Tangents

[William Brand]

Sorry to hear it, Bo. It's hitting the hobby on many fronts, but we'll see you again. Meanwhile, fair winds and may you discover unexplainable bars of gold when you garden next.

[Black Syren]

*Ties Crickets to the Kite* I am guilty as I have not been here as I should. Lost my computer, then my schedule changed, and facebook was a quick check in, now I am hopefully getting a promotion and better hours. I have missed this place..have missed all of you. Nothing can take the Pub's place. This is home.

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

Any recipes for horseflies??? We have tons of these critters this year. Wonder if fried horseflies in bacon grease would be palatable?

Oh, tangents, um, yeah, I forgot. I got a real job last week!!! Asst. Supervisor of Environmental services at a local Nursing home. I had almost given up hope. Well, Maybe I'll get to play again someday.... who knows. this is my day-off and I have to work some weekends, but at leats I'll have the means with which to replace some gear as time goes by.

now, about those horseflies...

Bo

[Dutchman]

CONGRATULATIONS BO!

[William Brand]

Yeah, we have horseflies here too, and we never have them. Nasty little bastards.

Congrats on the job!

[silas thatcher]

congrats again, bo !!

[madPete]

Glad to hear it Bo! hope to see ye at an event soon!

mP

[peglegstrick]

Glad to hear you are doing better Bo. The lack of funds is a rough thing to go through. I am seeing the end of the tunnel from medical bills. Strokes & hospital bills will deplete any bank funds in a hurry! Good luck in your new endeavors. Smooth sailing Mate.

What were you portraying in the CW reenactments? I used to do Calvary before loosing a part that helped me stay in the saddle. Had a lot of fun doing it. I make a fair peg leg now though.

Cheers

[Captain Jim]

Congratulations on the job, Bo. No money and no time sucks.

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

Nope, horseflies are not edible... not even in bacon grease. Trust me on this kids, don't try this at home(See the Honey Badger, he's disgusting! He'll eat anything, he don't give a sh!#.)

Peg-leg, I do mainstream infantry and work an M1842 6 pounder also. I did a short stint as MO/KS border war ruffian/bushwhacker but my spine won't take the hard riding anymore. Did a couple of local events this year as infantry private. It's not piratey or as much fun as trekking the woods in colonial gear, but I enjoy it just the same. See ya'll around when I can...

Bo

Edited September 27, 2013 by Capt. Bo of the WTF co.

[William Brand]

Bo needs to post more trekking pictures!

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

Bo will have to start trekking again before that can happen. Still not sure I am going to continue. Too busy with the new job and catching up on home repairs, etc. Possible but not likely to happen. Attended a couple of local events recently as a day-tripper but still don't have the "magic" it used to have. Did my last demo gig as colonial deer-hide market hunter a couple of weeks ago. Just wasn't the same, I couldn't enjoy myself and was counting minutes for the event to end so I could get home. I fear I am really done this time.

Bo

[Coastie04]

Personally, I still keep up on the forum occasionally and have all my gear, but there's not much interest in historical piracy in Alaska and definitely no events. I just don't have the time or money to pay a couple of grand for a fun weekend down south right now. Especially not with my 1 year old running around! Other than that, I did just finally finish Ed Foxe's book (took me long enough to get it, right?), sail my own boat, and generally keep up on most tall ship news. As for me, there's no place like the pub...there's no place like the pub...there's no place like the pub...

...where'd that kite that got tangled in my rigging come from, anyway?

[Jib]

So the drop off in the Pub Forums can be summed up as people having less time, less money, other commitments, a decline in the popularity of the pirate event venue, a decline in the quality of the pirate events offered and social media as an alternative to public forums...

I suppose like the "Fall of the Roman Empire" it isn't just one thing but many.

Very sad. This was my "go to" place for fun and interesting pirate topics. I miss many of the posters who frequented the Pub in days gone past. Sorry to see people like Captain Bo decide to hang up the tricorn and say farewell.

[Coastie04]

Very sad. This was my "go to" place for fun and interesting pirate topics. I miss many of the posters who frequented the Pub in days gone past. Sorry to see people like Captain Bo decide to hang up the tricorn and say farewell.

Even the Golden Age had it's end. I do sincerely hope that the pub lingers on for many years and that some of the classic pyrates that we've come to know and love return from time to time. I have noticed that some people (myself included) tend to come and go in waves, depending on what life's throwing their way and their current interest and commitment to the hobby. Much like when I was coerced to finally setting up a facebook account: I was glued to it for the first few months. Then I tried to unplug a bit because it was just overwhelming. Now, I've come to a somewhat steady median, though I fluctuate between posting and just lurking. I hope that's all that's happening to the pub; like the tide, there are ebbs in between floods.

[William Brand]

It might help to revive a few favorite threads. We should find topics of research that were never completed or discussions that might be revived by new news and information.

