The Spring Pirate event on the Columbus Santa Maria was a rousing success. The ship saw a record-breaking number of visitors and pirates.
The battle between pirates in boats and the ship was the biggest ever. We had four boats including the Persephone. After loading the Black Sheep up with two people on a bench, it was able to hold seven. In all, we had 18 attackers on Saturday and 16 on Sunday. That is in addition to the defenders on the quarter deck, the mortar crew on the stern castle, and the howitzer crew on shore.
Saturday also had a singing duo and a set of stocks and a gibbet for hoisting pirates in. Sunday had a performance by the Hard Tackers.
A few things helped the event. One was weather. It was hot but clear. Last year, Sunday was pretty much rained out (although it was still the second biggest weekend of the year) and the event would have been cancelled due to flooding if it had been scheduled a week later.
The event is getting a lot of publicity. We were written up in the Columbus Dispatch's Weekender the previous Thursday and several kid and family-oriented web sites listed the event. This showed in the attendance with most visitors being families with kids. We had some activities just for them including certificates for them after they toured the ship.
Three years ago the ship's Director told me that she would be thrilled if the weekend brought in $2,000 (it was $2,500). This year we brought in $3,900.
Visitors missed one of the best parts after hours Saturday when various singers performed past midnight.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Review - Pirate Hunter
I just finished Pirate Hunter by Tom Morrisey and I strongly recommend it. The book has an interesting structure. It follows two people living 30 years apart. The first one is an English-speaking African who was freed from a slave ship and given a place among a pirate crew. The second is a modern underwater archeologist who signed on with a salvage operation (treasure hunters). The two plots run in parallel as the young men establish their place, find romance, resolve their father issues, and face adversity.
The book is very well researched. The portrayals of the pirates are very good and the first couple of chapters in the present drop a lot of facts casually. The author writes with authority on sich diverse subjects as the inspiration for Shakespeare's The Tempest and the best place to get a hamburger in Key West.
I do have one quibble. Both characters have a mentor and, as an in joke, the author named them after historic pirates. That is fine for the present but it is confusing that the 18th century pirate with a long black beard, going by "Thatch" is not the Blackbeard (not that anyone ever calls him that).
The book is very well researched. The portrayals of the pirates are very good and the first couple of chapters in the present drop a lot of facts casually. The author writes with authority on sich diverse subjects as the inspiration for Shakespeare's The Tempest and the best place to get a hamburger in Key West.
I do have one quibble. Both characters have a mentor and, as an in joke, the author named them after historic pirates. That is fine for the present but it is confusing that the 18th century pirate with a long black beard, going by "Thatch" is not the Blackbeard (not that anyone ever calls him that).
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Francis Drake
Today is the anniversary of Francis Drake's knighting, 431 years ago. Wires has a recap of Drake's voyage that earned him the honor.
Technically, Drake was a privateer instead of a pirate although the Spanish wanted him hung as a pirate. It was not circumnavigating the Earth that won Drake his knighthood, it was the huge return he brought on Queen Elizabeth's investment. Drake's hold not only held Spanish gold, it also held tons of spices which were worth their weight in gold.
Technically, Drake was a privateer instead of a pirate although the Spanish wanted him hung as a pirate. It was not circumnavigating the Earth that won Drake his knighthood, it was the huge return he brought on Queen Elizabeth's investment. Drake's hold not only held Spanish gold, it also held tons of spices which were worth their weight in gold.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Pilgrims and Pirates
Years ago, when Disney was still designing Epcot, they asked Plimoth Plantation for some costume information on the Pilgrims. After looking at the material, they said, "We can't use that. They look like pirates!" (This was probably back when Plimoth dressed all of the men in bucket-top boots).
I ran into the opposite at Searle's Raid this year. We were on the trolly, headed for the beginning of the battle and someone thought that we were a bunch of Pilgrims.
I ran into the opposite at Searle's Raid this year. We were on the trolly, headed for the beginning of the battle and someone thought that we were a bunch of Pilgrims.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Searle's 2012
The 2012 reenactment of Searle's Raid on Saint Augusting was held March 2-3. This is an expanding event. The organizers said that they had ten more participants than last year.
Searle's isn't quite a pirate event. Searle was a privateer and one of Henry Morgan's lieutenants. This event predates the skull and crossbones and most other symbols of the Golden Age or Piracy.
Saint Augustine in the 1660s was hardly a rich city. Florida had no gold or silver so there was little of value passing through. On the other hand, it was isolated since it was Spain's most northern outpost. At the time it was only guarded by a wooden stockade.
Searle's men spent two days taking the town and besieging the fort. By that time they had a number of the town's women held hostage. Eventually the town paid Searle in cattle and flour to leave.
The reenactment started Friday evening with a parade through St. George Street, the oldest street in the city. There was some exercise of arms as the Spanish showed that they were ready for the English invaders (actually, on Friday everyone was Spanish). Afterward we had dinner in the 18th century taverna (home to the best sangria in St. Augustine).
The troops were camped on the grounds of the Fountain of Youth which was the site of the original colony for its first year or so. During Saturday the troops drilled with pikes and practiced firing.
Around 4:30 a trolly took the combatants to the town. The English retired a couple of blocks away until the appointed time (our permit was for 5-6 pm). The initial battle took place in Cathedral Square. The Spanish broke and retired in good order through St. George Street, pursued by the English. There was a final battle at the fort (in a small field beside the old cemetery). The whole thing took most of an hour with designated firing positions along the way.
There were 60+ participants including musketeers, pikemen, skirmishers with swords, officers, drummers, ensigns, and crew for a couple of small cannon. This may not be large by the standard of other periods but it is the biggest 17th century battle that I know of.
