Behind the scenes at the Pirate Museum...

http://palm-coast-flagler-county-florida.blogspot.com/2010/11/behind-scenes-at-pirate-museum.html

It’s 10 p.m. on a Thursday night and I’m down on my knees scraping errant splashes of paint from wooden floors.

On the model ship’s deck, our director of sales and marketing is working the dry vac, sucking up scattered sawdust with an intensity that screams Virgo.

“I have. To get. It All. Up,” Cindy pants.

Out back in Shipwreck Island, I spot museum founder and head honcho Pat Croce sweeping up dust from the exhibit’s tabby-like floors. For this is how Pat is: A hands-on man; titles don’t matter when you’re working as a team.

In fewer than 19 hours, city officials will descend on the St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum for its soft launch—and we’ll be ready.

For the past seven months, I’ve had the privilege of working with Pat and our burgeoning super team of museum, construction, creative and business experts to bring The Pirate Museum to life.

We shut the doors of Pirate Soul Museum in Key West—opened by Pat in 2005 to share his extensive collection of authentic pirate artifacts—in August and made for St. Augustine.

A year ago, I knew more about state government and Flagler County as a reporter than I knew about pirates, and public relations was an unlikely home. But Pat’s passion for pirates is viral.


And here I am on a Thursday night on my knees, scraping errant splashes of paint from wooden floors—and loving every moment of it.

The task of breaking down a museum in one city and moving it to new digs 800 miles north is not easy. From artifact shipping and storage and new exhibit design to local permits, rebranded promotional materials and temperamental creatives, it’s definitely a logistical challenge; one that we were charged by Pat to pull off in less than a year.

Bring it.

In the past several weeks as we’ve picked up speed, it’s been inspiring and gratifying to see the final pieces begin to fall into place, to see teammates clink glasses after heated words, to finally get a very real picture of what we’ve all been working toward: The most emotionally immersive, interactive and authentic pirate experience in the world, right here in St. Augustine.

In a very real sense, we now all share Pat’s passion for pirates and excellence and it will be an exciting moment when we’re able to in turn share it with you all.

I invite you to visit us at the St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum next month and beyond to unleash your pirate soul. With hundreds of centuries-old artifacts, rarely-seen state shipwreck treasures, and dozens of interactives, it will blow you out of the water.
I promise.

Kari Cobham is a former staff writer at The Daytona Beach News-Journal. She now does public relations for Pat Croce & Co. projects. She's working on her first novel and doesn't watch CSI as often as she used to. Writing in third person is awkward and fun.

A lovely walk on the beach...

Yesterday, I took Jim and Kathy, who live on a trawler and stopped for a 1 day visit that has turned into a week (thanks for sticking around guys!), to the beach to look for sea glass.  The hunt was rather disappointing with only 5 small pieces and a few shells.  I went to this beach a few months ago and let with over 30 pieces, so I wasn't pleased with our hunt~lol  However, as a wise man once said, a bad day on the walking the beach is better than a good day at work.  We did have a wonderful time and enjoyed the scenery.

These photos are from a previous trip to the same beach when there was a little more to see...

Black Friday...photo update...

So while I was busy helping cook Thanksgiving dinner, Bob was drinking with "the boys".  As you can tell..he had a "couple"~lol  But to get back to the point of the above photo...we found kayaks on sale at Gander Mountain at a real good price (more than half off) and since I knew Max really wanted one and was saving all his money to buy one, I decided to surprise him by getting up before day-break and braving the Black Friday crowds and get him one.  After a few conversations with a boating neighbor, it was decided that I would get TWO, so Max didn't have to kayak by himself.  I knew Bob remember the "we're getting a kayak" conversation, but NOT the "buy two" conversation.

I fell asleep after setting the alarm for 5 am.  I woke up...alone.  Bob wasn't in the boat...Bob wasn't in the cockpit.  I assumed he was in the bathrooms and went on the search for him.  Unfortunately, I realize the van was missing.  He had left for Gander Mountain without me:-(  After a fast search for his keys, I was off for Gander Mountain and to find my run-away husband~lol

When I pulled up next to the van, Bob got out.  He looked like a train wreck!  I asked him how long he had been there and it turns out that he thought they opened an hour earlier.  He had been sitting in the parking lot for an hour already, bless his heart for trying.  He was game for grabbing kayaks (thankfully we were there early since there were only 10 available and we were not the first in the door!)

Of course, since Max was away...Pam had to play:-)  Electric Pat (if there's more than one boater with the same name, we all get nick-named~lol) and I took them out for a fast trial run and I'm hooked!  These little things are SO much fun!  I can make it across the river to the salt flats with no problem!

I went out with Max as soon as he got home from Laura's house and he had it down perfectly within about 15 minutes.

Bob decided to get in on the action, but unfortunately there's a weight limit or up to 175 lbs and Bob just tops that off.  BUT, the kayak holds up well with the extra weight, it just becomes slightly "unstable".  Much to Bob's (and Max's) surprise, you barely have to hit an "slightly unstable" kayak for it to tip over~lol

Unfortunately, I was laughing so hard I wasn't much help getting Bob (or Max about 2 minutes after Bob was out) out of the river:-)  Many thanks to JiM for letting Bob use his swim platform to pull himself out of the water...and thanks also for pulling Bob out of the water when he realized that he couldn't do it on his own~lol

Needless to say, we are enjoying the new toys and they will get much use here at the marina and beyond...and well be a constant source of amusement for the other boat dwellers that are here~lol

~Pamela

~Pamela

We survived Thanksgiving! Photo update...

I'm so happy that Thanksgiving is over!  Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the dinner Brad (another boater) and I worked on, but after working all day on Thanksgiving, then cooking again the day after...I'm thankful that it's over.

