In December of 2004 Katherine and I joined over 100 other Pirate reenactors at the Pirates in Paradise Festival in Key West.

We booked a flight to Key West and had to ship most of our equipment because we had so many weapons.  So there we were in Key West with over 100 other Pirates.  We crewed up with the “Pyrates of the Coast”.  It was the “Pyrates of the Coast” that gave Katherine her Pirate name, BLACK KAT.  For six days we ate, talked and lived life as a Pirate.  For six days, we were Pirates!  It was hard to drop the Pirate talk when we boarded the plane to return.  “Arrrr!  Can me first mate here have a window seat there Lassie?”  But we returned to the Outer Banks and were able to get back into our routine.  But we realized we would forever be Pirates!

For six days we were Pirates. We had a blast. Fort Zachary Taylor was converted over into a Pirate encampment complete with period tents, cannons, fight circles, period style vendors and displays. On the beach there were staged battles involving cannons, flintlock muskets, blunderbusses and pistols between the Pirates on shore and the Pirates in ships. Katherine whose Pirate name is “Black Kat” entered the National Walk the Plank Competition. Katherine and her fellow competitors were forced to walk the plank off the Schooner Wolf into the briny depths. Katherine placed third in the competition. At the big Pirate Feast on the last night Katherine was awarded a small treasure chest full of gold and silver doubloons and jewelry. We had a fantastic time! The first picture is of Katherine and I on the beach. The next is a picture of Katherine jumping into the briny depths of Davy Jones Locker. Oh it is a sad time when 9 year old girls are made to walk the plank. She said that was the most fun of the whole trip. Her first words when she was brought back on board were “Can I do that again?”. The next picture shows Katherine with her friend Kristen McEnroe and her father Jim. We were on the stern of the Pride of Key West glass bottom boat.  The next photo was taken at the Pirate Party at the Schooner Wharf.

Here is the link for the web site of the Pirates In Paradise Festival.

http://piratesinparadise.com/

Here is a link to a short video of some of the action.

http://seearoomkeywest.com/Videos/pirates_in_paradise.htm