aye it has been a fortnight or two since  me deadlights  have wondered through these waters. Now I have repainted the ship er website, I will be havin to make a change or two here or there till I figure out if I likes wot I sees!! So far so good. now to get back to the pirateing  business.   a quick review of the Musical Blades CD Pieces of Eight Treasures of Old.  I liked what I heard of course, and would recommend it to any swashbuckling music fan. The version of The Derelict on this CD is probably the best I have heard simply because the music seems to fit the song more so than the song is piratey, as many many groups  have a version of this song, including Skip Henderson, which is one of my favorites and a more upbeat version. Getting back to The Blades,  Pieces of Eight had some of my favorite songs  including  Pirate Heaven, Johnny Home and a little newer version of Hollywood Pirate. Good stuff for the Pirate enthusiast. Treasures of old was a cd included that had  traditional
shanties and I fell in love with quite a few of them  including Fire Maringo, The Girls of Dublin town, Wild Colonial Boy, Byker Hill and Roll the Woodpile Down. Good Music for the drive to work, hanging around the house,  around the campfire or sailing the seas. Get your copy today!
http://www.musicalblades.com/

Ahoy! Have you heard of the new TV series on NBC? Crossbones! That show is a pretty god one and very piratical in nature. Although it is fiction and is not bases on any historical facts, as far as I can tell, It brings out the probable lifestyles and and culture of a pirate camp/community in the 1600's. It looks like a place if one existed like this, could possibly rival that of Tortuga and/or Libertalia,  If it was a known place. To take one on a journey here is to take a piece out of the original Pirates of the Caribbean, In which only those can find it , if they already know where it is. The loosely based on the fact of the figuring out of longitudes, and how it works with time to know where you are when there is no way to tell,  would make such a place clear possibility in the time setting that it is in.  A passing ship would probably think it is just another deserted island, possibly with natives on it, and that is all, The Cove where th ship is anchored is hidden by a long and shallow channel that no Kings ship would dare to navigate, making it a safe hideaway, and therefore the community itself hidden from the outside world. The  plot originally for Thomas Lowe, a king's man to go under cover, discover where Blackbeard is, and kill him, has turned into  Thomas Lowe ally to Blackbeard, with a sneaky every man for himself type of feeling. It has a very good plot, and I would recommend anyone with  a pirate enthusiasm of any sort to  watch it.  Until next time May the wind always be at your back 

Crossbones Facebook Fan Page

Crossbones TV series online

Pirate Music!! It is some good stuff coming in all genres. The latest one coming out by the Musical Blades looks to be a great album a two album  set of great Music!!

You can get yours from Kickstarter. until Jun 30. After that you will have to wait until. it's release on September 19th.  Get yours today at http://www.musicalblades.com/ . Start your Pirate Music Library today!

Ahoy and welcome once again to Shipwreck's Hideaway. Today I had the pleasure of going to a local school for Pirate day. It was the most fun a sailor could stand when he isn't at sea, and not in a courtesan's house or other such establishment of ill repute. There were somewhere around 40 young lads and lasses this time, and all eager to ask ol' Shipwreck their question. things like Are you a real Pirate, where is your sword, where is your ship, Can I ride on the ship, How did you get this far inland, do you take baths and the list goes on a fun day to be had for sure but nothing I can really show due to school policies. I did slip this little bit of piratical pleasure in before we went out to look for treasure.


Then It was off to find the Treasure! Loot and plunder the whole of the playground before we finally found it.   A jolly good time had by all. finishing the day with a bit of grub and a jolly farewell, I must say it will be a pleasure to that again!!