[Coastie04]

Well, the brig Astrid looks like she'll be sold as scrap now that she's been raised from the ocean floor. I also heard recently that they've raised a few more "huge cannons" (i.e. 6 lbers-not huge in my book) from the Whydah recently. Usually winter's a bit scarce for news of this nature. Piracy apparently is a summer hobby, as are tall ship festivals. What tall ships do sail in winter do so far away from my locals (then again, they generally sail far away from my current locals in summer too). In personal news, my boat's mainsail is being painstakingly repaired this season due to a failed seam late in the sailing season and an abundance of stitching that needs reinforcing due to its age. Maintenance was at least easier with a large crew! That's my contribution to current news. Any word lately on Royaliste since her ramming by that stern wheeler?

[William Brand]

No. I haven't heard a thing about the Royaliste in many months, but you have raised a topic I don't think we've discussed that much. How many tallships winter in colder climes but remain open as working ships?

[Coastie04]

From my recollection and a brief google search, not many tall ships remain operational in winter months. I think there are many reasons for this, besides the obvious cold. Many of the boats are extremely old and need a lot of regular maintenance. This needs to be done sometime, and if the winter months are the lower revenue months, this is the best time to take the boat offline. Additionally, the weather is nasty beyond the cold. Winter is a time for higher than average wind. Traditionally, some fishing schooners (if they could afford it) would have smaller, heavier sails to use during winter and would leave their 'summer sails' to be maintained or at least stored on shore. They would often at least take topmasts down (if applicable). Snow and ice is another concern, as it can foul blocks and make lines much harder to manage. This can lead to an inability to maneuver if required, an obviously dangerous situation. From what I've seen most of the time, tall ships either travel toward the equator during winter or downrig and are laid up for maintenance, sometimes with a winter cover of some nature to help protect the vessel from the elements and provide more comfort for winter crews working on projects. Historically, some boats would naturally still be out in winter trading, blockading, or fishing. It's just not economical and in some cases can be very unsafe for boats today to be sailing during the winter months in the higher latitudes.

Flying kites, on the other hand...

Edited November 2, 2013 by Coastie04

[Captain Jim]

Ye Tall Ship Royaliste has a FacePlant....er....Book, FaceBook presence. Lots of new bits and pieces, afloat again and better than before getting squished by the stern-wheeler. And fear not for the Pub, I know the new Barkeep. And fret not for the portrayal of pyrates by us amateurs. There are actually more places to reenact than there was five or ten years ago. In a couple of years maybe even a permanent pyrate camp at the Alafia Rendezvous. I think we've talked ourselves out a bit here, covered all the bases we can think of, for now. But it's all still here. I sometimes come here late at night, after the kids are asleep, and re-read old threads. Sometimes I even rediscover things I didn't know I forgot. Its a bit slow about here, now and again, but every night can't be fleet night. Cheers, mate.

[madPete]

yes, since Facebook's arrival, its become mostly a reference source (because of all the great info) as well as a listing of events.

Although, it still has its moments.

mP

[Jib]

I hope you are right Coastie... ebb and flow.

Very sad. This was my "go to" place for fun and interesting pirate topics. I miss many of the posters who frequented the Pub in days gone past. Sorry to see people like Captain Bo decide to hang up the tricorn and say farewell.

Even the Golden Age had it's end. I do sincerely hope that the pub lingers on for many years and that some of the classic pyrates that we've come to know and love return from time to time. I have noticed that some people (myself included) tend to come and go in waves, depending on what life's throwing their way and their current interest and commitment to the hobby. Much like when I was coerced to finally setting up a facebook account: I was glued to it for the first few months. Then I tried to unplug a bit because it was just overwhelming. Now, I've come to a somewhat steady median, though I fluctuate between posting and just lurking. I hope that's all that's happening to the pub; like the tide, there are ebbs in between floods.

[Jib]

When do you think the Pub hit it's "Golden Age"? When was this site the most active?

[Silver]

i noticed a drop of people logging on and posting about a year ago. i signed on in oct'2006 it was a busy place then. i think there was a post about it by someone then but it never caught like this post. i'll have to look back and see if i can find it.

[Coastie04]

When do you think the Pub hit it's "Golden Age"? When was this site the most active?

Now this is an interesting topic. I'd say that Pirates of the Caribbean (the first one) spawned a great interest in piracy. There were some, such as me, who were interested long before, but that interest helped to spawn this pub a decade ago (can it really be that long???). The interest kept building for quite a few years, probably through the second PotC movie, and held decently through the third one. A few people who were turned on by the fiction turned toward the Captain Twill section to learn how to accurately portray pyracy. Great minds, such as Mission, Hawkins and Foxe (the first ones that come to mind without researching old posts-no disrespect to the other great informers here that I failed to mention), helped to keep that section going strong. Pirate events started springing up around the country, even where there was little or no history of piracy. However, eventually the novelty wore off, and although some events are hanging on, even the infamous Pirates in Paradise had to eventually close their tent flaps (a festival that I will lament not having attending for years to come). The downturn of the economy probably had a lot to do with it, as like Capt. Bo mentioned, earning an honest living in the real world takes precedence over the romanticized fantasy life (regardless of how accurately it was portrayed). People had less time and money for hobbies and festivals. With any luck, an upturn in the economy, coupled with a decent pirate blockbuster, will invigorate a new generation of pirates to this pub, and reinvigorate some of the old guard. As for me, I'm not nearly as active as I was in the past, but I will always linger on until either this website or I succumb to time and anonymity.