Aaargh!

Being a pirate is hard work. I spend hours searching for information on dragoon pistols, cartouches, granadoes, cutlasses, baldrics, powder flasks, dirks, sashes, tricorns, monmoths, frogs, hangers, sloops, frigates, articles, buckles, etc... I'm engaging in a new piratical/IT/programming endeavor that should make it all a bit easier. I will say no more about the endeavor until it is ready to be revealed. Muhubwahaha!!!

The Lady is a Tramp

State's 'Pirates' ship too dirty for Calif.

"Our diesel emissions are like throwing a gum wrapper out the window. But we're not going to ask for a temporary exemption. We represent the state of Washington, and we feel we should do the right thing and upgrade to a cleaner engine."

Huzzah for clean and green pirates!

Steven Spielberg takes on 'Pirate Latitudes'

Project based on Michael Crichton's final novel

Never having read the novel I would assume the story involves a supra genius historian who has a diabolical plan to create a time machine to bring murdering, pillaging, raping, evil bastards from the late 17th and early 18th century and employ them in a family friendly amusement park ride. Hmmmmm.... But something goes terribly wrong and the murdering, pillaging, raping, evil bastards end up murdering, raping and pillaging. Was I close? Will Dustin Hoffman play a pirate captain.

Okay - I read the synopis at MichaelCrichton.com and it sounds like a pretty standard buccaneer tale. While the title is Pirate Latitudes, I think the main character would be considered a buccaneer or a privateer and not a pirate. Might have to add this to my reading list.

I was just thinking the other day that the story of François l'Olonnais would make a great movie. It would probably need to be directed by Quentin Tarantino to really put a shine on the murdering, pillaging, raping, torturing, evil bastard.

Pirate 010100000110100101110010011000010111010001100101

How many ways can you be a digital pirate? Quite a few. This isn't even a complete list. I cut out most of the puzzle games and older out of circulation games.

1701 A.D. - PC
Age of Pirates: Caribbean Tales - PC
Age of Pirates 2: City of Abandoned Ships - PC
Black Buccaneer - PC
The Guild 2 - Pirates Of The Seas - PC
One Piece: Pirates' Carnival - PS2, GameCube
Pirate Hunter - PC
A Pirate's Legend [Game Download] - PC
Pirates- The Legend of Black Kat - Xbox
Pirates of Dark Water - Sega Genesis, Nintendo Super NES
Pirates of the Atlantic [Game Download] - PC
Pirates of the Burning Sea - PC
Pirates of the Caribbean - PC, Xbox
Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned - PC, PS3, Xbox360
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl - Game Boy Advance
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest - Nintendo DS, PS2, Game Boy Advance
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - Nintendo DS, Wii, PSP, Xbox 360, PS2, PS3, PC
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow - PC
Pirates! (NES) - Nintendo NES
Pirates! Gold - Sega Genesis
Pirate's: The Hunt For Blackbeard's Booty - Nintendo DS
Pirates: Duel on the high Seas - Nintendo DS
Pirates: Legend of the Black Buccaneer - PS2
Playmobil: Pirates - Nintendo DS
Port Royale - PC
Port Royale 2 - PC
Sea Pirates - PC
Sid Meier's Pirates! - PC, Mac, Xbox, PSP
Tortuga - PC
Tortuga Two Treasures - PC
Tropico 2: Pirate Cove - Mac, PC

Grenades

I've started the grenade project. I'm aiming to build inert replicas of grenades used in the GAoP (late 17th, earth 18th centuries). They will most likely be constructed of a wood ball with a drilled out core, some gravely bits to represent the powder and a bit of cotton clothes line for the fuse. I might add some fishing sinkers to add some weight. All scraped, hammered and painted to resemble cast iron. The diameter will be 2 1/2". Examples from the GAoP period range in size from 2" to 3".

There isn't much information on the web about early grenades, but I managed to find some great examples of US grenades from the FIW and Revolutionary War period at big-ordanance.com.

Gentlemen Brethren

Avast! I feel like such a poser after reading all the information at Gentlemen of Fortune and Ye Pirate Brethren. My kit is definitely in the fantasy pirate category but I've got to start somewhere... and it's plenty fun too. I'll keep an eye out for more authentic period pieces though. It would be nice to put together a kit that is GAoP correct. A ten page post on the YPB forum about shoes tells me project will be a lot of work to get right.

Voyageur Flask

Aha! This be the one! 75$ will fetch this copper flask from Goose Bay Workshops. Aside from the flask they also make a wide range of copper period reproductions.