Pyrate Camp 2007

[Patrick Hand]

OK, I know it's kind of early, But this gives us plenty of time got get everything together to make the 2007 Pyrate Camp even better.

This year at P.i.P. we talked about the basic concept of Pyrate Camp being that we are careening our Ship, and we are using what would be available for Pyrates to use. So canvas tarps and sails used as shelter works. Tents also work, but if someone doesn't have or can't afford a tent, a large chunk of canvas (pre-washed in Hot water so it shrinks and won't leak if it rains), some rope, poles and tent steaks, can have a shelter... More on shelter in a latter post...

I want to see if we can "borrow" some barrels, and also figure out what stuff we need, and can get to use as "set-dressing" to make the camp have that "lived-in look".

Other ideas in future post...

OH Yah... and I nominate William fer Quartermaster again this year...

:angry:

[Harry]

This is a great idea! It allows for excellent historical interpretation for the visitors!

I may have a barrel or two to add.

Also, I do have a good collection of iron cookware that can be made available.

Harry

Fort Taylor.org

[Jack Roberts]

Yep, I can't wait for next year. We'll probably do the canvas and oar thing. I liked that idea. I plan on just buying a whole bunch of it and sewing it together.

So I saw there wasn't a camp fire this year. Aside from it being blazingly hot was there any other reason for not having one? It would be a great smell to have in the fort.

Oh, oh, my mom makes a great stew for putting over fire. She uses it for when she does interpertation out at Westville.

Westville Homepage

Her and my dad are planning on coming next year.

[Harry]

Ran out of time and personnel to put together the fire circle. It's on the notes to include for the coming year!

Harry

Fort Taylor.org

[Captain Jim]

Aye, William for quartermaster!

As for the fire pit in camp, we basically got lazy. And it was too hot. And it keeps the drunken sailors out of your front yard at 3 AM. A fire pit removed from the camp would be ideal, somewhere near the flagpole.

And for those of you who think "makeshift tent...how primitive" ...having done it it is way cool and far easier than you think. A tent is, after all, just canvas you sleep under. If it keeps yer kit dry, it works. I will be messing about this summer with some other ideas/designs to present as alternatives or larger shelters. Pictures will come as I innovate. Send ideas and I'll try them out to see if it works. One dificulty is that there are no trees inside the fort.

I also plan to use wooden tackle gear to tension my front guy rope, just for fun.

[Silkie McDonough]

Harry, we saw some lovely coils of large rope in your storage vault. They would look quite nice in the camp. The problem would be putting them away. If it rained they would need to dry them before storage.

Perhaps some "working" pirates at the camp? A reason to deliver some shanties. Folding/repairing sails. Moving equipment. Most of the work would be done by the ship but since we don't have a ship we could do some of the needed repairs at the camp.

[Patrick Hand]

Perhaps some "working" pirates at the camp?

That also gives us a great "tie-in" for the educational aspect...hand-on kinda thing..... sewing some patches in some old canvas, or doing some rope work.... someone stops by and "bingo" instant (fun) History lesson...... and for the kids.... "aaargh... ken ye tie a reef knot over thar fer me ?" then we can teach them how to tie knots...... or how tackle works... I saw a cool "tug of war" with some tackle and three boys vs. one girl..... bet they all remember that for a long time.....

"makeshift tent...how primitive"

It's not the tent that keeps you dry anyway... its the waterproof groundcloth.... My sail was pre-shrunk, and didn't leek... but even if it did...I had folded my 50-50 linseed/terpentine ground cloth over everything... I brought my "Pyrate Journal" with me... it's not the rain that I had to worry about.... but the Humidity.....

Another "fun" thought..... not exactly Pyrate Camp, just a bit of sillyness.... but Street signs... Queen St. and then "At the end of Queen St. ...." what was the name of the tavern? Tizzies? ... tie the streets names into it.... And we could have addresses for all of the merchants.....

[William Brand]

Thank you for the vote of confidence yet again. I shall endeavor to do what I may to get as many new recruits as possible and to assist them in assembling gear appropriate to the time period set down between 1675 and 1725.

[Captain Jim]

William, thanks.

