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Blackbeard Pirate Festival, June 2008 - Hampton, VA

Chapter 2nd - Saturday, Morning - Being a recollection of breakfast with Susan, meeting the Archangel crew; serving rather lamely (on the surgeon's part at least) as a member of the Harbourmaster's crew; the possible taking of a ship in the harbor by Blackbeard (I think); the infamous Battle Under the Bridge between the colonists and the Harbourmaster over taxation and the arrival of the surprise mystery guests.

It looks to be indifferent good weather this weekend.

Arising early, we straggled out of bed and headed for the event. But first...Burger King. The breakfast of champions! Of course, this meant consulting Susan, which also meant that it took about a half hour to find - with several scoldings being delivered via Susan - to me since I was driving - for not following her apparently random directions. She eventually did lead us to a BK where we met one of the nicest BK window workers I've ever met, whom I will declare was named Michelle since no one else could see her name tag and can't contradict me on that point.

We then went to the camp where we found free parking for event workers (huzzah!) and proceeded to unload Michael and Kate's stuff. There we met Captain Sterling, Joshua, Silkie, Mary Diamond, Abbington Normal, Lily and Edward O'Keefe – all from PiP '07 fame (see The Surgeon's Tale of PiP '07 for more on that). I did not meet Amanjiria, who was still sleeping it off- er, who was not awake yet (see photos on the previous page). I did meet Cheeky Actress, who was very friendly and hugged me. Actually, so did Mary, Silkie and Lily and I think I've filled Mission's required annual hug quota at this one event.

(Photo: Shana aka withoutaname)
(Photo: Michael S. Bagley) Left: Mary Diamond adjusting her accoutrements while standing in front of the Archangel Flag.

Right: Here there be hugging. You never really associate hugging with pirates, do you? I know I sure don't. Maybe that was part of their problem all those years ago...

(Photo: Duncan McGuyver, Crew of the Vigilant Site) I started the morning by being on the cannon crew (it's becoming something of a habit). [Hampton Event Location Point Number 3 on the guide map.] I was in charge of the little pin used for pricking the powder once it was rammed into the cannon. There were seven cannon (I believe) including one with a hole too small for my prick. (Nah...too obvious.) So they went in search of someone with a smaller prick (...still too obvious) and then the cannon were fired using a slow match.

Right: Starting the festival with a bang! (Sorry.) I am hiding behind the period-correct lamppost. (See my Patrick Hand Original planter's hat?)

They didn't use the same sort of fuse that we used as PiP. Instead they rammed the load home, pricked it and then used this little tool to insert some sort of fuse powder in the touch hole. This was then touched with the slow match. It made a lot of sparks which added to the excitement of firing cannon. I am now versed in firing two kinds of cannon. If ever I decide the surgery is too much for me, I can enlist in the hot, noisy, dangerous gunnery crew. (Nah, it doesn't sound like a very good idea to me either.)

(Photo: Duncan McGuyver, Crew of the Vigilant Site) Left: we are actually firing one of the cannon. I believe there were seven of them total, all lined up facing the river. I wish I could tell you who's in this picture other than me, but, naturally, I failed to take any names.

Suffice it to say that many members of the Crew of the Vigilant and the Hampton-based Blackbeard's Crew were most likely involved.

(Photo: Michael Bagley)
Barrel. On Dock. 'Nuff said. We then proceeded to head for the waterfront where [ Hampton Event Location Point Number 4 on the guide map] Captain Sterling -and, by default, the Archangel crew- got the job of Harbor Master for the event, which meant we had to keep an eye on things there for the duration. I was assigned to carry a barrel which established what would be a recurring theme for me this weekend.

The harbor is a nice area and there were several period boats and loads of non-period boats festooned with all manner of pirate decorations from mechanical treasure chests to pirate flags to costume bejeweled chests to a disco-themed pirate boat (seriously) to inflatable skeletons. No, I don't want to know anything more about the inflatable skeletons, even though I am normally a fan of skeletons. It was all very festive and the many of the small craft owners seemed to be having a jolly (by which I mean rum-sotted) good time.

We were not to accept any offerings from boat owners (that would come later in the evening), so I can report that the harbor master job is hell. Add a lot of walking on concrete back and forth to the concrete in period shoes over reams of non-period concrete and I can even report that the harbor master job is not just hell, it is somewhere near the ninth circle of Hell.

(Photo: Cheeky Actress)
(Photo: Michael S. Bagley) Left: The Harbormaster Youth Crew - beginning a musical number.

