Pirates Mythbusters

[MorganTyre]

I know there was a lively discussion of the whole eye-patch issue in another thread. Last night they were advertising the pirate mythbuster for next wednesday. From their site:

Episode 71: Pirate Special

Arggghhh, me hearties! Jamie and Adam plundered the seven seas in search of pirate parables and maritime myths. The result? This 2-hour spectacular episode! And, with four stories of hijinks on the high seas the action is thick and fast. Playing with more firearms, the guys try to figure out how deadly cannonballs really are versus the splinters sprayed from a mighty broadside blast. Kari, Grant and Tory on the port side decode the mysteries of the ol' pirate eye patch: why would a pirate wear a patch over a perfectly good eye? And if that isn't enough, the gang tops of the show with rum, knives and sails ... whaat? This one's for the books!

Premiere: Jan. 17, 2006

[Rumba Rue]

And I'm sure the ratings will be very high for this show when it airs. :)

[Red-Handed Jill]

We sail past the naval base that they use for their experiments all the time. On the weekends, though, so we don't see them at work.

[Capt Grey]

I love Mythbusters.

I saw the ad for the Pirate Myths tonight; I'll definitely be watching on Wednesday.

FYI, both Adam and Jamie worked for Industrial Light and Magic (the Star Wars special effects company). :angry:

[Lady Alyx]

Me too I will be checking it out as well. How many of these are planned to air?

[Cap'n Mad Eye]

Me too I will be checking it out as well. How many of these are planned to air?

From what I've seen it's just the 2 hour special they're doing for Pirate Myths this Weds. Maybe they'll revisit some of them or come up with new ones later on in the year?

[John_Young]

Grant and Tory also have worked for ILM/Lucasfilm. Grant was responsible for building Astromechs (like R2-D2) for the prequels and Tory worked on some designs...

[Sir Eric]

Grant also used (or maybe still does) to build BattleBots. I have a scale model of "Deadblow" on my shelf. He's used it a couple of times for myths (running zig zags to elude an alligator comes to mind.)

[Cap'n Pete Straw]

Grant, as I understand, was the champion in the mega head-to-head Battlebots tournament.

[John_Young]

Yeah and R2-D2 is a battlebot basically...

I got the opportunity to talk with the 3 at Dragon*Con last year.

Grant's 10 year plan for the future is giant mecha robot fights in the desert.

[Silent]

So excited for this, I have my eye on the clock!

[Lady Alyx]

here are the listings to when it is on

listings

[Red Bess]

Well, I'm half an hour into the show, and I'm afraid I have to wonder: why didn't they explore some REAL pirate myths, instead of just making up stuff to do? Pirate stain removers? Pleeeeese!

I know it's just fun TV (and I do covet the pirate obstacle course) but they could have asked an expert or two -- or even tackled Hollywood pirate lore.

Oh, well, I'll go watch the rest....

[MajorChaos]

I dunno, they had to clean their cloths some how...

It was interesting to see the results of the eye patch tests. although I am kind of familiar with it from being in the navy. We would rig the control room in red light for periscope depth at night and when we transit on the surface at night. Had the same principal.

The cannon shot/shrapnel test was interesting too.

The knife in a sail test is kind of interesting. However, first thought was were period sail made the same as modern sails. like that ribbing they showed in the sample.

Also, they're not taking into account if the sail was full of air or not... I would expect that to make a difference in the fall also.

[Cpt Sophia M Eisley]

I missed the eyepatch bit. The test with one of 'em sliding (with knife) down a sail to a safety net was fun to watch. Reminded me of some of the wacky Challenge Bound trials I did as a teen.

Now I missed the very end of the piece on using rum to clean ones clothes. Did that happen to work for them?

[Red Bess]

OK, the show did improve. I especially liked the knife-in-the-sail test, because that is something you see in pirate movies that I've never heard documented. And they involved an expert sailmaker to get a more historically accurate sail design. That was the kind of "mythbusting" I was hoping they would do.

And of course, I always enjoy things being blown apart by real cannons.

All the experiments (rum as stain remover, patch over the eye to warm it up for seeing in the dark, etc) are interesting, but I guess I don't really see them as "pirate myths".

After that first half hour, I almost gave up, but it turned out to be a pretty fun program to watch.

[Daniel]

Great episode! Loved it!

I am completely shocked at the outcome of the splinter test. All those splinters, but almost no penetration. And even less splinterage with higher muzzle velocity. Amazing! Many contemporary sources talk about the sailors' fear of splinters, (notably The Seaman's Vade Mecum and Defensive War by Sea), but apparently the danger was much overhyped.

One mistake they made was to test only with pine and oak. In England, oak was legally reserved for the Royal Navy (Joseph Jobe, ed., The Great Age of Sail, p. 75). The popular Jamaica sloop's hull was made of red cedar (Angus Konstam, Pirates: 1660-1730, p. 45). Still, I would guess they'd have got much the same results with cedar as with the other woods.

