PiP 2006: What Would You Like To See?

[William Brand]

And if there are any that have questions ask... don't sit there and hem and haw about it, this is not a chat on what is for dinner.

Open discussion, not hemming and hawing. And the discussion is still open due to two principle points. One, Hawkyns has said himself that he may not be attending PIP. And two, the fort may have already appointed a primary powder and safety officer. Not that the fort couldn't use another.

If he attends, he certainly has my vote. Most of us are well aware of his qualifications and attention to details on all matters of powder and guns.

[William Brand]

William- a question--does the fort have any barrack space available? When I go to Ft Mifflin, or Ft Fred, I am frequently able to set up in one of the sejeant's rooms, since I have the military kit. Is that any kind of an option in KW?

Thanks!!

Hawkyns

Yes, most definately.

I'm told the quarters are haunted, but I know of at least two people who stayed in them last year. I am sure they would welcome you to stay there with full kit. I believe they have wooden cots and benches. The rooms are quite spacious.

[Captain Jim]

Right. Hawkyns, the powder and the ghosts can have a bang-up good time.

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

I will be sending stakes, and a donation to the fort to secure some extra poles as well. Still working on the cook-ware. Summer classes started and I'm covered up in my studies. Four years down the road, I'll be teaching history in the schools though, so it's worth the time.

I won't be able to attend though, as I have three events in a row at the same time of year, plus I will be a full time student as well. Not enough time or money to do it all. William, PM me for details on some other goods I want to send please.

Take care all..... Bo

[Patrick Hand]

OK.... this is a wierd idea ... or maybe not... and maybe more for wot the Fort sets up.....

I was looking at some pictures from last year.... taken looking towards where the pub was.....under the archway... all the brick and gun emplacements....

Anyway..... might be cool, if they set up a few "semi-period boothes" back in some of the gun emplacements..... so when you walk down the side of the fort.....under it........ there are some merchants....

Yah.... I know... that's what the people at the Fort set-up.... but I think it might be cool to have it where when you walk under the walls of the fort, there were some small boothes set up there.......

Drat.... a photoshop immage might explaine it better.......

[William Brand]

I should like to see a really good night raid. We need a moat crossing and a midnight skirmish.

Too bad we can't climb the fort walls.

[Pew]

I'd like to see myself standing next to the crew of the Watch Dog.

[William Brand]

seconded.

[Silkie McDonough]

I think there will be little objection to that but will the entire crew be there or do we just photoshop them in after the fact? Hmmm ....an oooooold etching of the crew ....I like it ...easy enough to do ...hmmmm, thanks Mr. Pew. That is assuming that I am actually a crew member by November!

[sirhenrymorgan]

Actually, scaling the walls was part of the 2004 Festival plan. It's just none of the pirates wanted to do it.

Before you get too carried away with gun safety officer issues I'd check with Cascabel. He has been in charge of this since the festival began oh so many years ago in Marathon. Don't want to step on toes of people who've kept this thing going all these years.

-- Sir Henry

[William Brand]

Actually, scaling the walls was part of the 2004 Festival plan. It's just none of the pirates wanted to do it.

Before you get too carried away with gun safety officer issues I'd check with Cascabel. He has been in charge of this since the festival began oh so many years ago in Marathon. Don't want to step on toes of people who've kept this thing going all these years.

-- Sir Henry

Thanks for the update, Sir Henry. Would you mind a reduntant safety officer for our encampment?

[sirhenrymorgan]

I don't think you can have too much redundancy in safety. I just want to make sure that no one gets left out of the loop who knows far more than many of us about the rules of weapons at the festival as well as state laws about powder and such. Cascabel is the real "go to guy" here on those subjects.

-- SH

[sirhenrymorgan]

I want to take a second to applaud all of you who want to make this festival bigger and better. I think the encampment portion will be amazing this year and it's great to see you all taking such an active role. It takes a lot of hard work to do these events and the more enthusiasm the better. Keep it up and I can't wait to meet many of you in person for the first time....

It's going to be a great event!!!!

-- Sir Henry

[Jib]

Cascabel is a great guy. Very approachable and friendly. He answered many of my questions and gave me the guidance I required. You can find him on this list serve. His buddy "Braze" is also very active in the PiP arena.

I think I may have teased Braze a little bit too much at PiP 2005. I hope he'll forgive me if I buy him a malt.

[Cascabel]

Thanks for the kind words, Shipmates. I was not in charge of the black powder issues this past year, as they kept me pretty busy aboard the 'Wolf'. I am always available to help in this regard, and as always, answers are free, and there is no such thing as a "stupid question" when it comes to guns and safety.

>>>>> Cascabel

[hurricane]

Ahoy there!

Looks like everyone has a good handle on this year's activities. I think we're going have a pretty good turn out this year. I think seven or eight of my crewe are planning to head down for this year's event.

-- Hurricane

[Kidd Dread]

hello mateys! i am hoping to make this years PIP... and yes, i have many questions. i've attended many a ren-faire as a spectator. this year i hope to be in full pyrate force. i dont even know where to get started. i am now putting my garb together, with weapons etc (cutlass, flintlocks that dont fire, a dagger, a stick). my character has a strong story line, i've written the story. i am a lone pyrate, so chances are i will travel alone to the keys. i will be looking into hotels, if i dont do the camp (i need guidence on this one as well and yes i've gone camping before).

so, any suggestions up front? i am very excited about all this... and yes, its my cutlass, i am not that happy to see you, arhhh!