Batten down the hatches

Ar ! foul Weather. We all have to deal with it at some point. The last couple of days have not been especially great. in the home port. At least it hasn't been near as horrible as those poor souls in tornado alley. It hasn't been great either. No fishing for ol' Shipwreck, which is my favorite pastime, when I can't go pirating. It reminds me of a story of long ago when I was a bit younger lad. The adventurous sort that I tried to be in my younger days, there was this time when on, about this time of year, My Father and I when on a trip with a friend of ours to the gulf coast for a day trip. We arrived in a little port on the coast of Florida called Keaton Beach. Our Friend had a 20 foot water vessel and was going to take us for a journey we only have ever dreamed of. Our own vessel couldn't get us past the breakwater on a calm day so we mostly fished tidal creeks and tide water, but today it was going to be different! Grouper, Snapper Amberjack, Mackerel,and any other ocean leviathan we could get in the vessel!!! Or so we thought. As we set sail south out of the channel, we stopped to catch a few pinfish for bait. once we had a dozen or so, we headed out for the big water. Now on the flats it takes a little bit of time to get in to any really deep water. So we were clipping along talking and having a jolly time going towards our destination, and once once we got close enough our friend, The Captain, started maneuvering the vessel to get a good anchorage. Anchors deployed, lines out and and the fun begins!! For 5 minutes. Just to our south was a nasty cloud that appeared on the horizon and with a burst of cold air on a hot day we decided this was not a good sign for this scurvy crew and the Captain decided to move to a different location he knew about a bit closer to shore, about a 10 minute trip. Once we were anchored at our new location and reached for the gear catch the big ones, we noticed a thin black line on the horizon, and this time we would barely escape with our lives. As we all noticed it was a massive squall gaining on on with the speed of a cheetah,It was time call this day a bust. As we hurriedly hoisted the anchors and prepared to make our way back to port, the storm as already upon us. We turned the vessel around and before we had made any headway the seas went from calm to 2 foot swells. Within a matter of minutes it went from 2 feet swells to 10 foot chops, and the Captain did all he could to keep the vessel from capsizing!! This day Our Lord would keep us safe, and we would pull through the rough part, but with choppy waves half the size of the craft we were in, it was a tough ride, hanging on for dear life hoping the Captain could get us to the other side, and we all got a bit seasick, with dentures disappearing in the ocean as we were gagging. when we finally made back to land we are all glad the The Lord had kept us all safe, and we heard the stories of other countless fishermen telling their horrid tales of near drowning. A day to remember and not soon forget. I thank The Lord often for keeping us alive this day!! This also reminds me of a song one my Favorite Pirate bands sings...... The Squall!! Pull Hard On those ropes boys, and Maybe we'll survive!!!

Today's Pirate Plunder comes by way of a friend of mine who found this bit of treasure by way of Facebook. Tis is a Video of the great Pirate band ALESTORM! Get ready for some Wenches and Mead!!

arr!! for a start let us celebrate Mother's Day, for without Mothers, there would be no sons, and without sons, there would most likely me no sailors, and without sailors, there would be no pirates! Happy Mothers Day yo me very own Mom, and to all the Mom's in the world! Huzzah to ye all!

time to crank this back up! Mostly just for the heck of it. Hope to get something started soon.. Yarr!!

Well now, it's been a bit since I last spoke. As for having a reeling good time at The Southern Pirate festival, It was all that it was it was cracked up to be. I don't get to many events, but this one so far has taken the cake. Lots of entertainment about and good friendships have been made and it was one fine event.

Only 7 days left to get tickets!!!!!




get yours today at http://civilwarnavalmuseum.com/

Ahoy Mates! The Official countdown begins! only 22 days left till the Southern Pirate Festival! get your tickets from http://civilwarnavalmuseum.com/events/southern-pirate-festival-oct/ Tickets are on sale now! The Festival is $15.00 and the Dead Buccaneers Ball is $25.00 or you can get both for $40.00 And don't forget to order your t-Shirt! They are $15.00 and you can order them at http://www.cutthroattitan.com/2010BuccaneerBall.htm you can only get them for a limited time so order yours today!

