“Gasparilla Pirate Fest,” Panther John Gomez, & the Fictious Pirate Jose Gaspar

Last Saturday, a ragtag pirate band calling itself Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla invaded the port of Tampa, FL, kicking off the Gasparilla Pirate Fest, notionally in honor of Jose Gaspar, a brigand reputed to be the “Last Buccaneer.” The festival … Continue reading

Who’s the Pirate — Blackbeard or the State of North Carolina? Supreme Court Will Decide

Edward Teach, better known as the pirate Blackbeard, terrorized the Caribbean and the North American East Coast in the early 18th century. Now a documentary filmmaker is claiming that the State of North Carolina is engaging in modern-day digital piracy. … Continue reading

Bones From Whydah Gally Shipwreck Not “Black Sam” Bellamy’s, After All

Last February, we posted about human bone fragments found near the wreck of the pirate ship Whydah Gally on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.  The bones were located close to where a pistol, which possibly belonged to the ship’ captain, “Black Sam” Bellamy, had been recovered.  Forensic … Continue reading

Raising the Anchor from Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge

Until I saw the video I didn’t grasp just how large this anchor is.  It is believed to be from the pirate Blackbeard‘s flagship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge, which ran aground in 1718 while trying to enter Old Topsail Inlet in North Carolina, now known … Continue reading

Captain Kidd in the News – New Exhibit at Docklands Museum and Shipwreck ‘Living Museum of the Sea’

The notorious pirate Captain William Kidd was executed three hundred and ten years ago this month, yet is far from forgotten.  A new exhibit is opening on May 20th at the Museum of London Dockyards – Pirates:  The Captain Kidd Story. … Continue reading