Massacre Island - Kit and Camp

[William Brand]

It's been a number of years since we hosted an event and Massacre Island has been extremely generous in their offerings to host us at Fort Gaines.  Because of this, we're setting a high mark for kit, clothing and campsites.  We're hoping to make this one of several 'must attend' events, now and every year to come, so we're going to ask that attendees bring their best. 

This is not meant to imply any specific requirements that would keep you from attending.  It's more about celebrating life at sea, cooking, black powder, stories, and all things of the Golden Age.  We're primarily looking for streamlined and pragmatic set-ups for camps and kit.  The kind of stuff that made Fort Taylor what it was in terms of atmosphere.   

Things we'd like to see...

No modern tents.  Just canvas tents.  This can come in the form of makeshift careening camps of loose canvas, oars, rope, rough cut poles, etc.  You are also welcome to bring standard wedge tents, bell end tents, etc.  

Costumes that err on the side of the day-to-day sailors, soldiers and townspeople.  We'd love to see a variety of impressions from land and sea, i.e., sailors, marketplace impressions, various classes from poor to wealthy, soldiers of the age. etc.  

Cannons, muskets, swivel guns, pistols, boarding axes, cutlasses, sailor knives, etc. are all welcome.  Some safety restrictions and peace-tying will likely be in effect, but we'll have some latitude not afforded at state run parks.

Good mood lighting in the form of tin and ship lanterns.  We're hoping to steer away from obvious modern lighting, even the tea lights, but we would like every attendee to have a good lantern for after hours safety and events.

We'd like to avoid flying dozens of store bought flags and limit it to the flags of crews in attendance.  We don't need a lot of skulls, thrones, and ship wheels, but would rather see very basic camps that are openly inviting for attendees. Especially camps with little details like tool boxes, cargo, etc.  Stuff that invites questions about the age.

We'll be sharing ideas for all of this.  We want to help everyone with their set-ups, trades, fabrication, purchases and any other needs.

 

[William Brand]

Let us know what you need for clothing.  Especially specific sized items like shoes.  We'll help you watch for deals and finds.

[madPete]

I decided I might need a fly for Massacre Island and other events.

So started with a 12X8ish piece of home depot paint tarp (or maybe it was lowes). The whole thing was washed and dried on hi heat to shrink it as much as its going to shrink. This makes the weave tighter. It shrank to about 11x7 approximately.

Then cut out some 12X12 inch squares of similar material. to strengthen the areas where the grommets are going. Each piece was either folded over the edge or, on the corners was cut in half. Then raw edges were folded over and stitched thru all three layers. A layer on each side of the material and grommets will be added thru all 3 layers. There will be grommets in each corner, plus one in the middle on each of the long sides (11ft side split in the middle) for 6 total. The idea is a pole with a pin will stick thru far enough on each grommet to also wrap some rope tiedowns on the pin to stake the fly. I've done grommets on my wedge tent and oar tents in a similar fashion, and they've held up well so far. 

So this weekend I got the reinforcements on each corner and the middle stitched in with doubled linen thread. The next step is to create the grommets (photo shows earlier grommets I've done)

Next weekend: grommets and poles

[LadyBarbossa]

NICE!!! 

I've always wondered if those Painter's Tarps would work well and not have to be treated for weather (like rain). Then again, I've wondered about whether they would be good to mimic old, worn sails converted into a makeshift tent/shelter. That's a rock on, wild, cool display there, madPete!  So, this a wedge tent or lean in to or a fly or bakers or something else? I'm intensely curious now! Can't wait to see photos of the event and everyone's projects. 😁🏴‍☠️

[madPete]

This simply a fly I'm creating. It will be treated for waterproofing somehow, havent decided how yet.

I have a wedge tent that I made in a similar fashion and its lasted since 2006 when I was playing civil war. The wedge has been waterproofed a number of times. 16 years is a long time for canvas... Needs it about every 5 years or so

An Oar tent was added a few years later but thats very similar to the fly here, just sets up differently.

 

[madPete]

I really need more acceptable stakes and hemp rope, but here it is. I used 4 poles I had from a civil war fly and added two more which I'll probably segment with a canopy cannector. Then I can shorten the pole and drop one side of the fly to block the sun.

 

[Stynky Tudor]

2 hours ago, madPete said:

I really need more acceptable stakes and hemp rope

How many feet of rope do you need? I can send it to you now, or just wait and bring it to Massacre Island.

Also, what weight canvas is your fly? 8oz?

[madPete]

I think its 10oz. I need to waterproof it too.

 

There's still hemp rope left over from my last buy, but I haven't cut it up yet.

[Stynky Tudor]

23 hours ago, madPete said:

I think its 10oz. . .

I've been working a piece of 8oz and the weave is just too loose and stretchy - even after several hot water wash and dryer tumbles. I'm going to a test coat of lineseed/beeswax, but it'll probably be demoted to a ground cloth.

23 hours ago, madPete said:

. . .I need to waterproof it too. . .

What route do you plan to take for that? Scotchguard, beeswax..?

[madPete]

scotchgard, most likely.  No matter what you use that part gets expensive

[Picaroon Lagoon]

I plan on experimenting with this method over the summer. 
 