Ahoy Mates! Talk like a Pirate Day has once again come and gone and it's now time to set a course for n a new adventure. Tis the season of fall and with it come festivities. Aye inedeed for all ye scallywags and buccaneers who want ta still dress like apirate and talk like one too there a few on the east coast worth a visit. This year I be settin' a course for the The Southern Pirate Festival In Columbus Georgia. It is should be fun for all ages and is put on by Columbus's own Civil War Museum with the help of local Pirate crews in the area, The Cursed Few, and The Cutthroat Titans. all the scuttlebutt in the air seems to indicate that this is not one to miss. It will be held on October 23 at the museum. So pack your cargo and plunder The Southern Pirate Festival!! More information can be found on their website

Hope ta see ya there!

Gearing up.....

gearing up.....


It's time once again for my favorite holiday...Talk like a pirate day!!! its the day, according to Tom Smith, the TLAP song writer to "pack up your braincells, they will only get in the way" and to " fill the office with arrrs" No big plans for me tomorrow as i myself will be at trade, just stirring up the stinkpot to see what comes out of the bunghole. a fun day it should be, at least to all me Mateys who will be out havin a party. Saturday will be the continuation of the day for my crew the Cursed Few. Were getting together to have our own little TlAP gatherin' Should be an interesting day. for all those Pirates out there. Hoist up yer Grog and give a toast to Capn' Slappy and Ol Chumbucket, the creators of our infamous holiday, and talk like pirate EVERYDAY!!!!!!

Need to write more

In the days past I haven't been writing much, so here goes my first try in several months. Not really much happened to write about to start with. Today I spent the day getting cleaning up, still had debris left around from Faye that I had to get up. what took so long? well most of it is because of the the city pickup service. the day after the storm I was off and had the chance to clean up what I could. a dogwood tree and several huge pine limbs, that could have been a tree themselves made up a very large pile that sat in the front of my house for three weeks. Monday the city finally picks it up, and since I was off today, left me the time to finish and get my yard back into shape, of sorts. I still have a long way to go as far as making it completely shipshape, but that is neither here or there. once all that was finished, worked moved to the house which I like to call my hideaway. did a little work in the kitchen and the bathroom, mostly housekeeping stuff and that's it. no glamor. no Piratey adventure or anything of the sort. references to household rooms and chores may become entangled in my brain as Pirate adventures and duties as I fantasize about being a Pirate, so if you read these future post, and really if I write them, you may them cumbersome to read but all in good fun. Cheers...Shipwreck

Once in a while you find something you like to do. For me it is playing pirate. I was invited to join a reenacting crew a few weeks ago. I thought about it and decided to join. My group is called The Cursed Few and you can find them at http://www.myspace.com/thecursedfew. As I have never really been apart of any reenacting of any sort I was kind of glad to be accepted to this band of buccaneers, and set out to at once to meet the Captain. After talking with him a time or two over the internet we set to meet in an unusual place for the Pirate kind. Not a beach, a lake or even a tavern. It was in fact a golf course. Hardly the pirate adventure, you’re thinking, well not exactly. This particular golf course is owned by a gentleman who also happens to have a Pirate Ship in his backyard. THAT”S RIGHT!!!! IN HIS BACK YARD!! His name happens to be Jos Bekkers and the name of his ship is the Lost Coconut. You can find out more about it here: http://www.riverpointegolfcourse.com/html/summer-camp.html Captain Bekkers is a very nice gentleman, and when we told him we wanted to look at his ship, He not only let us look at it, he took me and Captain Midnight (the Captain of the Cursed Few) out for a “sail” gave us both a turn at the helm, and we generally had a terrific day “Pirating”. I have to admit was far more that both the Captain and I expected and I am very thankful to have met Captain Bekkers and can’t thank him enough for his hospitality.