Josiah Tisdale is the character that Cascabel plays in the Read-Bonney trial. He is the owner of Tizzy's Tavern, at the south end of Queen Street. I think it was Patrick who came up with the idea of naming the tavern for that character. I spoke to Harry about that and I think that he liked the idea.

Ground cloth: absolutely essential. While my tent was turning green my bedroll, made of the same material, stayed crisp and dry in spite of housing a smelly ol' pyrate.

As for dates on the Pyrate Camp, we at the camp discussed using a specific year late in the Age, say 1715. Of course the trial didn't happen until 1720. Anyway, using a late date ensures that everyone’s kit will fit and not be excluded because of the cut-off date. Further that allows us to speak as if we were in that time and not just somewhere in that time. So if I was speaking to a patron about a certain event, the death of Morgan for example I could say, in 1720 character, that “…he died 32 years ago” instead of “…in 1688.” It kind of gives a perspective as to how short the GAoP really was.

Speaking of signage, a sign or banner at the entrance (written on sailcloth, naturally) outlining the basic premise might also be an idea, something along the lines of “Welcome to the year 1720. Short historical timeline... Here is what is going on today…” That way the patrons are set up for what they will see.

As for using the cordage that is at the fort (beautiful, massive four-inch stuff), we would need groundcloths for top and bottom to protect it. I imagine that is something that would have had to have been done in real-time as well and for the same reasons. Another thought, using linseed oilcloth to cover our stuff (coolers, suitcases etc.) outside and between the tents along with the cordage and barrels. Solves a storage problem and adds to the bulk of our props. And don't try telling me y'all didn't appreciate the cooler I brought.

[hurricane]

Harry's broader date range works far better for those who wish to participate. Not everyone does the Golden Age first off -- I will be there as Sir Henry Morgan and I'll hardly be dead. And I plan to present the history of Port Royal during its prime (pre-earthquake) instead of its lackuster GAoP era.

The latitude in dates allows for a wide range of interpretations within the bigger theme. I think that's a good idea, Harry. I would hate to see this become more exclusionary rather than inclusive.

The idea I believe is to expand the reenactment potential rather than limit it. And it the selected dates encompass the end of the buccaneer era as well as the GAoP, plus the tryal, which is a good draw.

-- Hurricane

[Silkie McDonough]

Hurricane,

Will you and your people be camping at the encampment?

[Patrick Hand]

For Pyrate Camp, I like the idea of a specfic date also (1715 or 1720) it gives us more to work with... For Pyrates in Paridice, having a wider time frame allows for a wider range of historical interest.... It would be cool if there were enough Pyrates to be able to do two camps, one 1715 (or 1720) and the other Buccaneer. But I don't think there are enough of us to do that yet.

I have the clothing and gear to do a 1670ish Buccaneer. But for PiP, I wear my later GAoP stuff, so we have a kinda historical unity in Pyrate Camp. If there were enough Pyrates for two camps, I'd probably go with my Buccaneer stuff because it is a very obscure time period, and almost no one knows anything about it... last year walking to Deval st. someone asked if I was dressed as Robin Hood!

By having a specific date, 1715 or even pushing it later to 1720 (when the Trial for Bonney and Mary Read takes place) we know what would be period to use. And we know the history ond information a pyrate at the time would know so we could interact with the public. Someone with 1715 garb and gear would fit in a 1720's camp, so they don't have to make all new clothing. It just gives us a time to use as a reference.

My garb and gear is based on 1715, but If we choose to portray 1720 so it ties in with the trial, everything that I have would still be historicaly correct.

I'd vote for 1720, because the trial for Anne Bonney and Mary Read has already been established as a part of PiP.

[hurricane]

We plan to have a large contingent but not if it's a specific period. We don't represent a specific year and we bridge between the two periods. So some of our crewe won't camp with a finite date. There are much largers stories to share and history to tell than a small snapshot of a single year.

For example. I am a bit Port Royal centric, as most of you know. In 1720, Port Royal was nothing - a mere shadow of its former self. The far more interesting story is its role in commerce, trade and expansionism up to the point of the earthquake (1692). When we were doing our mini-museum presentation in our space, people were awestruck to learn what kind of town it was - that it rivaled Boston. And that 2,000 people died within a two minute period by three earthquakes, the intensity of which the modern world has never experienced. Our goal in the mini-museum project is to separate the fact from fiction - that the movies portray Port Royal in GAoP as a bustling seaport town as it was in the buccaneer age. It wasn't. Our interpretation covers what it was like to live in the town, the bars there, the people, the merchants, the buildings... none of which existed after the quake.... Tizzy's couldn't even be on Queen Street - it was sunk in the quake, leaving High as the main street there.

