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| Here’s the plan — we get on this black-hulled sailboat with the skull and crossbones flag. The flag that means: “Look out we’re pyrates — don’t mess with us.” We’re the intrepid duo from the Northeast Journal. You might know us better as the famous pyrate lady, “Calico Susie,” known and feared all over Tampa Bay and ship’s mate, pyrate “Blackbeard John.” | 
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| Capt. Nikko Lorenczi, Commodore of the Left Coast Privateers and Master of the sailing vessel Quest, greeted us dockside. He is the very image of a pyrate of old. Dressed in full regalia, complete with sword, pistol and tri-corner hat, neck draped in silver chains, including some actual coins from the famed shipwreck, Nuestra Señora de Atocha, uncovered by treasure hunter Mel Fisher off of Key West some twenty years ago. Then we set sail with the rest of his “pyrate crew” promptly at the high tide mark. Not much wind that day, so we use diesel to get to where we’re headed. Which is just off-shore at Vinoy Park where this Blues Festival is taking place on a gorgeous day in St. Petersburg. Ahhhhh — perfect springtime weather in Florida. |
“It don’t get no better’n this,” some might say. Blue skies and great blues music echoing across the blue water. Cannonades and flintlocks a-roarin’ on board.
Some of the biggest names in blues music have appeared at the Tampa Bay Blues Festival each year since 1995, performed right on the waterfront in scenic Vinoy Park. Acres of grass and palm trees, make this a perfect tropical setting for one of the world’s biggest and best blues concerts, always presented during April — almost always perfect spring weather in the Tampa Bay area.
Sorta reminds you of some lyrics from another great Florida singer, Jimmy Buffett, for those of an older generation —
We learned of Nikko’s background — how he learned to sail at age five off the Ohio shores of Lake Erie near the town of Fairport Harbor. He eventually made his way here after stops that included shrimping in Key West. Somewhere along the way, he bought the Quest. It was in terrible condition, but has been upgraded and refurbished so that today she’s in excellent condition — a 49.9 foot Atkins Clione, built in 1929. She doesn’t look a day over 39 years old. Cap’n Nikko has a very successful charter business with the Quest, soon to be enhanced with an additional 100-foot boat that will sail from Madeira Beach and provide even more room for his pyrate “crew for the day.” He offers two charters every day, taking groups of six or eight to “attack” the Pier or Vinoy Park with cannon and musket “fire.” There are also sunset cruises available. Each is an excursion on Tampa Bay like no other boating experience. You learn a little about pyrate lore, how to actually handle a boat like this, trim the sails and how to fire a flint-lock pistol if you wish. Or just sit back and watch the hard-working crew do everything. | 
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| Cap’n Nikko runs a tight ship. To be on a sailing ship of this size offers a lot of comfort but you also need an understanding of sailing vessels. The wind can be a variable thing, especially on a nearly wind-free day. You have to be aware of the mainsail boom that can catch an unwary landlubber with a painful if not dangerous blow to the head. Nikko can attest to that, even with a lifetime of sailing expertise. He was once knocked overboard in open Caribbean waters while aboard this very boat. Well, “aboard” once he climbed back in. |
When the boat is on a “tack” and ready to “come about,” everybody is warned to watch the boom as it swings through the turn. For you with little experience afloat, “come about” is the nautical term for making a “U-turn.” When that happens, the wind swings the sail boom from one side of the boat to the other, and you’d best not be in its way. While making a run to “attack” the Pier or some other “target” Nikko is careful to keep the Quest at least 300-feet away. The order to “hold fire” is frequently given, when some errant small boat gets too close. Even more importantly, on board the Quest, with live gunpowder, there is another safety issue. The black powder needs to be stowed and handled with care. You definitely have to be aware of where the barrels are pointed, even though the “ammo” is hot dog buns. And no live flame anywhere near the powder chest. | 
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| In order to build up compression to propel real ammunition, paper wadding was used in the cannons and muzzle-loading hand guns, before modern rounds and bullets were developed. Since we are not using any cannon balls (duh!), the paper is a potential environmental mess, so the Environmental Protection Agency decreed paper could not be used. Our cannoneers searched for something else and discovered that bread could be jammed into the muzzle and would help compress the fire for a realistic sounding “boom” — and as my ears will acknowledge, served quite well for a realistic alternative to cannon-fire. Besides, consider all the benefits of casting our bread on the waters. Now, after a Quest excursion, countless fishes, and undoubtedly those scavenging gulls are stuffed with an extra meal or two. |
 
| “Fire in the hole” means cover your ears — NOW! The wick has been lit that leads to the gunpowder in the cannonade — then BOOOOOOOM! | 
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If truth be known matey, no finer afternoon could be had. Two big caveats: Wear ear protection and take plenty of SPF 30 (or better) sunblock.
