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Keelhauling?


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My husband, Reginald "red rum" McCrumb, and I have had a long standing discussion as to exactly how a keelhauling is performed? (We want to do a pirate film, and want to accurately depict one.. ew)

I understand basically the victim is tied and dragged along the keel of the ship (great method of debarnacling your hull?) but is it done across the back, the stomach? headfirst, or along your side? Or is it the madman committing the act's decision? Curious...

"You have a woman's skin, m'lord! I'll wager that hides never been rubbed with salt and flayed off to make stockin's for a pirates best cabin boy!"

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Aye Lass,

My knowledge of Keelhaulin' is;

A line is run from the end o' one yardarm under th' waist o' th' ship an' up ta th' opposin' yardarm... Yer maggot whom is ta be given said punishment is tyed by th' wrists n' ankles, then "hauled" from side ta side... Or starboard ta larboard an' back a certain number o' times...

Dependin' on how many trips an' th' size o' th' ship, th' survival rate is low..... kinda like a severe floggin'.....

Ah, heer it be in a dictionary;

Keelhauling - naval discipline; all seas; 17th century

A punishment in which the victim was hauled over or along the keel, the lowest lengthwise timber of a wooden ship. A rope was passed under the bottom of a ship from side to side or, in a small vessel, from the front to the back. The man was secured to it, suddenly dropped into the water, and dragged along to the other side, where the process might be repeated. Keelhauling was particularly painful probably lethal when the ship's hull was fouled with barnacles and other sharp growths that lacerated the skin.

Some ancient greek pictures may show pirates being killed in this way. Seventeenth century dutch and english naval captains sometimesimposed keelhauling, which was replaced after 1700 by Flogging with the Cat-o-nine-tails. There is no record of its use on board merchant ships or by pirates. However, the word is used as a threat or curse in pirate fiction and movies.

Lovely, ain't it?

B)

Truly,

D. Lasseter

Captain, The Lucy

Propria Virtute Audax --- In Hoc Signo Vinces

LasseterSignatureNew.gif

Ni Feidir An Dubh A Chur Ina Bhan Air

"If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me." Deuteronomy 32:41

Envy and its evil twin - It crept in bed with slander - Idiots they gave advice - But Sloth it gave no answer - Anger kills the human soul - With butter tales of Lust - While Pavlov's Dogs keep chewin' - On the legs they never trust... The Seven Deadly Sins

http://www.colonialnavy.org

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Here is a link to an article which describes keelhauling, but below is a brief summary of keelhauling:

Pyrates Life

The person who was found guilty has their clothing removed. A rope is passed beneath the ship from the port side to the starboard. The man's hands are bound to the rope, and sometimes his legs are bound also, so that he could not swim. But you didn't want to add any weight to him, because the idea was to scrape against the bottom of the ship, which was covered with rough, nasty barnacles that would tear up the man's skin.

The guilty party would be stripped of clothing anda rope would be passed under the ship from port to starboard. The man's hands would then be secured to the rope . Often his legs would also be bound together to prevent him from swimming. He was never weighted down in any way to increase the chance of him hitting the bottom of the ship. He would then be tossed overboard and a selected group of men would then attempt to the pull the man out of the water, by passing him under the boat and out the other side.

If the man was pulled too slowly, he drowned and the shock of the icy water and the ship's wake (this was done while the ship is in motion, not stationary) would overwhelm even the strongest swimmers. If the man was pulled too quickly, he was ripped up on the barnacles.

-Claire "Poison Quill" Warren

Pyrate Mum of Tales of the Seven Seas

www.talesofthesevenseas.com

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Oh, thank you, Captain... you can just ROCK me to sleep tonight...!

Aye Lass,

Yer quite welcome....

Truly,

D. Lasseter

Captain, The Lucy

Propria Virtute Audax --- In Hoc Signo Vinces

LasseterSignatureNew.gif

Ni Feidir An Dubh A Chur Ina Bhan Air

"If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me." Deuteronomy 32:41

Envy and its evil twin - It crept in bed with slander - Idiots they gave advice - But Sloth it gave no answer - Anger kills the human soul - With butter tales of Lust - While Pavlov's Dogs keep chewin' - On the legs they never trust... The Seven Deadly Sins

http://www.colonialnavy.org

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:lol: Well, we don't wanna wreck anything useful! On a serious note, since we can't really get away with plunderin' and pillagin', and most of the ravaged return for a second helping, we keep our punishment's a bit less bloody. Most severe that we now have is a small, oak bos'n'schair that we hang from the yardarm, put the scurvy dog or dog-ess in, adjust toppin' lifts so's they helplessly flail in and out ouf cold bay water as the ship's under sail on the windward.RRRRR :blink::lol::lol:
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Aye Royaliste,

Yer punishment sounds more like doin' a Lad or Lass a a favor, sounds like how ta take a bath whilst under way... I suppose it could be a good or bad punishment... Dependin' on the punishee....

A Lass inna thin chemise... Methinks whilst this punishment would be underway, the crew would be lax in their duties....