My point isn't to dwell on Port Royal. But picking a specific year limits portrayals of other key figures in history - Captain Kidd can't be represented by anyone - or Morgan or Blackbeard.

If Harry's main interest is to grow the event, limiting the year (and hence the interpretation) limits crowd interest more than a wider time when there can be greater latitude for education and such. It may be more fun for the geek pirates (don't take that wrong, but some of us are more interested in doing an inwardly turned pirate appearance) than for those that are there to educate and entertain the public. That, in its final analysis, is why this event is held - it's not a private pirate event, it's a public event, meant to raise funds for the fort.

The wider time period I think, fits the fort's education goals more closely. And I don't really think we need to second guess Harry's decision regarding the time period -- it will bring more crowds and more re-enactors to bring the thing to life.

If specific people want to represent specific years, so much the better. As I said, I will be doing Sir Henry Morgan in his prime - but I don't think it's wise to force everyone to adhere to a specific year, outside of Harry's broader dates which work so nicely.

-- Hurricane

[kass]

Why not have a kind of mini-timeline? Then you can represent BOTH specific years and the breadth of the Golden Age of Piracy.

I'm sure the public would love to hear about all the differences in this short time period.

[Patrick Hand]

I want to define what I mean when I’m talking about “Pyrate Camp”.

The Pyrate Camp is the back corner inside of the Fort, where we can set-up a period camp for the public to “view” 1715 or 1720 Pyrate Life.

It is NOT the rest of the Fort. The rest of the Fort would have the 1675 to 1720 time setting.

So… Pyrates in Paradise, is anything Pyrate…

The Fort is 1675 to 1720

And Pyrate Camp is specifically 1715 or 1720.

If there is enough interest, Pyrate Camp could be further divided into Pyrate Camp (1715 or 1720) and a Buccaneer Camp (1675ish)

The idea is not to exclude anyone or cause any animosity; it is an attempt at setting some historical unity in one corner of the Fort.

[hurricane]

My apologies. I didn't know there was anything over there except people camping. I visited Bawdie Be's place -always a trip and saw the tents in the corner but figured it was just a place where pirates hung their hats at night. So I didn't bother heading into that area, wishing to respect the privacy of sleeping pirates.

Our crewe will be on the other side more than likely, near where we're selling. So we'll particpate in the wider interpretation (1675-1725) - so we don't interfere with what you're doing over in the corner. I do think some signage needs to direct people over there since no one I had met with knew that was a place they could visit.

-- Hurricane

[Silkie McDonough]

Unfortunately, you are right, there wasn't much there this year. Notice the title of this thread is "Pyrate Camp 2007". We are hoping to make improvements and additions. Yes, we could just be there and not tend to the public but those of us who camped there this year and others we have spoken to (including Harry) want to be more informative, share what we know, perhaps spark an interest in others.

[Silkie McDonough]

As for the fire pit in camp, we basically got lazy. And it was too hot. ...

And the moon was bright.

[Captain Jim]

Yes and the moon was very full.

As for the pyrate camp, it really has to be date specific or it will be like having Elvis, U-2 and Mozart hanging out together in a recording studio. Cool, but not possible. Having specific characters is always problematic as the rest of the group has to play to them, their story and their timeline. Having a bunch of no-name pyrates demonstrating the day-to-day life of pyrates in the late Age allows us to tell the story of all of the pyrates, Morgan, Kidd and Roberts alike. If you, Hurricane, want to do an interpretive Morgan we will be more that glad to send patrons who show an interest in Morgan over to you. But if you show up in camp you would kind of have to be a ghost which is, after all, just another way to interpret a character.

If we play an early period, say Port Royal in its prime, we cannot in character speak of any later pyrates. So picking a later time is inclusive, not exclusive as far as conveying history is concerned.