May 08, 2007 Fishing Expedition

Fishing… Fun, only when you catch something. I went last Tuesday for the first time in about 5 weeks. Hoping to have “catch em all” I was pretty worked up with anticipation. Waking up around 3 in the morning, it was time to make the coffee, load the boat, and do all the little things you do for day out on the water. A quick trip to the convenient store for drinks and crackers in case of hunger, and it was time to hook up the boat and head to the river. The morning turned out nice enough, the forecast calling for little to no wind and sunny skies. Making my way to the waters edge, the boat was unloaded, the last bit of supplies loaded and it was time to shove off for a day in the river. Rounding the first bin, the fish were splashing and a smile came across my face, “What a good day this going to be” I said aloud for the birds and fishes to hear, and that was my jinx. Casting out line one… the another and another, and after about 40 minutes it was time to leave and head further down. After virtually running aground, I had to drag the boat 20 yards through a shallow sand bar and when it was deep enough to float again, it was time to jump in and make way. With a quick stroke of the paddle, I flowed down the river with ease, stopping and pitching here and there, with no luck. After an hour or so it was time to move down the river where it widens, and then turns.

Trolling though the pond-like area, if came across a spot that looked pleasing and now getting disgusted with the day, this looked like a good place to give a shot as well as any. Throwing out a line, a splash caught my and quickly reeling in I re-cast closer to the huge boil. With an eye on the bobber, it was time to get a soda from the cooler. Just as I took the first swig from the icy cold drink, the bobber, it moved. At Last!! A bobble or two and under she goes! Strike!! A tug and a swirl and off it came leaving heartbroken and empty handed. “Hit it again” I scream. No way was that fish going to be fooled again, nor any other. And after an hour of no luck and the sun beating my brow it was time to end this journey, and that is how the day went. Maybe next time!!!

Renaissance

I recently went to a renaissance faire in Florence, Alabama. I had a good time dressing as my alter ego, Shipwreck. It was similar to the one in Atlanta Georgia, only much smaller. It’s kind of like a big costume party, if you will. It is interesting to see the many different costumes that people wear, and how elaborate they can get. For example there was an antler man, a troll, and statue, and several other crazy ideas.







I met a few other pirate characters as well. The experience itself is fun to me, kind of like going to a big carnival. It is interesting to see how today’s culture views the renaissance age, especially the way they dressed and the things they did.

fire

Boston

Constitution
Back once again in the small town, after spending two weeks in the Big City. Man was it Great!! Ok, it was my third time going, but each time I find that the experience is just more intense. I did a lot of the same stuff as I did before so most all of the places I went and the things I did were repetitive but it was still fun. The people I met were great.

Godspeed
This Time the Jamestown Ship The Godspeed was in port. I had a chance to visit it. It was a great tour and the guide was really knowledgeable.

liberty clipper
I also went sailing out on the Liberty Clipper. The sunset Cruise was the best!! The captain took us out to Castle Island by Fort Independence, and then back around to the harbor. What a great ride. The crew was real friendly too.

Castle Island

roseway
I also met the crew of the Roseway. Those guys were pretty great too. Tom, The captain took time on his day off to let me come aboard and tour the ship. What a great guy! If I go Back up to Boston I will be sure to try to sail on the Roseway as well.
The best thing to me of course being in the Navy, and the reason for the trip is The USS CONSTITUTION. What a spectacular craft and the crew are great. A met a few new shipmates there and hopefully will be able to keep in touch with them. Always a good choice, and part of the freedom tail in downtown Boston. Lots of good places on the trail, like the Bunker Hill Memorial, The Old North Church, Paul Revere’s house, and my favorite hangout, The Green Dragon. So if your ever up that way Check it all out!!

It's been awhile

Haven't heard from me in a while have you? well Just haven't had anything much to say. I recently....well not too recent... about a month ago went fishing a couple of days in a row. I wrote a short...well not too short story about my recent adventures. hers is one that was posted on another page. the other one will be posted soon. You can read the other one on my group link. http://groups.myspace.com/OchlockneeRiverYachtClub . Find a chair and get ready for :

