rain. It's winter, ye know.

So, I've signed up to camp with yer crew, if'n ye don't mind, 'specially since it were you what threatened to kidnap me and haul me arse down fer PIP! I've already told me employer that I'll be takin' the van and usin' it fer the event. She said that would be fine. I'll be doin' Thanksgivin' with the good people at the Blue Moon Rennie campground in Alachua, so if ye and th' Cap'n would like te join me, let me know! The more, the merrier, eh? Otherwise, I'll hook up with ye's as yer makin' yer way down and we can caravan together. What ye say t' that?

Sure have missed ye, ye lovely wench! Give the Cap'n a hug fer me, and hug yerself fer me, too.

By th' way, I found a pic of Sir Tristan I'd taken. Would ye like to ta 'ave it?

Chat with ye soon, Love.

[William Brand]

299 days 20 hours 39 minutes and 30 seconds left until the 2008 Fort Taylor Pirate Fest!

[Mary Diamond]

And plans are discussed more or less all the time ~

Brig, Mae and I were talking about how lovely it was down there ~ can hardly wait to get back!

[callenish gunner]

Yes indeed ....we've been making plans since the trip this year fell through ....getting the things for the armoury and the encampment set preparing for the loading of the whole baggage making sureit all fits into the trailer!

[hurricane]

I just got the proposed schedule for some of the events for the festival this year to review. Some new stuff to look forward to.

-- Hurricane

[Capt. Sterling]

Please add Josiah Symms, Capt's steward

and Croaker, surgeon

to the Archangel crewe

[Capt. Sterling]

Ah Mr. Brand...sir...ahem...

[Capt. Sterling]

Thank you Sir. Much obliged...after all can't let the Mercury Crewe have a longer listing than the Archangel crewe....

[Misson]

Ahh...airline ticket booked. Through a complicated series of maneuvers to arcane to explain, the whole thing cost me $56.20. (It involved an old, canceled ticket, so few will likely be able to duplicate this.) Looks like I'll be driving down from Miami, though. It's been a few years since I've driven A1A down the Keys, so I sort of look forward to it. Wish I were driving it right now, in fact.

One time I arrived at the airport in continental (non-island) Fla ready to leave for Detroit only to learn DTW was snowed in...so I rented a car and drove back down the Keys at 2am for a two day extension on my vacation (two days was the soonest they predicted I could fly back.) For the hell of it, I rented a convertible - it was a wonderful trip with the almost non-existent traffic (it being a school night) and the moon shining off the water on the drive down the Intercoastal... *sigh*

[hurricane]

That is indeed one of the great drives by convertible. Love the run from Homestead to KW with the top down. If it weren't for the end of the road there, I would have easily ended up in Cuba with the car.

-- Hurricane

[Dutchman]

so what is the best way to fly in (other than on a plane) and get to the fort???

[Misson]

I personally think the best way is to fly in direct and take a taxi from the airport into the fort, myself. (You'll probably need help finding the fort if you've never been there anyway.) Driving down the Keys has it's charm, but it's 3-4 hours from Florida City no matter how you slice it. I only flew into Miami because I had a credit on an airline that was wayyy too expensive to take direct in. (The cheapest rate was over $1000, compared to a little over $400 into Miami. I lose the credit if I don't take it soon. I figure for the $600 difference, I could rent a really nice car. )

[hurricane]

If you post your arrival time and phone number, there's always someone around the fort that can run out to the airport too. Several of us did the run back and forth last year to pick up and drop off participants.

The drive is a long one - we always do it at night since there's no traffic and the lights down the keys are almost all yellow. Knocks about 45 minutes off the run from Florida City. But you never want to speed through there. Bad stuff - that's how most of these little tourist and fishing towns make their money and just a couple miles over can get you a ticket there.

-- Hurricane

[Capt. Sterling]

Must agree with Mission, if you can swing it, fly in directly. That 3-4 hour drive is pretty but unbearable if you get stuck behind someone driving 20 miles an hour because they are too busy looking at the water...especially after you already drove crewe equipment 18 hours...ugh.

[withoutaname]

if you fly into FLL or MIA you can take the bus : http://keysshuttle.50megs.com/

if you watch hotwire you can sometimes pick up a car rental for 130 bucks for the week (we got a convertible for 156 for the week last year) rather than the 100 bucks the shuttle will cost you back and forth.

If you are flying into Ft Meyers or MIA you can also take the ferry : http://www.seakeywestexpress.com/contact.htm which will run you about the same cost as the bus or car rental.

I have never taken the bus of ferry- but my family takes the bus all the time from Key Largo to the airport- and they love it! they always try and make me take it- but I would rather drive.

This year we are thinking about a direct flight in - not in budget but worth the deminishing stress

:)

[Misson]

I'd just as soon have a car as pay to take the bus, provided I know it won't cost to park the car. (I have this thing about paying to park. I could never live in Manhattan.) If you watch, you can get car rentals if FLA pretty reasonably priced. (Plus, taking a bus seems complicated and you can never rely on having a decent seat mate. Besides, who knows what would then happen to my beloved Patrick Hand original planter's hat? I shudder to think of it.) I must confess that the ferry has always interested me as a new experience. I'm always on the lookout for new experiences that fall within my scope of interests while in Key West. Maybe I'll consider that one...

BTW, the cost of taking a direct flight in as of yesterday from Detroit according to Travelocity was $520. Now, I would have paid $408 to fly into MIA without the credit, and I'll probably wind up paying $100-$200 for a week's car rental (admittedly not a convertible). I confess, I don't know the price of taking a bus, having never looked into it. Still, I find it often ends up being pretty much a wash by the time you add in the extra transport from MIA to EYW (not to mention the hassles of dealing with the monolithic MIA airport compared to the teeny EYW airport), so flying direct in is still my recommendation.

[hurricane]

Must agree with Mission, if you can swing it, fly in directly. That 3-4 hour drive is pretty but unbearable if you get stuck behind someone driving 20 miles an hour because they are too busy looking at the water...especially after you already drove crewe equipment 18 hours...ugh.

That's exactly why we time our trip to hit the keys about 2 a.m. -- last year we were the only car on the damned road all the way down. It was sweet. And I love driving into KW as the sun rises -- from darkness to the turquoise waters is always a treat, even living here in FL.

-- Hurricane

[withoutaname]

I have this thing about paying to park. I could never live in Manhattan.

No you could, you would just be me driving around the middle of the night dealing with alternate side parking and finding a spot and when your really desperate you figure that the cost of paying 15 bucks to park in your work building is cheaper than the parking ticket you would get.

Speaking of which, I need to go move my car now, thanks for the reminder.

[Capt. Sterling]

BTW, the cost of taking a direct flight in as of yesterday from Detroit according to Travelocity was $520.

Mission, fly in directly to Key West, I'll come pick you up... I'll even give you a prime seat, lash to the hood of the truck...after all I owe you...it would be my pleasure!

[Capt. Sterling]

That's exactly why we time our trip to hit the keys about 2 a.m. -- last year we were the only car on the damned road all the way down. It was sweet. And I love driving into KW as the sun rises -- from darkness to the turquoise waters is always a treat, even living here in FL.

-- Hurricane

This might work, although when I did leave last time, I hit absolutely no traffic until I hit the Keys...

[Silkie McDonough]

Maybe schedule a stop someplace between VA and the Keys?