When I decided to go in garb to my first Ren Fair (Carolina Renaissance Festival 2005) I was sporting the same hat that I wear to this day. It is a waxed and oiled, bifurcated tricorn, the style of which is called The MacKay. Here is a pic: I love this hat. Just in case you don’t understand: I LOVE THIS HAT. It was purchased from the premier pirate haberdashers on the world wide web, Captain Jack’s Pirate Hats. The haberdasher himself is Jeff MacKay. I can not say enough good things about this particular merchant. here are few things that you need to know about Captain Jack’s Pirate Hats: You are not...
Careen
posted by Bobaganush
There is a word that I am sure you have heard on many a pirate movie that you most likely don’t understand or know the definition of: careen. Careen means to lean or tilt a ship over. This sounds like a really bad idea but it was a process developed to keep the bottom of the boat clean and in good repair. Here is a brief and concise history of why we careen boats… ships. The bottom of the boat sits in water. Boats back in the age of sail were made of wood. Go soak some wood in water from the ocean and you are going to find that wood in water tends to rot and things grow on it. Things like, barnacles grow on the wood. ...
Blackbeard the Pirat...
posted by Bobaganush
Blackbeard the Pirate: A Reappraisal of His Life and Times Recently finished reading this book. Blackbeard the Pirate: A Reappraisal of His Life and Times by Robert E Lee focuses on the historic, event by event, life of Captain Edward Teach, the notorious Blackbeard. Focusing on the time...
Piratepedia
posted by Bobaganush
DK makes great informational, fun-to-read books. In Piratepedia they have brought together a boat load (pun intended) of information about pirates and placed it in easy-to-read, bite-sized pieces. From history to media and all topics in between. Starting with the Vikings and working...
The Cutlass
posted by Bobaganush
I knew you were all waiting for me to speak on this subject, and as pirate it is near and dear to my heart: The Cutlass. Now I am going to try and remain calm. I am going to try and not become over-zealous in my love for the cutlass but if that part of the brain kicks in please forgive...
Keelhauling
posted by Bobaganush
As discussed yesterday walking the plank was not a favorite form of punishment or torture used by pirates. Making someone walk off the edge of a ship, while it may have been effective, was not nearly gruesome enough for most pirates. It did not strike fear into to the hearts of the others...
Walking the Plank
posted by Bobaganush
I ‘tweeted’ recently that I was going to make one of the people here at the office walk the plank and it made me think what an odd idea walking the plank actually was. First things first, let’s displel the myth. Pirates did not make people walk the plank. There are a few...