As for the eyepatch test, I'd say they proved pretty well that it would have worked as advertised to preserve night vision. Of course, that's completely different from proving that pirates ever actually did such a thing. My main reaction, though, is: I wanna do that obstacle course! I wanna, I wanna, I wanna!

It was absolute genius to test the laundry on pitch-stained clothing. Absolutely, working with all those pitch-smeared lines would have got pitch all over your clothes. And amazingly, that dehydrated urine actually would have worked (again, no proof that pirates actually knew that or did that, though). Nix on the orange stains, though. Oranges wouldn't have kept for a week on board a pirate ship. Even lime juice wasn't used until after GAoP.

The sliding down the sail bit was great fun to watch too. I'm amazed they came as close to pulling it off as they did.

So, what other questions should we ask Mythbusters about? How about, can you actually throw a line and grapple onto a yard and swing onto somebody's ship with it? I'd like to see it done. Or how about experimental testing on "Red sky at night, sailor's delight, red sky at morning, sailors take warning"? Or as long as they're brutalizing pig carcasses, is it actually possible to run somebody through with a cutlass (i.e. in the front, out the back) one-handed? Can a person actually float to shore by holding on to two wine casks, as Bartholomeo Portugues reputedly did?

[StrangeBayPirate]

Enjoyed the show meself. Blasted clean through the pork pirates they did, but watch out fer dem splinters ..... they'll shoot yer eye out. Oink !

[Rumba Rue]

I thought the show was great. Some very good laughs among the cannon firing....

I was quite surprised about the eye patch test. Pretty amazing.

[Lady Alyx]

Okay, first I thought the show was kinda hokey, and then it grew on me as well, twas good fun. I never heard the myth about the eye-patch but it made good sense. It would be interesting to investigate if this was really used with pirates or any others.

I felt sorry for the piggy pirates, I hope at least the had a lua in their honor after the show. Oink!

I as well was getting kinda ticked that they did not go to more authoritative folk on the sails and hulls. I don't know if they used the 'reef' bands in the old sails either. Another thing to go investigate. I also thought the hulls of ships where thicker than 11 inches. Also where they not soaked with oil and pitch? Also seawater could also preseve wood and make it stronger I would think. Oil, pitch sea water and good old strong oak would have combined on a molecular level to become some kind of composite substrate? I don't know I am not an expert just speculating. I saw a show recently where they visited the "U.S.S. Constitution" which is still in service with our Navy. They said it had the nick name 'old iron sides' because cannon balls would bounce off. I know this ship was probably made more in the 1800's but shipbuilding has been around a long time and I am sure did not differ too too much.

Aye, at the end they are welcoming folks like us to challege them with more pyratical myths. We should challenge them. If I find any link for it I will post it.

LOL...and one last thing...I knew pirates did not waste their precious rum on cleaning. It was for morale and medicine!!!

[JoshuaRed]

Ironically, for a show about "busting pirate myths" they sure perpetuated more than they busted. What with all the args, earrings, and vague misconceptions. But...as a previous poster said, 'twas all in good fun, and there are few things more enjoyable on tv than the infectious laughter and enthusiasm Jamie and Adam present when blowing things up or firing dangerous projectiles at meat.

[Capt Grey]

I think someone should direct them to this site. I'm kind of surprised they didn't find it in their research on the web.

Here's the message board for the site, I guess this is where to send your pirate myths to:

Mythbusters Message Board

I also found the eye-patch myth very interesting. I like how they tested it. I know Jamie was trying not to laugh at Adam's "pirate-speak".

[JohnnyTarr]

I am really supprised at the splinter myth getting busted. I thought for sure that one would prove out. The eye patch one I liked also. I knew that one to be real. I doubt that anyone would wear a patch all the time just for a few minutes of fighting. That said though just how long would it take to engage an enemy after being sighted? Long enough to make it worth while? Also remember that your flash pan would take care of your night vision real quick. I just don't believe the falling down the sail myth at all. I mean a person weighs over 150 lbs and to support that much with the strength of your wrists, come on. And what self respecting pirate would use rum to wash cloths, I would drink it.

[MorganTyre]

I just don't believe the falling down the sail myth at all. I mean a person weighs over 150 lbs and to support that much with the strength of your wrists, come on.

I also don't believe the sail myth but for a different reason. Why destroy goods to get from point A to point B? If all you need to do is descend quickly slide down a halyard. That said, remember that it's modern american's that generally weigh over 150lb's but people of the time were a little smaller, much more undernourished, and much much more physically fit and climbing is a professional sailor's element. There is a japanese obstacle course game show where a commercial fisherman managed to get much further than nearly anyone else (including professional gymnasts) for exactly these reasons. So yes, I don't believe the sail cutting myth, but no I don't think the physicality of it rules it out.

[JohnnyTarr]

Ok Morgan I will give you that point I did like the line that said that the sailmaker had better not be at the bottom or the guy would not get any farther.