Another report part 2

[darkRose]

Part 2

Pirates in Paradise

Or yikes what a week

Darn…There is so much to remember that methinks I may be lost a few brainy cells down there (thanks Olaf!).

Wed. Morning was our morning to sleep in… yeah ok! Was up early sitting at the pool having breakfast and enjoying the company of me mates and new friends…. Of course a little blurry eyed but still chipper…

After a lazy morning (yeah)…Headed down to the Schooner Warf Bar (weren’t we just here?) And getting ready or the 1:30 sail of the Schooner Wolf. We had the opportunity to make sail on the Artist and Author Sail…Pierre, Stynky and Sheila got on board and waited with bated breath for the Wolf to pull from the Harbor…. It was worth every second of the wait…as we were pulling out the harbor police drew their 50 cal. (?) machine-guns down on us and right away I felt like a real Pirate. Blue Green Water…Sails set and running before the wind…. Yep…Life was good…. And to make it better (if it could be) Mike Noles, Bawdy B., myself, Don Maitz, Stynky, Sheila and others started singing ...Hearing The Mingulay Boat song…quietly as were cutting through the water…where does your heart dwell when that happens?

As I sit and write this I stop and think of that moment…. And thank all those that helped make it what it was.

After returning to the dock…decided to go to the receptions at the Custom House and at Mel Fischers Maritime Museum. Again two events that I am fortunate that I decided to go to…The artist and writers reception was fantastic…. I learned more about the people I had met and saw what they can really do…. I was humbled in the presence of the artist and writers present…*I have to make another side comment here…As we were walking the Art Gallery floors I saw the Hemmingway exhibit…. It was nice, good pictures lots of info…but for the second time in the day I was brought to another place…. One cabinet has a typed manuscript carbon copy in it…. I imagined PaPa sitting as his typewriter typing it and I was awestruck* Anywhos…. The reception there was wonderful and we enjoyed every moment. After this was over…we all hauled across the street to the Maritime Museum…seeing the gold…the jewels…and all the other treasures brought up from the seabottom just reinforced the whole image and mood of the week. We spent a great deal of time there as the square in front of the building was the meeting square for all the crewes.and everybody met to make plans for the night…. After some thought it was decided that Captain Tony’s was the place to go…and yep.sure turned out that way…Arrived there with a whole lot of rum…. scalawags and scoundrels already makin their presence known….It was a night of dissolution of marriages (the 24 hr kind) more taking place, Music..quarters in the fishes mouth…Olafs Brew! And all around Pillage and plunder. A good night it was…. Got to know the members of Pirates of the Coast as it seems that was their home base…after a night of rum…good times this poor old man trundled off to bed….

I had to sleep fast as Thursday morning was planned to visit a few of the touristy things…and again am glad I did…first stop of the morning was the Hemmingway house…again another set of chills run up and down my spine…. To see his writing room with his Royal still sitting there was a special moment. After that went for walk to Hogsbreath and had some lunch…picked up the usual T-shirts for the family and some trinkets. Went back to the hotel to get ready for the evenings Party at the Banana Bay …I went over in the afternoon scoped the place out. Claimed a spot and set up our tent…beautiful sand…beautiful water…beautiful people…. And an evening to die for…. Just ran out of rum punch to quickly!..made this an early night for us went back to the hotel and tried to catch some sleep for what we knew would be late nights for the next two nights…..

I am going to stop here again and finish aff with the rest of the weekend…Most was spent in our booth meeting people selling Pyrate Goods and making friends…..a lot more exciting stuff happened and just too much to talk about in this post!!!!

[Nigel]

…. And to make it better (if it could be) Mike Noles, Bawdy B., myself, Don Maitz, Stynky, Sheila and others started singing ...Hearing The Mingulay Boat song…quietly as were cutting through the water…where does your heart dwell when that happens?

As I sit and write this I stop and think of that moment…. And thank all those that helped make it what it was.

Aye, mate, I had a much similar experience on board the Schooner Wolf (what a great ship!).

Hurricane & Spitfire renewed their wedding vows on board the Wolf at sunset. 'Twas beautiful, and yes, the blue-green color of the water was astounding.

We did a gun battle with several other sailing ships.

Then, as we were sailing off in the moonlight, Spitfire launched into her/our rendition of "The Water is Wide". Ginger and I chimed in on harmonies. (Later, Hurricane commented that it was the only time in the whole night that the entire ship was absolutely quiet.) It was sublimely beautiful.

Bawdy Be offered up a couple of spirited nautical songs (she is fantastic), as did some other pirates.

I had been waiting fot "the right moment" and this was it. I stood up, grabbed hold of the rigging, and launched into "It's All Part of Bein' a Pirate" (by Dan Freed/Tom Lewis). The entire ship was shouting "A pirate! A pirate!" and harmonizing on the "ohhhhhhhh".

There I was: the moonlight was coming off the water, a gorgeous sailing ship full of pirates, and I am leading them singing the ultimate pirate song. It was picturesque. Talk about "livin' large"!!!!

As I was singing, I felt as if that song had been born for precisely that moment.

It is one moment that I shall ne'er forget. It was intenselly fulfilling.

There were to be many other unforgettable experiences in Key West, but this was the first bigun, and one of the most special.

Can't wait to hear the rest o' yer report, mate!

Gory details! We want gory details!

[Master Sully]

This year's ( my first) Pirates in Paradise Fest was the most entertaining event I have been to in a while. I should know since I work in the special event field creating similiar events such as this. Wonderful, awesome, hilarious, and down right stupendous are some of the words I would use to describe this event. Key West could not paint a better background for this piece of pirate heaven. But with every thing, I believe, and I mean this in the very best , it could use a little tweaking. I do not want to discourage a new visitor to attend this event, because without a doubt, this is the one pirate fest you can't miss!

I believe if the event could be moved closer to Mallory Square, thereby utilizing the tourist stream, our vendors would be more succesful. Posters in the storefronts and banners on the streetlamps, would help spread the word for us. The most common phrase I heard this year was " Why are all the pirates here?" and " Could I have a picture with you?" This tells me that these people (most assuredly tourists) have not seen information on the fest. I also did not see as many people touring the wharf as much as other destinations. If we could possibly tap into the cruise ships, we could schedule events with them accordingly. Has anyone seen the amount of people that get off a ship in port?! The vendors sold wonderful items, were very friendly, and " hammed it up" for many people. They were unfortunant that they were spread apart, so that many were missed by spectators. If we could use an area, possibly Fort Taylor, we could create an entire pirate village. We could build an entertainment stage for the minstrels and sword fighters, games for kids and adults to play, photo ops, markets, challenge the local resturaunts into a contest for creating old sailor recipes, etc... There are many great ideas that you pirates have out there. Let's keep in touch and help make this event bigger and better each year. LONG LIVE PIRATES IN PARADISE!

[Capt. Westyn Elizabeth Roberts]

I totally agree with you, Master Studley. And it wasn't just tourists who were asking why we were in pirate garb. It was the locals! Most of them were younger locals, too! The kind we like to corrupt! I was shocked that so few people knew what we were up to. Some of them even asked us if you had to be part of "the club" to go. I told them what the event was, and I also told them to come on down, whether or not they were in gear. Bob and I were really surprised that so few people actually knew about the festival.

Capt. WE Roberts