Category Archives: nautical

Review of Pirates; The Pursuit and Captivity of Captain Jack Scarfield

It has been a long time since I read this kind of story, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was surprised at the outcome and stayed up late reading to see the characters through their battles.

There was no attempt to hide the gruesome nature of the time in history when pirates were the scourge of the American coastline. Robin Moore found the delicate balance of enough graphic description to not glorify the pirate and not so much that it was an overly bloody tale. There is an honesty in the rendering of the story to relate the fear of a pirate encounter and the risks of life at sea.

Moore’s writing exhibits a great deal of research into the ships of the pirate era, their manufacture, upkeep and battle damage and repair. The realism of early Philadelphia, Pennsylvania comes through in the wonderful descriptions of the characters home, streets and customs.

I highly recommend this as family read aloud, or for the young persons first dive into nautical adventure. Adults don’t turn your back on this quick, engaging read of pirate adventure and coming of age.

What Does Your Family Sound Like?

Every family has a certain playlist. That constant background music or noise that is seldom acknowledged. When I was a teen I babysat for a family, it was a no TV house, the constant background there was classical music piped softly to every room. It was a serene household, but I always had to fight… Continue Reading

Archaeology and Family Stories

  It was as if I entered a portal to time and crossed over to the American Revolution. Was this a table in the offices of Archaeological and Historical Services, Inc or my great, great, great, great- Grandmothers kitchen table?     http://www.ahs-inc.biz/mainpage.html   While researching a family story online I found an archaeological report… Continue Reading

Nautical Storytelling and Sea Chantey Music

Sea Chantey Demonstration at Mystic Seaport     I have immersed myself in nautical research for a forth coming nautical epic storytelling. I willingly signed on to Mystic Seaport’s Sea Chantey class. www.mysticseaport.org  Four weeks of singing sea chanteys and learning about the music of the sea and the work it was created to support. It is… Continue Reading

The Bosun’s Pipe A Calling

The Bosun’s Pipe A Calling

It was not so long ago when I was playing with a slide whistle that I remembered a great whistle. It was a shiny Bosun’s Whistle that had been in the family. I was not sure who it belonged to , but I do remember that I was entranced by it as a child. The… Continue Reading