Pirates in Paradise

November 22nd - December 2nd, 2001
Key West, Florida

(all photos taken by Christine Markel Lampe, except where noted)

Page 2 (Battles at Sea & Land)   --  Page 3 (Pirate Portraits)
Page 4 (It's a Bodice Thing)  -- Page 5 (Musical Marauders)
Page 6 (Scribbling Sea Dogs)

See many more photos & learn about the event at the official Pirates in Paradise website.
And even more photos from Frank Hui. 

The books by Captain Johnson & Exquemelin tell of grand gatherings of pirates, where crews from several ships would party and celebrate on the beach for days on end. Let me tell you, me lads and lasses, it still happens! We spent a glorious twelve days in Key West, Florida, with more pirates in one place than we have ever seen. The Pirates in Paradise festival just gets better each year - with twice as many pirates there this year, more partyin' and singin', more events, more historic talks and tours, and more scenic locations, it was a grand time.

(Julie McEnroe, festival director, and Don Maitz, at the reception for Don's pirate art show at the Key west Museum of Art & History at the Custom House.  Julie is holding the festival programs, with Don's portrait of Cascabel on the cover, and they are standing in front of Don's painting, "No Prey No Pay" -- for a better view of it, go to Don's website of pirate art.)

In Key West, pirates are honored guests! You'll be treated more like a local than a tourist. Walk down Duval Street in pirate garb, and you'll be invited into many a pub or tavern, without havin' to pay a cover charge. Our first day there, several of the pirates went pub crawlin'.  After inspectin’ the likes of Sloppy Joe’s, the Hog's Breath Saloon, Rick’s, & many others, we discovered a little 3rd story rooftop haven (seen at right) – an open air establishment called the "Garden of Eden", where they wouldn’t throw you out even if you took yer clothes off. The DJ got into the spirit of things, havin' the resident body painter detail a skull & crossbones just above his private parts, incorporatin’ the family jewels into the design! When asked why we weren’t "clothing optional", I showed the fully clothed lad my button "If you can’t dress like a pirate, why dress at all?", adding "We ARE dressed like pirates! What’s yer excuse?"

The local inns welcome the pirates with open arms. Mona, the Radisson innkeeper, even remembered us from last year (maybe it had something to do with that incident where, uh, . . . well, never you mind). 

And, jes' sos we wouldn't wear out our welcome, we spent the second half of our trip at the Hyatt (seen at left). Talk about a grand place! This inn had it's own private beach, a friendly, talkative macaw who had his own perch in the palm trees on the beach (right), ponds full of turtles, and all sorts of fish, and hammocks fer layin' out about the pool. If you've ever had the wish to go to Key West, do it as a pirate!

There were a few battles at sea,  involving the Schooner Wolf and other historic schooners.  Lots of cannon blasts and flintlocks firing -- and shantey singing (page 2 for more on this).

Another night, the Key West Yacht Club held a pirate party, invitin' all the pirates (the lads & lasses were initially quite enthused about the large amounts of plunder lying about, but out of respect fer Capt. Finbar being a member, we kept our pillaging & plundering to a minimum. We even left all four walls a-standing!).  Captain Finbar, bein'  a long-time member of this Yacht Club, and decided it was high time that an image of his vessel, the Schooner Wolf, should decorate the walls.  So he stood up, with guns drawn, vowing that by this time next year - such a picture should be on the walls, and Michael MacLeod backed him up (left - Finbar is in white, Michael MacLeod is standing behind).

During the weekdays, there were several talks, seminars & workshops given by historians, authors, artists and pirate scholars, including Dr. David Cordingly, Don Maitz, Corey Malcom, Gail Swanson, Tamara Eastman, & others. I actually learned a thing ‘er two. There were many other activities all week long – Dry Tortugas trips, treasure dives, tours of historic attractions & museums, scavenger hunts, black powder shooting demos, Buccaneer Brunches at the Holiday Inn Beachside, children’s pirate parade, Key West Holiday Lighted Parade, and much more.

Anne Bonny and Mary Read await their tryal
(portrayed by Tamara Eastman and Ravan McElderry)

On Nov. 28, a re-enactment of the Tryal of Anne Bonny and Mary Read was held, actually on the 281st anniversary of the very day of the original trial.  Tamara Eastman and Ravan McElderry  once again portrayed the infamous female pyrates.  The poor bedraggled, accused women were paraded from the Mel Fisher Museum and hauled down Green Street to the court room in Old City Hall, all the while gathering up a crowd of spectators (who later proved to be very rowdy and really got into the spirit of things). 