Dinner on the Table



What is a day off? A day off is when you can do whatever it is YOU want to do. Most will agree to that. Very few times do I have a Saturday for doing what I want. This time was different. No opointments, no job, no chores, well there is always chores, but why do today what can put off till tommorrow? It's Saturday morning at 6:00 in the morning. The crack of dawn, the boat is loaded and ready for the big game. The last bit of last night's supper was a quick breakfast now it's time to shove off. At 6:10 it's fishing time. At the river, the last minute checks on the gear, the lines were untangled the Mudpuppy is prepared for launch. Back down into the water and off the trailer she goes! Now at anchor, The Mudpuppy awaits her captain. The trolling motor mounted, the gas motor sits in the bow, the Camera ready for action, just in case. Anchors aweigh and then lines out. Acajun thunder with a cricket dangling ever so delightful on the end, and a bottom rig with a pond worm dragging the bottom. Nothing. Move and nothing, and this trend continues for a few minutes. Now a noisy group comes arounf the bend laughing and talking ruining the silence of a perfect morning. Finally they get in the river and head down stream, the direction that was the most probable until the motor mouth headed that way. To spare the agony of enduring an annoying encounter with the motormouth once again, it was time for a change of plans. After no luck it was definitely time for a change of scenery.Upriver we haed to an ajoining pond just to the other side of the ramp from where I had just launched althouh there is no connecting waterway except to go into the river and back up to reach the pond. Now that in itself could be a story. It is full of trees overhanging willows and sort of swift current for a trolling motor, not really deep enough in most places to use a gas motor without the endagerment of sheering a pin or catching the foot on a log just under the surface. A struggle it was, but with a little effort and a lot of ducking it finally pays off. It opens into the pond and just to the left of the river bend, is a set of lillie pads. 10 minutes go by......nothing. Now it's time to change to gas, for the struggle about to begin will need a little more power than 12 volts and 27 lbs of thrust. First try, go straight up across the sandbar....No dice. Second try, go around the sandbar to the other swift water side and give it the full throttle. Not going. Ok go back to the sandbar drag her across, and hit the gas hard! Acoss we go only to run into yet another obtsicle. Swift water and small openings, just enough to squeeze through. after some some struggling and starting over again and again, with some special manuevers, I make to to the Big Water. The big water is the Hwy 19 bridge, where the the river opens nice and wide for about a mile or so up to where the Little Ochlocknee River runs in. So off to the farthest point I can go. On a previous trip, I had went up about three to four miles until I could no longer go because of Logs all the way across. Thinking I would do this again I made it just past the mouth of the Little Ochlocknee and ran aground once again. Not wanting to press my luck anymore, it wa time to cast out the lines, first the worm the the cricket......the cajun thunder hands in a root system and breaks off, Time to re-rig. A bobber and a hook ..no weight. the bobber slightly above the hook. I call this the David Parker Theory. Now David is a friend of mine, and he once told me that this application works well on Lake Miccosukee. It has been said tht some times this is the only method that works on a hot summer day. Now its not summer just yet, but it was deffinetly time to test out the theory. Cricket next to the bank... down she goes!! the fight is on! Wait! what is this ? a minnow! How can that be? He can barely get the hook in his mouth! Ok, retrieve the cajun thunder anchor down about 10 yards try again....Wham, she goes down!!! A bream..Now we are talking dinner!!! not very big but a keeper. Try this again.. a few more casts and another fish, this one not quite what I am looking for so back in the drink he goes. a few more trys again move down 20 yards do it again. The line goes down again Alright!! this much better than listening to the blabber-mouth downstream talk about his theory of wireless wires, whatever that means. Three more and I can have dinner tonight. The pace is set. Drift just past the last cast, throw the cricket against the bank, see if goes down. It seems to work beautiful. 10:30 now, Just getting started good. The breeze just blowing enough to stay cool, but not effecting the casts. Nice and shady to be comfortable from the afternoon sun. A throw, a bight or two, a drift, so it goes most of the day. Not really getting on a slaughter, but definitely enough to eat. Final count...26. Not Bad, But some could have been a bit bigger. Hook swallowers they were for the most part, meaning I had to keep a few I could have done without. The return trip just as painstaking as the launchbut with a smile on my face and the bragging rights for the day, if only to myself made it all a worthwhile trip and dinner on the table!!!

Until Next time..........