A Pirate Parade Float In the Making!!!

[TalesOfTheSevenSeas]

I just got word that I'm to be the recipient of our college's old medical skeletons in time for the St. Patrick's Day Parade on March 13th!! The college's new skeletons have arrived and are just awaiting assembly, then I can plunder the collection of old bones!! Woooohoooo!!

Jeff (our decomposing pirate in the crows nest) will have some new friends aboard and at Ojai!!! ...or at least some bits and pieces of friends!!!

This weekend, I'm replacing the old metalic fringe skirting with blue cut-out "wave" skirting, made of large sheets of blue foam insullation, mounted on metal strapping that is bolted to the trailer. I'm hoping to add some colored wooden fish (available on Ebay) before the parade also. I also have to shorten the mast slightly to make the maximum allowable height of 12' in our next two parades

[Cracked Carrie]

I just got word that I'm to be the recipient of our college's old medical skeletons in time for the St. Patrick's Day Parade on March 13th!! The college's new skeletons have arrived and are just awaiting assembly, then I can plunder the collection of old bones!! Woooohoooo!!

Oh man, that's too cool.

I wonder if the "donor" ever would have guessed he (or she) would be participating in a pirate festival in such circumstances?

[TalesOfTheSevenSeas]

LOL no worries, they aren't actual human skeletons, but life-size plastic models that look real. So don't pull the sticker off yer license, ye be safe!

[endkaos]

Don't forget to post pics. We love seeing pirates in action, especially the crew of the Landshark and TalesOfTheSevenSeas.

[TalesOfTheSevenSeas]

Here is the latest update on the Land Shark.

I've been out working on her all day today. The skirting is finished. I like the new "wave panel" skirting style much better, as it hides most of the trailer. Eventually, we'll replace these panels with permanent hard plastic ones.

The mast has now been shortened to under 12' so that she is of legal height requirements. Penny, we beefed up the connections on the yardarm, so no worries, it won't fall on your nose again!

Our medical department changed their minds about giving up their skeletons, so it will just Jeff in the crows nest, ...unless Dead Fred would like to join him for the parade?

Neko has come up with a converter, a stereo system, several speakers and an additional fog machine. So we won't have to play the music over the sound of a generator anymore! We do need to come up with a car battery though. It turns out we can't hook into the truck's system. If any of you who are coming to the parade have a battery out of an old car that could be used, that would be great, otherwise I'll pick one up this week. Eventually we'll invest in a deep cell battery that can be recharged. With the addition of a second fog machine we'll have one for each cannon, so we should be getting considerably more "smoke" coming from the guns during this parade.

Looking forward to a great St. Patrick's Day Parade and we will have photos!!!

[Desert Pyrate]

Marine batteries are great. Huge power, and they can be recharged. We've got several for Search and Rescue radio work. It's amazing to see the rigs that can be powered off a single 12V battery. 35 ft. antennas that reach halfway across the state can be run for 8-12 hours off a single battery that's sitting in the snow. No idea how much they cost, but I can't recommend them enough.

[TalesOfTheSevenSeas]

We just had a new pirate join up who works for West Marine- Maybe she can pick us up one on an employee discount.

[the Royaliste]

500 Yankee frogskins and up for an 8D battery, I'd recommend a spiral cell, marine battery from a manufacturer other than Waste Marine...'Optima', good marine power(nothing like an 8d) but charges like a wet cell...If you are just wantin' to CYA for the parade, borrow one from the 'Royaliste'

[TalesOfTheSevenSeas]

The Land Shark is ready to rock n' roll for the Dublin St Patrick's Day Parade Saturday! Captain Gary brought by Dead Fred, Jeff, the deep cycling battery and another dead head on a post, whose name escapes me.

I came up with a good way to keep Dead Fred's head on... a noose! I'm thinking we'll put him on the bowsprit, with a noose around his neck, but with him "climbing" the bowsprit to save hisself from hanging! Should look good and keep his head on!

Jeff will be keeping watch in his usual post in the crow's nest. The "Black Pearl" (Mazda 4x4 pickup) is washed n' shiney. We load up tonight for an early morning departure Saturday. We'll have about 20+ pirates by all acounts.

Photos will be up ASAP!!

[RyannMacGregor]

another dead head on a post, whose name escapes me. 

I blame the coffee right now.......

but how about Jerry G.?

[TalesOfTheSevenSeas]

LOL no, this is a wooden skull on a post that Gary has named already, but I don't recall it's name!

[the Royaliste]

Wuz 'Bone-apart', but I'm open to suggestions.....

[TalesOfTheSevenSeas]

Ah yes!! Now I remember!! Now to think of a good place for Bone-Apart in the parade. Hmmm... maybe carried by a pirate... Hmmmm

[Lucky Penny Hawkings]

I'd offer to carry him, but if all goes well, I think wee Unded Jack Sparrow will be coming with me on this excursion. He missed the last one on account of body parts fallin' off every mess o' steops.

I've since glued him a bit more properly, and he should be ready to go for tomorrow. If I wasn't arse-deep in other stuff, I'd make 'm a wee green pirate coat to wear.

[the Royaliste]

'Ere be 'Bone-Apart'.............aboard ship

[Iron Bess]

HEY!!!!

I recognize that hat!!!!!!!!!

[TalesOfTheSevenSeas]

Well, the Land Shark's new skirting is nearly finished! Special thanks are due to Iron Jack, for his donation of the plastic panels for the skirting!! These panels were great to work with. They are the stuff that light-up marquee signs are made of and it cuts easily with just an exacto knife. This enabled me to make the wavey tops I needed on them.

I used Krylon spray paint on the panels. It worked great, stuck to the plastic panels beautifully and was dry in minutes!

All that is left to is to put cotton batting along the top as sea foam and give the foam and panels a light coat of spray glitter. I'll have photos of the new skirting shortly, when we sail the Land Shark down the streets of Redwood City the 4th of July parade!

[PYRATE]

Aye!..Good mod's to the 'Shark'!!...trailer work soon, eh??............

[TalesOfTheSevenSeas]

Yes please! After the 4th of July parade, it goes to the Children's Museum at Ft Baker for a few weeks and will be out in front of the museum promoting the exhibit, (the kids get to press the button and make the fog cannons smoke, LOL) but after that would be a great time since it is close by you and we have no parades for quite a while. Maybe we could design a better support sytem for the skirting too.

[the Royaliste]

Yup, probably best welding a few tabs here and there for your mounting screws to fasten to...I'll try an' remember to let Raul know, and keep a weather eye open for material for some beefin' up the suspension... :)

[TalesOfTheSevenSeas]

That all sounds great. All that I bolt to know is metal plumber's tape striping that is bolted to the trailer. It's the shape of the panels that kinda make it all work.

Iron Jack- Great call on using "Great Stuff" foam insulation as sea foam on the top of the skirting. It's out drying in the back yard now- Looks great!!

[Black Hearted Pearl]

pictures pictures.