Captain Spenlow (Captain Roach of the Corsairs) is sworn in by the bailiff (Capt. Morgan of the Corsairs)

Members of the Corsairs (Capt. Morgan, Capt. Roach & Jolly Roger) and the West Coast Mutineers (Grace O’Malley, Plaid Henry & Roach Loaf) filled in various roles.

Captain Barnett (Plaid Henry), capturer of the pirates, is sworn in by the bailiff.

 Arthur Whittam & Louie Lambie provided much comic relief respectively as tavern-owner Hosea Teasdale and an assistant admiralty court judge.

A slightly inebriated Hosea Teasdale (Arthur Whittam), proprietor of Tizzie's Tavern, testifies that those pirates weren't so bad (left).  He takes his time departing the courtroom (right).

(photo by Barbara Trushaw)
An assistant admiralty court judge (Louie Lambie) inspects one of Teasdale's flasks.

 Yer NQG editors rounded out the cast as Gov. Sir Nicholas Laws -the judge, & the "innocent" Dorothy Thomas as a witness.

Governor Sir Nicholas Lawes (Michael Lampe) presides over the tryal.

Don Maitz once again did a fine job as our courtroom sketch artist.

 The re-enactment was a rousing success, and after a standing ovation, the cast & audience returned to the Mel Fisher Museum courtyard for a reception party under the stars.

The second weekend of the festival got off to a "bang" with the Sea Battle on Friday afternoon, again headed up by Captain Finbar at the helm of the Schooner Wolf. Later, celebrations were held at several Pillage & Plunder Parties by various pubs (including our favorite, the open-air island-eclectic Schooner Wharf Bar), and Grace O’Malley’s Victory Party at Finnegan’s Wake. Even more pirates had showed up for this weekend of festivities. The Historic Seaport’s Pirate Fest & Village Thieves’ Market was held on Saturday and Sunday – with vendors, constant musical entertainment, rat pucking, staged fights, dinghy races, & much more, and partying into the wee hours of the night. The palm-tree studded Conch Republic Seafood Restaurant’s cobblestone parking lot was a scenic location for the Fight Circle, where the Time-Foolery combat crew provided excitement & thrills. The Conch Republic was also the site of Saturday evening's festivities, including the Buccaneer Bash and "The Only in Key West" Rum Mix-Off (we were two of the designated "celebrity judges" for the contest).

It was heartening to meet so many new buccaneers this year – there were about twice as many pirates as last year. In addition to the groups that were there last year, there were the St. Augustine crew Pirates AAAR Forever, the Royal Chessman from Ft. Lauderdale, several pirates from Georgetown, SC, buccaneers from the Contraband Days festival in Lake Charles, LA (including Jean Lafitte himself), and more that I probably wasn’t aware of. Many pirates, near & far, came on their own. Even another member of our California group, Louie Lambie, worked the Alaskan waters several extra weeks so he’d have enough doubloons to attend, and was very happy he did. Besides the Corsairs for musical entertainments, we were thrilled the Pyrates Royale made it this time, as well as the lads & lasses from the NY Ren Faire, who call themselves the Crimson Pirates. Other groups sang as well, including members of On the Lamb and the Pyrates of Tortuga.

Alas, all good things come to an end. Our piratical adventures ended with a splendid wind-down Scurvy Crew Shipwreck Cast Party at Turtle Kraals on Sunday. We said our farewells to our fellow rogues, especially to pyrate-queen extraordinaire & festival director, Julie McEnroe, and her 2nd-in-command, Julie O’Neil. We then headed off with plans to return next year. (By that time, I’m sure they will have forgotten about that little incident with the, uh . . . well, jus’ ya never mind about that.)

Evidence that pirates have been in Key West for a long time.

See much more of the Pirates in Paradise festival ...

Page 2 (Battles at Sea & Land)   --  Page 3 (Pirate Portraits)
Page 4 (It's a Bodice Thing)  -- Page 5 (Musical Marauders)
Page 6 (Scribbling Sea Dogs)

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Modified January 18, 2002
Web page design by Michael & Christine Markel Lampe.
© 2002 "No Quarter Given" . All rights reserved.
No don't you go piratin' any written material, graphics or photos from the "NO QUARTER GIVEN" website without permission, or we'll have to hunt you down, hand ya over to the crew, and let them have their way with ya. WARNIN': they've been a long time at sea.
Besides. . . , it ain't nice ta steal!