As we headed back to our dock, talk turned to songs that sailors and pyrates would sing. One of these is the one made famous by Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale of pyrates, Treasure Island. This is the one with the chantey,
“Chest” in the 18th Century actually meant a small un-inhabited island. The pyrate's code called for an offender to be marooned if certain rules were broken, such as attempting to desert the ship. Sometimes a group would be marooned, so there could be "15 men" on a tiny island. The code usually provided each man with a small arms, such as a pistol, a bottle of water, a bottle of powder and shot for the pistol. A lot of old salts have sung this sea chantey (or sea shantey) for years. One researcher asked a group in Chicago where they learned it, and they replied: The Library of Congress has compiled a number of these chanteys, many of which can be readily downloaded from their website, Library of Congress and search for “Performing Arts” then “chanties.” | 
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There are also some old recordings by the Fred Waring singing group known as The Pennsylvanians and Mitch Miller and the Gang, as his singing group was known. Both of these choral groups recorded a variety of old sea shanteys.
Another question was posed:
One reason probably has to do with the history of the world as the 18th Century began. Spain at that time controlled much of the Americas, including Florida and most of the Caribbean islands. Spain had the biggest and strongest Navy — the superpower of its day. Great Britain wanted more, but did not have the resources to build a strong enough navy to challenge Spain. The answer was privateering — a navy of mercenaries.
The privateers became the heroes of England and the scourge of her enemies. In today’s words, they were the “rock stars” of that day. Over the years, the words “privateers” and “pyrates” (or pirates) have become blurred although each word still has a distinct meaning. The most famous of the English privateers was Sir Francis Drake, whom Queen Elizabeth I affectionately called "My Pyrate." This is the same Sir Francis who went into history books as the first to circumnavigate the world in the Golden Hind. Sir Francis Drake, the sea captain who repelled the Spanish armada. The sea dog the Spanish hated. Obviously what benefited England became the stuff of legends and was anathema to Spain. Jimmy Buffett puts it pretty well: | 
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Pyracy was very much a man’s world. Women were not even allowed aboard pyrate ships. It was part of the “Pyrate’s Code.” Punishment was severe and swiftly administered for those who broke the code — pyrate’s law.
There were some notable exceptions where women did go to sea. When they did, they often proved to be more than a match for the men. Two famous examples are Anne Bonney and Mary Read, who both wreaked havoc in the Caribbean for years.
There is a lot of information about pyrates, or pirates if you prefer the modern spelling, at such websites as Blind Kat and a site run by the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum in Key West, Mel Fisher Museum.
You can also find more information about Florida Pyrate Adventures, our host on that lovely Sunday adventure. Their website: Florida Pyrate Adventures, or contact Cap’n Nikko at 941-822-2095.
Being a Tampa boy, I grew up hearing about all that buried treasure on any number of spoil islands in Tampa Bay, all the way from Egmont Key to Bird Island to Joe Bay to Moses Hole to Mullet Key to Passage Key to Cockroach Bay. Maybe, like Jimmy Buffett’s ballad, I “arrived 200 years too late.”
I never found any of that treasure, except for the treasure of living in this extraordinarily beautiful part of Florida.
| Susan Woods Alderson, our “Calico Susie” of the day is the Northeast Journal’s Managing Editor and Photographer. She braved the Quest’s noisy crew of pyrates along with John Bailey, known that day as “Blackbeard John.” John is an Emmy-award-winning video producer/writer, specializing in using your video and photographs to help create Photobooks and DVD memories of family histories, events, birthdays and more. Contact him at 727-798-2846 or e-mail: John Bailey. | 
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