But Idigressssss..... :blink:

Truly,

D. Lasseter

Captain, The Lucy

Propria Virtute Audax --- In Hoc Signo Vinces

LasseterSignatureNew.gif

Ni Feidir An Dubh A Chur Ina Bhan Air

"If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me." Deuteronomy 32:41

Envy and its evil twin - It crept in bed with slander - Idiots they gave advice - But Sloth it gave no answer - Anger kills the human soul - With butter tales of Lust - While Pavlov's Dogs keep chewin' - On the legs they never trust... The Seven Deadly Sins

http://www.colonialnavy.org

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Wot yer be sayin' there cap'n? Ye gots gurly men on yer ship wots like ta wear wimmins get ups? :ph34r:

There are thems blokes who likes the lacy cuffs n' collars... bloody poofders....

Gimme wool'n linnen'n mahaps some cotton ta wear! Now th' lasses wot wears the silks n' lace n' velvet... Aye n' some perfume...

Tha's 'ow it should be... bet me wooden leg on 'at!

A. Lasseter

Wot's ya mean I's gotta check me Pistols n' Cutlass at th' door?!?

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Oh REALLY, Now???? I can think of a few women on this site alone that would challenge you over that!! I prefer leather to lace on deck, don't ya think? Lace catches something horrible on yer flintlock! And sea water is hell on velvet! Arrrrr!!!

<_<

"You have a woman's skin, m'lord! I'll wager that hides never been rubbed with salt and flayed off to make stockin's for a pirates best cabin boy!"

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I don't understand the mechanics of how they got the rope from larboard to starboard under the vessel; or how they could pull a bloke from one side of the vessel to the other, while they're topside and he's venturin' into Davy Jones' locker. (?)

<_<

Capt. William

"The fight's not over while there's a shot in the locker!"

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Me thinks ye'd take said keelhaul rope to either th' bow or stern, drop it inna water an' take th' loose ends towards th' waist o' th' ship.....

<_<:lol::lol::lol::lol:

Truly,

D. Lasseter

Captain, The Lucy

Propria Virtute Audax --- In Hoc Signo Vinces

LasseterSignatureNew.gif

Ni Feidir An Dubh A Chur Ina Bhan Air

"If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me." Deuteronomy 32:41

Envy and its evil twin - It crept in bed with slander - Idiots they gave advice - But Sloth it gave no answer - Anger kills the human soul - With butter tales of Lust - While Pavlov's Dogs keep chewin' - On the legs they never trust... The Seven Deadly Sins

http://www.colonialnavy.org

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Oh REALLY, Now???? I can think of a few women on this site alone that would challenge you over that!! I prefer leather to lace on deck, don't ya think? Lace catches something horrible on yer flintlock! And sea water is hell on velvet! Arrrrr!!!

<_<

Oh Cracky,

'ow 'bout some leather and lace? Or lace made 'o leather?

Hmmm.... Quite th' strict one ye be.... Do ye be in charge o' discipline? :lol:

Do I's get a lash 'r two? please? Meebe nail me only foot ta th' deck?

Wot's I gots ta do ta gets some proper foreplay?!?!

(ok.... gest kiddin'..... I think.....)

A. Lasseter

Wot's ya mean I's gotta check me Pistols n' Cutlass at th' door?!?

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I have this flogger we call the "wet noodle", it's red and black, good proper pirating colors... I gots no discipline, why should anybody else? Heheheh... Have a pint on me, drink up.. and don't mind the penny in the bottom of yer tankard....

:lol:<_<

"You have a woman's skin, m'lord! I'll wager that hides never been rubbed with salt and flayed off to make stockin's for a pirates best cabin boy!"

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Hmmm.... Quite th' strict one ye be.... Do ye be in charge o' discipline? <_<

Do I's get a lash 'r two? please? Meebe nail me only foot ta th' deck?

Wot's I gots ta do ta gets some proper foreplay?!?!

(ok.... gest kiddin'..... I think.....)

Angus,

be careful wot ya wish fer.I be protectin McCrumb's back and a lash or two is all you could take from my nautical weight leather cat o nine and then I'll let her decide ifn its foreplay or not.

:)

Capt Weaver

"No man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into a jail; for being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned. A man in jail has more room, better food, and commonly better company. "

Dr. Samuel Johnson

Capt Weaver's Pirate Perversions

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Ye kin play with me starboard cannon barrel all ye want, 'fore I put the linstock to the touchole!!

awwww...the beautiful poetry of nautical lovemaking.

it brings a tear to me eye.

(ok Stynky-you forgot to make a crying pirate-pirates have feelings too)

:ph34r:

Capt Weaver

"No man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into a jail; for being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned. A man in jail has more room, better food, and commonly better company. "

Dr. Samuel Johnson

Capt Weaver's Pirate Perversions

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AArrrrgh!!!!

I's prefer th' women o'er th' cannon barrel.... Hmm... better yet I's prefer th' woman ON th' cannon barrel!!!! :ph34r:

I's do likes a lively one!

On'y think I's can take a single lash 'r two even? Me weather beaten hide can 'andle more 'n 'at!!! :)

Sounds as if we's gots more'n one live round onna board here!!!

A. Lasseter

Wot's ya mean I's gotta check me Pistols n' Cutlass at th' door?!?

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