New Orleans pirates 'heads up'!!

[the Royaliste]

On a web search from one 'o me non-profit mates, it has come to my attention that there be no 'real' pirate ship in New Orleans, other than a not really a sailing ship something or other attached to a theme park..Izzit so??..Clue me in, is the attraction vessel brething room anywheres, or wot???..A privateer be on the prowl, eh?

[the Royaliste]

Hmm, just realised that I wrongly posted this here instead of under 'Ports of Call'..Would one 'o ye admin types please move it??...Arrrgh to ye!...

[Iron Jack]

Ahoy Cap't,

I'd love for someone to correct me if I'm wrong here, but, . . .

I was just in New Orleans last May (me family be from there) and there was precious little to do with pirates at all down there, even though N.O. was originally the home of Jean Lafitte and his crew of scalawags. Only references that R H Jill and I found to pirates or privateers were:

Jean Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop, Bourbon St. in the French Quarter; a small bar popular with the ghost tour groups (THE big industry in the French Quarter), and of some historical interest as a building type, but with no real documentation even connecting it with Jean Lafitte.

A small "museum" in the town of Jean Lafitte/Barataria and dealing with Jean Lafitte and Cajun culture. This mainly consisted of several showcases with a puppet show/diorama in each one, a couple of old piroques, and, . . . that was about it! Pretty hokey! Here be the link to the "museum:"

http://www.geocities.com/worldwidese/jeanl...tteexhibit.html

As for vessels: there was the Natchez and several other tourist riverboats near the French Quarter's waterfront and I did glimpse a two masted (schooner?) vessel of some type down in Jean Lafitte but couldn't get close, as it appeared to be at someone's private dock and I was driving and on the other side of the bayou at the time. Otherwise, just a lot of the normal fishing boat and barge types that you see scads of in the area. Don't know about the one at the theme park.

New Orleans and the area to the south of the crescent is very rich in both piratical and Creole/Cajun history (I am of part Cajun ancestry meself) and it seems a shame that there is hardly anything referencing it other than some books, road signs, and a few restaurants. Such a shame!

Seems ripe fer a willing privateer, sez I! I would start by asking some questions around the Jean Lafitte/Barataria areas. Maybe Chambers of Commerce, etc.

A good link for info. on Jean Lafitte and the french creoles can be found at:

http://www.frenchcreoles.com/CreoleCulture...jeanlafitte.htm

P.S. I DO, however, heartily recommend "Cane" or "New Orleans" brand rum (America's only indigenous label) if you can get yer hands on some. It be fine indeed!

[capnwilliam]

New Orleans is indeed NOTa big town for pirates, since the town itself was founded in 1718, on the cusp of the end of the Golden Age. Jean LaFitte himself flourished a century later.

People argue interminably as to whether the Jean LaFitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar was ever really a blacksmith shop, or had any real connection with the LaFittes. Supposedly, documentation exists showing that Pierre LaFitte was given a license to operate a butcher shop on Bourbon Street; but I'm not sure whether it was the same building. Remember that street numbers can change over the years; New Orleans streets have in fact been renumbered, maybe a hundred years ago.

There's a "pirate's schooner" that plies Lake Pontchartrain; has a cute little cannon aboard. Fun; hokey, but fun.

I'm a New Orleans pirate! Leastways, I'm part of the Baratarian cannon crew at the Battle of New Orleans reenactment. So is my wife Jan. We throw a pirate's party every year in conjunction with Mardi Gras, and walk Bourbon Street as pirates every year on Mardi Gras Day. (That's where my avatar photo came from).

Bourbon Street, by the way, was named after the French dynasty, not the American drink.

Capt. William

[the Royaliste]

Thanks Capt.!...Kinda researchin' areas for new 'homeports' with possibly more colonial history and less maritime cold winter winds.....This seemed 'logical' as a potential due to the French and War of 1812 connections to the Royaliste....Besides, she's already refought the Battle of Louisburg, might as well due the other end of the War! ..Guess I'll keep up the research......hard to think of brown water over 'blue', but..there's always the Carribean for the rest 'o the season..