 

[Stynky Tudor]

6 hours ago, Picaroon Lagoon said:

I plan on experimenting with this method over the summer.

My concerns with this method is that it's a fairly combustible mixture, plus I've experienced boiled linseed oil socked rags generating a lot of heat (in the shade). So be careful.

A few years back I helped a friend restore a 1940s handmade wooden teardrop camper trailer that had a (cotton) airplane canvas top. We used a mixture of boiled linseed oil and beeswax as a wood finish and also applied the mixture to the canvas - similar to how it had done originally. I'm not sure that adding beeswax makes the linseed oil any less flammable, it seemed/smelled less volatile, but I don't know if that is real or imagined.  

Again, please be careful.

[Picaroon Lagoon]

2 hours ago, Stynky Tudor said:

My concerns with this method is that it's a fairly combustible mixture,

You should see some of the rum cocktails I consume! 😂🤣

 

2 hours ago, Stynky Tudor said:

be careful

 

2 hours ago, Stynky Tudor said:

Again, please be careful.

But seriously, I appreciate the concern and the warning. I have actually witnessed discarded rags soaked in boiled linseed spontaneously combust; so I might want to forgo the aforementioned rum drinks before taking on this project, in other words, I will use due care and caution. Thank you again for keeping a weather eye out for my best interests. 

Edited May 31, 2023 by Picaroon Lagoon

[Stynky Tudor]

17 minutes ago, Picaroon Lagoon said:

But seriously, I appreciate the concern and the warning.

No problem, but let us know well whatever you try works or doesn't.

[Picaroon Lagoon]

44 minutes ago, Stynky Tudor said:

let us know well whatever you try works or doesn't.

Absolutely! 
 

As an aside, I just happened across this video which, although less historical, might be a viable option for (or at least of interest to) others here. 
 

 

[madPete]

Well, there goes my supply of hemp rope!

10 foot lengths with newly made dogbones.

[Stynky Tudor]

14 hours ago, Picaroon Lagoon said:

happened across this video which, although less historical, might be a viable option

Definitely worth the watch! Looks like some experimentation is in order.

[Stynky Tudor]

Speaking of tents, I finally set mine up. After a bit of frustration trying to make organic appearing tent poles from 2x2 square stock, I mostly just turned them to sawdust. I also failed to drill straight enough holes for the receiver pins. I ran to Lowe's for more 2x2 square stock, but found they had round stock poles in again - 1 3/4"x8' poplar dowels. Tired of messing around on this, I drilled and cut the dowels to size and did a test fit. Then sponged them with a vinegar/iron oxide mixture to oxidize the wood and make it look weathered, before applied a coat of linseed oil.

Roughing out/up tent center support and poles.

Applying vinegar/iron oxide to poplar dowels

The tent lives! 10'x10' footprint.

[Stynky Tudor]

3 hours ago, madPete said:

10 foot lengths with newly made dogbones.

What gauge/size is that rope?

[madPete]

According to Hemptraders where I bought it, its 2/5 of an inch. I measure 3/8 inch. You can definitely go smaller, and I may next time.

[Stynky Tudor]

I was thinking that looked big compared to the quarter in I purchased.

[madPete]

20 hours ago, Stynky Tudor said:

The tent lives! 10'x10' footprint.

Hurrah!

[Stynky Tudor]

On 5/30/2023 at 9:42 AM, Picaroon Lagoon said:

I plan on experimenting with this method over the summer.

Well my experiment (1 part beeswax and 2 parts boiled linseed oil) almost ended with real disastrous results this time around and I feel real stupid. I cooked/heated up the mixture on a propane burner (like I have done before), then applied it to what was suppose to be a ground cloth and shelter awning. I let it dry/cure for a few days - inside the shade of the garage. The ground cloth seemed to have a bit more of the beeswax on it, so I wrapped the cloths together in hopes the excess beeswax would rub off/melt into the awning. I set the bundle outside (in the sun) while I did some work in garage - checking on it every 15/20 minutes. After an hour or so of this, I noticed the bundle wasn't warm - it was hot - really hot. I unwrapped the cloths and put them in a tub of water - there was lots of steam with the water almost seeming to boil. After everything had soaked for a good long time, I could see that both cloths had serious scorch marks - parts were stiffened almost like a cardboard - the integrity of the canvas was obvious lost at this point and ruined. 

So I've decided to abandon doing weather proof cloth this way, I think I'm going to go with silicon and mineral spirits - per Picaroon Lagoon's suggestion. 

 

[Picaroon Lagoon]

Thank you for sharing your experiences here. It was quite fortuitous that you caught it when you did, lest it might have been far more catastrophic. 
 

My own experiments with this have been moved to the proverbial ‘back burner’ (pun perhaps partially on purpose), due to other projects taking precedence and/or longer than expected, etc. 

Please do keep us informed as to how the silicone method works, and thanks again for the feedback on your own experiences. 

[madPete]

wow! glad it wasnt disaster.

Many years back i used Thompsons water seal with some success. But during Covid, I tried it again and the fabric would not dry out. it just stayed very oily. I guess they changed the formula.