Pirates in Paradise 2007 - Key West, Fl
Chapter 4th - The beginning of the event, whereof the first official day of the pirate take over Fort Zachary Taylor takes place, describing the beginnings of a weekend of fighting, pillaging, carousing, drinking at the pub and other fun activities. Also featuring a discussion of the barbaric custom of Walking the Plank Contests.
Photo: Mary Diamond
Mary Diamond, Yak and Mark
discussing something
of great import.
(Where's lunch?)
Photo: Mary Diamond
The favored new toy of Mission
the surgeon - the
medicine chest,
beautifully made by Mary's dad.
Today was the first full day of the event. It was very sunny and pleasant
weather. The camp looked very period-ey. Mad Mary Diamond, her husband Mark
and their friend Yak arrived. She brought my wonderful little Medicine
Chest and I proceeded to paste labels on the bottles and weather
them in preparation for the event. Haunting Lily generously gave me a haversack for my bandages and
medical instruments - which it turns out I didn't really need today...more
on that later We found Stynky Tudor walking up the path to the fort, so
Edward O'Keefe (Haunting Lily's husband) gave him a lift. He joined
Patrick Hand, his boss Carol and myself who had been rescued by Edward on the
way back from the sundries shop.
Photo: William Red Wake
There were a dozen or so vendors inside the fort selling all manner and
sorts of things from food to candy to jewelry to ren-faire type clothing
to a wonderful little shop manned by Greg Hudson that had these cool green
onion bottles. (You can see his products at Weeping
Heart Trading Company.) The onion bottles seem to be all the rage this
weekend - with a knotted
twine encasement, you have a nifty replacement for a tankard. There was
also a cool booth that is a hodgepodge of stuff that is sort of like the
Pirate's Own Garage Sale - Bawdy Bee's.
Left, a rather dramatic (if not over-dramatic) shot of one of the onion bottles from Weeping Heart at left. I believe Greg sold out of them.
Photo: Tony Callahan
The Pyrat Pub run by the Port Royal crew officially opened at 3pm to
much bell wringing and noise - which was followed much bold singing and
noise inside. It closed at 5pm, but is scheduled to unofficially re-open
later tonight for all the folks staying in the park (and may be open now for all I know because I'm sitting here
writing stuff on the web...)
I met several people from the Port Royal crew including Hurricane, Diosa and Master Studley. Turns out M. Studley makes props for a living so we had a nice chat. He is with the Pyrates of the Coast re-enactment group, along with Willie Wobble, Hurricane and Diosa..
At right, M.A.d'Dogge and Billy Bones wait patiently (yet armed to the teeth, in case patience wears thin) for the Pyrat Pub to open in Fort Zachary-Taylor.
Photo: Tony Callahan Pyrates of the Coast trying to look mean. From left: Bootleg, Capt Morgan aka Touche', Master Studley and Hurricane. |
 Photo: Tony Callahan Goddess in the Bodice (Diosa) on Parade before her tryal. |
 Photo: Tony Callahan Master Studley watching the world go round. |
At 5pm, all repaired to the docks just outside the park for the Plank Walking contest at the End of Hurricane Season Party. Several of our fellows participated in the event which was put on by the Pyrates of the Coast. Our QM, William Red Wake, decided to join in much against the surgeon's recommendation, with his wool waistcoat on - which was very much against the surgeon's recommendation. I took many photos with his camera as seen below. (He said he really should have followed the ship's surgeon's advice and removed the wool waistcoat.) Captain Sterling and Amanjiria also participated and I photos of them as well. The prize winners wound up being M.A. d'Dogge and his brother Billy Bones who forwent the pleading for their life ceremony and sword fought on the plank before both fell in - swords and all. (Polish them blades tonight me hearties. There's a battle tomorrow.
 Photo: William Red Wake's camera QM William diving in wool waistcoat (against surgeon's orders). |
 Photo: William Red Wake's camera Doing the reverse belly-flop off the Plank during the contest. |
Photo: William Red Wake's cameraCaptain Sterling takes a flying leap. |
Photo: William Red Wake's cameraContest winners M.A.d'Dogge (left) and Billy in a soon-to-be rusty sword battle. |
Speaking of battles, there was one today that we retreated from. Not that I would know because your humble, pressed-into-service ship's surgeon was missing in action. (I plead my belly...oh, wait.) But I'll save that little story for Chapter the 5th...