Pirates Mythbusters

[blackjohn]

I personally though it was rather... poorly executed. And now, I'm back to some serious myhtbusting of my own, concerning cocoa powder and rum!

[Patrick Hand]

I also don't believe the sail myth but for a different reason.

I didn't see the show (my T.V. isn't hooked up....) but I think the using a knife to slide down a sail is from some of the old Erro Flynn and Douglass Fairbnanks movies.... (the old clasic black and white ones...)

[JoshuaRed]

Yeah to my knowledge the sail/knife thing began with Doug Fairbanks Sr. in the Black Pirate, and ended with Will Turner in DMC...right? Anyway, Sloth put 'em all to shame since he did it WITH Chunk on his back!

[Sir Eric]

Jamie got on my nerves just a bit, but I was grumpy to start with.

But I enjoyed the show. I was also very surpirsed by the spinter test. I will agree that they could have covered their hull in pitch etc. I'm also curious if a cannonball at the water line would have a greater impact than a dead on shot? I know water can intensify concusive pressure.

As to the eye patch thing, I was pretty sure they would have some positive result, due to my own millitary training. But really, if this is why pirates (or anyone else for that matter) wore eye patches, would it be a myth? It would more likely be common knowledge, and I should think imitated by others. I just don't see pirates keeping that some kind of uber-pirate-secret. Effects confirmed, myth busted.

The rum thing felt kinda tacked on... something small in a corner the could fill the episode out with.

Knife down the sail is pure Hollywood, but it would be interesting to see it with sails full of wind. Either the tension would cause the fabric to rip faster, or the cusion of air below the knife slider holds him (or her) up just enough to avoid skull fragments scattered around the deck. I agree nobody would do this on purpose, but I could see somebody falling and in a desperate flailing manages to get a knife hooked, come tearing down out of the air and live to tell about it. That's how myths start after all. Not that I'm saying that's how this one started.

[Corinne]

I thought that show was good over all, sometimes though I do wish they wouldn't take the myths so literal. Also, did anyone else notice that pyracy.com was listed in the end credits?

[Rumba Rue]

No didn't see it. WOW!

[Grinning Gunner]

I could be wrong but it sure looked to me to be a "baling hook" in the film clip they show of the mate sliding down the sail not a knife. If so they were way off with their test as usual And there was a whole list of factors not taken into account on the splinter test (age of the wood, size of the cannon, distance and what of metal fasteners and cargo) The Sailors of the Civil War clearly discribe damage from splinters. I was totally put of by the Mythbusters as usual. Thanks for letting me vent Brethren

[kass]

Also, did anyone else notice that pyracy.com was listed in the end credits?

Not to mention our very own Ed Foxe

[Lady Alyx]

Okay Gunner...for some reason I happen to think that the sail trick could work. Which movie do you think it was they used the bailing hook?

I mean if the knife did not work, and some of the short blades did have a crook...a bailing hook could work. Still would like to see some feedback about the sails and how they were made back then...the sails they used had the re-enforcements reef bands.