The weather was good with highs in the 80s. It was windy on Saturday ahead of a major storm front. Several people had to chaise their hats because of the wind. The front came through quickly overnight and the weather was clear for people to break camp on Sunday.
Last year was my first year. This time I brought my wife. She was properly impressed and will be returning. Maybe we can bring some more people next year.
Searle's isn't quite a pirate event. Searle was a privateer and one of Henry Morgan's lieutenants. This event predates the skull and crossbones and most other symbols of the Golden Age or Piracy.
Saint Augustine in the 1660s was hardly a rich city. Florida had no gold or silver so there was little of value passing through. On the other hand, it was isolated since it was Spain's most northern outpost. At the time it was only guarded by a wooden stockade.
Searle's men spent two days taking the town and besieging the fort. By that time they had a number of the town's women held hostage. Eventually the town paid Searle in cattle and flour to leave.
The reenactment started Friday evening with a parade through St. George Street, the oldest street in the city. There was some exercise of arms as the Spanish showed that they were ready for the English invaders (actually, on Friday everyone was Spanish). Afterward we had dinner in the 18th century taverna (home to the best sangria in St. Augustine).
The troops were camped on the grounds of the Fountain of Youth which was the site of the original colony for its first year or so. During Saturday the troops drilled with pikes and practiced firing.
Around 4:30 a trolly took the combatants to the town. The English retired a couple of blocks away until the appointed time (our permit was for 5-6 pm). The initial battle took place in Cathedral Square. The Spanish broke and retired in good order through St. George Street, pursued by the English. There was a final battle at the fort (in a small field beside the old cemetery). The whole thing took most of an hour with designated firing positions along the way.
There were 60+ participants including musketeers, pikemen, skirmishers with swords, officers, drummers, ensigns, and crew for a couple of small cannon. This may not be large by the standard of other periods but it is the biggest 17th century battle that I know of.
The weather was good with highs in the 80s. It was windy on Saturday ahead of a major storm front. Several people had to chaise their hats because of the wind. The front came through quickly overnight and the weather was clear for people to break camp on Sunday.
Last year was my first year. This time I brought my wife. She was properly impressed and will be returning. Maybe we can bring some more people next year.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Pirates of Penzance
Today is the 29th of February, Leap Day. That is an important plot point in Pirates of Penznace. The lead character, Frederic was supposed to be apprenticed to a "pilot" until 21 but his nurse was hard of hearing and apprenticed him to some pirates. To make things worse, she apprenticed him until his 21st birthday. Frederic was born on February 29th so, even though he had been born 21 years before, his 21st birthday was still decades away.
The opera begins on Frederic's birthday which means that it is the end of February. As soon as he goes ashore, he sees a group of the Major-General's daughters out for a swim.
In February!
They grow them tough in Penzance.
Gilbert and Sullivan probably chose Penzance for its alliteration. It is a port on the far south-western tip of Cornwall. In the 19th century it was a seaside resort but in previous centuries its isolation had made it a frequent target for "Turkish pirates" - the Corsairs from the Barbary Coast. It was also sacked and burned by the Spanish in 1595.
The opera begins on Frederic's birthday which means that it is the end of February. As soon as he goes ashore, he sees a group of the Major-General's daughters out for a swim.
In February!
They grow them tough in Penzance.
Gilbert and Sullivan probably chose Penzance for its alliteration. It is a port on the far south-western tip of Cornwall. In the 19th century it was a seaside resort but in previous centuries its isolation had made it a frequent target for "Turkish pirates" - the Corsairs from the Barbary Coast. It was also sacked and burned by the Spanish in 1595.
Monday, January 9, 2012
The Adventures of Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin is an adventure movie set in the 1930s but it contains a rousing back story involving pirates.
The movie itself is Steven Spielburg's first animated movie and his most entertaining movie since Raiders of the Lost Ark.
According to IMDB, Spielburg has wanted to do a movie based on the Belgium comic strip character, Tintin, since the 1980s. A few years ago he called Steve Jackson to see if Jackson's Weta special effects unit was available to do a live-action version of Tintin. Jackson convinced Spielburg that the movie should be done as an animated movie instead of live-action.
The result is a gorgeously animated movie that never seems to hit the Uncanny Valley. Among other things it features an amazing chase after the clues to the pirate treasure. Most of the chase was done as a continuous take with the camera constantly shifting as it moved from one character to another.
Pirate fans will be glad to know that a good bit of the action takes place at sea - either on a 1930s freighter or on the 17thc century Unicorn.
I suspect that Spielburg had more fun making this movie than he has had in years.
Tintin is not well-known in the US and the movie did not do well here but it was a huge hit overseas and grossed over $300 million. A sequel is planned with Jackson directing and Spielburg producing.
The movie itself is Steven Spielburg's first animated movie and his most entertaining movie since Raiders of the Lost Ark.
According to IMDB, Spielburg has wanted to do a movie based on the Belgium comic strip character, Tintin, since the 1980s. A few years ago he called Steve Jackson to see if Jackson's Weta special effects unit was available to do a live-action version of Tintin. Jackson convinced Spielburg that the movie should be done as an animated movie instead of live-action.
The result is a gorgeously animated movie that never seems to hit the Uncanny Valley. Among other things it features an amazing chase after the clues to the pirate treasure. Most of the chase was done as a continuous take with the camera constantly shifting as it moved from one character to another.
Pirate fans will be glad to know that a good bit of the action takes place at sea - either on a 1930s freighter or on the 17thc century Unicorn.
I suspect that Spielburg had more fun making this movie than he has had in years.
Tintin is not well-known in the US and the movie did not do well here but it was a huge hit overseas and grossed over $300 million. A sequel is planned with Jackson directing and Spielburg producing.
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