[William Brand]

hello mateys! i am hoping to make this years PIP... and yes, i have many questions. i've attended many a ren-faire as a spectator. this year i hope to be in full pyrate force. i dont even know where to get started. i am now putting my garb together, with weapons etc (cutlass, flintlocks that dont fire, a dagger, a stick). my character has a strong story line, i've written the story. i am a lone pyrate, so chances are i will travel alone to the keys. i will be looking into hotels, if i dont do the camp (i need guidence on this one as well and yes i've gone camping before).

so, any suggestions up front? i am very excited about all this... and yes, its my cutlass, i am not that happy to see you, arhhh! 

You will need a period tent.

I highly recommend a wedge tent or the QUEENS BLUFF tent from Red Hawk Trading Company.

http://redhawk-trading.com/

SEE ALSO: https://pyracy.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7278

[Captain Jim]

This little missive is an update of an earlier note suggesting and detailing an organizational “ladder.” Things have developed as things often will, and redefinition and clarification is in order.

Firstly, I got a little “Disney” on the titles. So let’s change them to more period titles and designations where we can make them fit. Refer here to see the original post.

I believe that the “Point” and “Camp” titles have been effectively combined as well as admirably and graciously taken on by William Red Wake, and now should be renamed “Quartermaster” and that title conferred on William. To all opposed, I have this plank here that I would like you to inspect. Out there at the end… A little farther…

“Cannon Demo Pyrate” and “Black Powder Demo Pyrate” are still open, and should be combined and renamed “Master Gunner.” I envision that these demonstrations would require more that one person to run, and volunteers should report to the Master Gunner in a separate thread. Inert cannon drills with patron participation (training powder monkeys?) Blank pistol and/or musket demonstrations on the half-hour? Hourly? Inside the fort? (Firing unwadded or florist’s foam wadded blanks into an isolated and sufficiently cordoned-off corner of the fort would be safe as well as loud [read: attention-getting].) Of course outside the fort or up on the wall would work also, as a preliminary firing of guns would draw the patrons to the demonstrations. Outside or on the wall could also include cannon blanks as well.

“Song Pyrate” should be renamed simply “Musician,” and the job is still open. I think that I will take this one. After all, it may involve real Pyracy. To that end, I will shortly be opening a new thread for song suggestions, at least most of which should be of the period or in the spirit of Pyracy. A CD will follow so that the arrangements we all sing will be the same.

A new one, and one that Hawkyns may have tentatively agreed to, barring any superseding action by the Fort, is that of “Safety Officer.” Mind you that it is the duty of all of us to police ourselves and to report any dangerous activity involving BP or any other weapon to the appropriate person. Would that person be our own Safely Officer first and then Fort Security/Key West Police if the offender did not respond suitably? We also need a list of safety guidelines for campers and those possessing BP weapons. In this way we could all start on the same page, agree in advance to basic conduct and not assume that all of us know how to handle weapons appropriately in public.

What say ye all?

[Captain Jim]

On a separate yet related note, last year no one seemed to know that we Pyrates were at the Fort. We need to fix that. To that end and in coordination with the organizers at Fort Taylor, we need nightly excursions into town to terror…ah, I mean alert the citizens to our presence. And this would need to start the day before the event begins, if not the week before. Flyers to hand out? Business card sized reminders to hand out? (I don’t really like handouts as they inevitably get thrown about town and end up as street trash.) Strolling, singing pyrates downtown? An organized Pub Crawl to benefit some charity? (Me, for instance?) Any ideas out there? What are the organizers doing this year to prepare the ground? William? Any news or ideas?

[callenish gunner]

jim m' lad i totally agree with what you have outlined ...it sounds a fair mission and i think that perhaps i will pm you some shanty links that might be of interest

also i would be willing to produce 400-500+ paper cartridges that could be pre-loaded with measured loads and marked for either musket/blunderbuss or pistols and since my intent is to be there as a vendor selling period weapons i'm not sure how much of the others duties i could provide ...but i'm more than willing to offer as much assistance as possible

[Animal]

You might want to get ahold of the Julie. She is the go to person concerning anything to do with the event. The people at the fort deal with just that-the fort. I know there is a link here somewhere to PIP and contacting Julie. I'm very sure she would accept any halp offered. We will not be down for the full PIP this year but the 2007 we are planning to be there for the whole shebang. We are planning on camping at the fort. If we can get down for a weekend this year, we might camp also. Don't know fer sure.

Animal

[Diosa De Cancion]

Actually, Julie is just doing mostly literary things this time around... the people you need to get ahold of are Friends of the Fort. They're in charge of the charges as it may be :)

[Patrick Hand]

I think the idea of voting for William as the Quartermaster, was that he could be the leaison between the Pyrates from the Pub going to PiP, and the Fort.....Heck... he did such a great job of it last year..........

That way we can discuss what we want to do (in the Pub) we can post and talk about our ideas.... if something is realy cool, ... William can contact the Fort and see if it is do-able........ that way the people at the Fort arn't buried with some of our ideas.....

This is not a Demoracy... the Fort will have final say..... but I think that the people working at the Fort want PiP to be sucessfull, and we also want it to be.... we are working together on this project......it's just that a lot of us are spread all over the country.......so we talk in the Pub......

For example.... the Pub Pyrates vote Hawkyns and Cassabel as our weapons dudes..... they check that the Pub Pyrates are safe.... our weapons dudes talk with the Forts weapons dudes.... heck... makes everyones jobs easier...... and most importantly keeps everything SAFE......

The wet chemese contest that I'd like to see at noon probably won't go over tho........

[Captain Jim]

No, we'll definately have to schedule that after hours, else the wenches will be after a codpiece contest.