 

Right: A giant, scary head shot of me on the dock. Note my new pony tail by Madame Joan's Wee Wiggies.

(Photo: Michael S. Bagley)

(Photo: Michael S. Bagley)

Above are two photos of one of the decorated party boats backed up to the docks. Had there been a contest, this boat would have probably won for "Best Decoration" by which award judges usually mean "Most Lurid Yet Somehow Compelling Use of All Possible Spare Cash by an Individual Participant in Their Decorations." (It's just that this doesn't fit on the trophy.) This particular boat happens to be the one that had inflatable skeletons on it. They were in the prow. (That's sailor talk there.) Alas, no one thought to take night pics of the boats. I should particularly liked to have had one of the Disco Boat.

(Photo: Michael S. Bagley) Since the dock was pretty quiet, what with the youth crew taking care of rousting the boat people, Michael Bagley and I went over to the Royaliste (see right), but we missed the ship's captain. [Hampton Event Location Point Number 5 on the guide map.] She's a lovely boat...ship. It was docked near the children's area, so we checked that out as well. The festival was spread out throughout several blocks of Hampton and the children's area was the furthest from our campsite. (My feeeeet!)

After we returned, a re-enactment with Blackbeard on one ship and (I think) a target merchant on another ship ensued. [[Mouse over the green text Hampton Event Location Point Number 6 to reveal the guide map.]. Alas, it was very windy and the period-correct mikes picked up the wind something fierce making the dialog difficult to follow.

Below: The hard-to-hear saga of the taking of a vessel. The merchant ship Bonny Rover is plying its trade (or something) in the first two photos when Blackbeard shows up on the Vigilant in the last two photos and takes the merchant ship. At least that's my take on it.

(Photo: Duncan McGuyver, Crew of the Vigilant Site)

(Photo: Duncan McGuyver, Crew of the Vigilant Site)

(Photo: Duncan McGuyver, Crew of the Vigilant Site)

(Photo: Duncan McGuyver, Crew of the Vigilant Site)

(Photo: Silkie McDonough) A skeleton crew (hah) from the Bone Island Buccaneers who hail from the island of Key West showed up and surprised everyone but themselves. Oddly, they told me they had been planning to come to the event for months, yet no one seemed to know about it. Silkie McDonough and Kate Souris came up to me and told me not to tell anyone, whispering to me that Bone Island was here! Then they went up to someone else with the same admonition and whispered it to them. I was able to chat with Spike, Scarlett Jai, Nigel and Dead Eye quite a bit more than I could at PiP since they weren't running the event.

The most salient thing I learned was that they have a position on their crew that one normally doesn't hear about – the crew tattoo artist. Apparently he uses the old fashioned method for tattooing which involves hand-held needles. It was news to me that there was a new-fashioned method (involving some sort of gun, natch), so we all learned something Important today. (I learned several things, actually, one being – don't get a tattoo in a way involving either needles or guns. Someone please get me a box of Cracker-Jacks.)

Left: Kids, this is why you should never talk to strangers! Spike from the Bone Island Buccaneers offers to remove any spare cash from a little girl.

(Photo: Mary Diamond) At right: the Bone Island Buccaneer contingent newly arrived to the port in Hampton! From left: Bone Island Captain Bloody Spike Pierce, Archangel Captain Sterling, Scarlett Jai, Iron Nigel holding Archangel Crew Mary Diamond and Deadeye Rick "The Greek."

Right:They worked the docks all day on Saturday along the docks, entertaining attendees and Archangel crew alike.

The Battle under the Bridge followed. Somehow, they had worked taxation of the colonies into the Blackbeard mythos and we, the Harbor master crew (Archangel) were defending taxation while Dutch incited the crowd to be against it. (Oh, if only this were real life...) A raging gun battle broke out. Our crew all fired their guns several times, including Edward's new gun and Aminjiria's whacking great blunderbuss that reverberated all over.

I was going to play surgeon but everyone forgot to fall down during the melee so there was no one to doctor. (It's amazing how we fire weapons at each other standing twenty feet apart and yet no one ever gets wounded.) I suppose I could have tripped someone, but I might have actually hurt them and then we would have to find a real surgeon...either that or rely on my first aid skills. Personally, I would prescribe a dose of externally applied mercury paste and a good bleeding or two.

Below: the few photos historians have recovered from the great Bridge Battle. From left: Mary Diamond reloading, Aminjiria/Mad Jack and his cannon and the Captain as Harbour master listening to colonist demands.

(Photo: Cheeky Actress)

(Photo: Mary Diamond)

(Photo: Cheeky Actress)

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