[hurricane]

As I said, that works for our crewe. We will simply camp over on the other side, near where the British were and where our booth is. Our crewe plays fast and loose on the dates and that works for us, as much as a single date works for your camp. I think that's cool. I simply didn't understand that everyone was talking about just the tents on the far end, rather than the dates for the entire festival.

In contrast, even with Harry's time period, if Morgan had been still alive he would have considered all of you to be pirates and summon the militia to have you arrested and strung up in the morn. So be glad he'd be a ghost to you... he never had a taste for pirates. :)

As for the time warp issue, Morgan is sleeping with Mary Read at the festival... Egads!

(And yes, just having fun - my wife Diosa plays Mary in the tryal - I liked her better in the jail though).

I'm looking forward to the representation you're putting together - I think it will be fabulous and of great interest to the public!

-- Hurricane

[Patrick Hand]

I was thinking about what Hurricane said, about it just looking like a few tents inside the fort, and he is right about that. But that is why we need to figure out how to make the Pyrate Camp look better.

We do need signs, and “set-dressing” to make it look like something is going on.

I think for signs, we can pound some longish re-bar into the ground, and then lash poles to the re-bar. I can paint a sign for “Pyrate Camp 1715 (or 1720) “ that we can use for a kinda main gate, and what about some banners like the ones out front of Pirate Soul that have tidbits of information on them… such as “The year is 1715 (or 1720); The crew of the Pyrate ship the ……… have set up camp as they are careening their Ship” the next one would tell about Careening…. That sorta thing… I have some re-bar that I could cut to length, and can paint the signs. We would need some about 6 foot poles, Maybe Jim could look for something locally, and we could send him a share of money to cover the cost, and he could bring them down next year (I think shipping them might cost too much)

I think we need to settle on the date we want to use, and a name for what ship we are suppose to be careening. We still have time to work on the “back-story”, but I don’t know if we want to put it off for to long.

[Captain Jim]

I agree, the sooner we create the framework for what we have in mind, the sooner we can run it all by Harry and begin to flesh thngs out and create the needed items.

Also, I have a brother-in-law that is a sign painter (and tattoo artist). perhaps I can persuade him to help out. I'll make it clear that we're just a bunch of pyrates with no money and he'll be reasonable or work for beer. But we have to decide what we want on them, how many, how big.

Historically, I don't think that careening took place on Key West, simply because there are no suitable beaches, but that shouldn't keep us from using that scenario because we don't have a ship, either. Further up the keys? I'll look to see who was in the area. I know that Rackham cruised these parts, but those bloody pirates kept such bad records. On the other hand, keeping the ship and crew fictional and therefore anonymous alleviates a lot of headaches. So all we really need to do is decide on a name.

[Silkie McDonough]

I also am an artist and work in fabric if help is needed.

I like the idea of fabric banners for sinage they store and travel better can be weather proof. Canvas would be the best of course but if we use an acrylic they will last MUCH longer.

[Patrick Hand]

On the other hand, keeping the ship and crew fictional and therefore anonymous alleviates a lot of headaches. So all we really need to do is decide on a name.

I think a fictional ship is the safest way to go.... We just need to figure out a good name for it.... and which date 1715 or 1720 to use...

(The sooner we decide on a date the less typing I have to do..... 1720 is easier to type than 1715 or 1720 )

[hurricane]

I like the idea of the signage and other paraphenalia that will let visitors clearly know that this is a working exhibit - so they feel like it's OK to go over there and ask questions, watch demos, etc. Like I said, many of the people I came across there thought it was just a place where the pirates lived during the festival, rather than it being a living encampment.

I think the fictional ship is the way to go to - much easier to develop a story to it and create crewe names and assignments. It also allows for more creativity within the context of history.

I don't know if a sign saying the year is good, except perhaps in front of the camp - then I would go with a wood sign on a post with some explanation of what people are looking at. That way they don't have to start from scratch but ask based on what you're trying to portray. Nothing is more maddening than having to constantly explain to people the basics. Think akin to a museum where they have the little placard for each exhibit. This is, after all, a living exhibit.

Reminds me of the photo of the beach in the Time Life book (pages 130/131) - where the wenches and pirates were mingling (not trying to portray that as historical or anything), playing dice, cooking and trading -- just an interesting scenario/visual.

-- Hurricane