Our Thanksgiving dinner went well except for running out of ham and turkey~lol  I think everyone got to eat except for me, so I cooked another ham the day after.  We had 28 people sign up for THanksgiving dinner and served 41 (maybe more, I lost count).  The "follow-up" dinner served another 18.

A good time was had by all (some more than others~lol).

British-period sword hilt found

Once again, a post not really having to do with living on The Mystery, but it's pretty cool news for St. Augustine:-)

http://staugustine.com/news/local-news/2010-11-24/british-period-sword-hilt-found

By MARCIA LANE

St. Augustine ought to post a sign: Dig and expect history.

For the about-to-open St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum on Castillo Drive, putting in a wheelchair ramp and a wall turned up artifacts that date to the city's British Period in the mid-1700s, and possibly earlier.

"This is everyday life in St. Augustine," said City Archaeologist Carl Halbirt of the discovery as he looked through artifacts uncovered by Step Back in Time, the contractors working on the museum scheduled to open Dec. 3.

A battered piece of bronze is the most significant item found so far, says John Powell of the Colonial Spanish Quarter Living History Museum.

"It's the hilt fragment of a 1751 model British hanger or short sword," Powell said.

Originally the piece was shaped with two matching ovals that connected in the middle.

For some reason, one side broke. He thinks further damage was done in later years, adding that it would take an enormous force to flatten the piece into its current shape.

The sword would have belonged to an enlisted man and was the type the British used from the time they took over St. Augustine in 1763 and into the Revolutionary War era. The British used the pieces for close fighting in Europe, but in the New World they more often functioned as machetes, Powell said.

Other pieces found include a gentleman's fancy knee buckle from the late 1700s, a flat metal civilian coat button from the British, Second Spanish or even American period, an iron horseshoe with the nails still in it probably dating from the 19th century and a badly corroded pair of dividers of iron and brass from the late 18th or early 19th century that was used to chart courses on maps or figure distances.

Chances are all the items were lost by their owners.

"There was not a building where they're finding the stuff, but it was a tremendous area for human traffic.

Nothing was there, but it was where everybody walked and everybody talked and everybody rode; it was where people did their socializing," Powell said.

Across from the Castillo de San Marcos, the site was an open area for many years, in part to keep any attackers from having a place to hide. After the British came, buildings began going up.

"People were walking or riding to town or to the fort, and so they were dropping stuff," Powell said.

Other English-era items turned up include a white clay pipe, bits of pottery including a yellow handle from an English slipware mug and a British gun flint. They also found some pieces of earlier Spanish-era pottery as well as some more recent items that slipped into the debris, including a red Christmas bulb and a battered red and white can with the words Hoffman Cola.

Halbirt monitors the site, but he's on the lookout for evidence of buildings or large trash dumps. Step Back in Time owner Reese Moore and workman Cory Gale get credit for sifting through the piles of dirt dug up at the site.

"We're going to continue sifting through the debris," Moore said.

What they've found will end up as part of the new St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum.

Museum spokeswoman Kari Cobham said plans call for using the items in a room filled with paintings of pirates, including ones who attacked St. Augustine. It will be known as Rogues' Gallery and will have an archaeological exhibit featuring the artifacts found on the site.

Owner Pat Croce is calling it "History Beneath Your Feet," Cobham said.

St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum

The St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum at 12 S. Castillo Drive opens with a slash of the sword on Dec. 3.

The pirate museum has operated in Key West since 2004, but owner Pat Croce moved it to St. Augustine to the former Teepee Town and Christmas Shop location.

Croce is the former owner of the Philadelphia 76ers.

For more on the museum, go to http://www.thepiratemuseum.com/.

Whales arriving earlier this year

North Atlantic right whale and calf

http://staugustine.com/news/local-news/2010-11-22/whales-arriving-earlier-year-0

By LORRAINE THOMPSON

The whales are coming.

Although the North Atlantic right whales usually begin entering local waters in December, they may arrive earlier this season.

According to Joy Hampp, director of the Marineland Right Whale Project, the South Carolina/Georgia right whale survey team began flying surveys on Nov. 15 and reported two North Atlantic right whales off the coast of Georgia on Thursday.

Once a thriving species, fewer than 400 North Atlantic right whales are known to exist, making them the world's most endangered whales.

Each year pregnant females migrate from the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia, and the Gulf of Maine to the coastal waters of the southeastern United States to give birth and nurse their young. Last year, 19 calves were born in Southeast waters, the only known calving grounds.

The experts surmise that last year's colder than normal water temperatures contributed to the relatively low birth number, or it may have been the whales' birthing cycle. During the 2008-09 season a record of 40 calves were counted.

Females give birth every three to five years to a single calf after a 12- to 14-month gestation. Calves are completely dependent on their mothers for about one year. Right whales mature slowly and females are typically 9 to 10 years old before they give birth to their first calf. Studies show that males are 15 years old or older before they sire a calf. Right whales usually migrate alone or as a mother-calf pair.

"There has not been a documented right whale death since January 2009," Hampp said. "Last season was the second year that the speed reduction laws, requiring most vessels greater than 65 feet to maintain speeds of 10 knots or less in critical right whale areas, were in effect. While it is too early to know if this is making a difference, the absence of whale deaths is encouraging."

However, right whales continue to become entangled in fishing gear and have been photographed with new propeller scars, so the threats to their survival remain present.

Three years ago, whale watchers observed the adventures of right whale No. 2753, Arpeggio. She appeared off St. Augustine in mid-December and lingered in the area for two weeks with her first calf.

"Since the minimum interval between calves is three years," said Hampp, "we could see her again this season."

Another female, No. 1622, has been seen off St. Augustine and to the south every three years since 2002 with her second, third and fourth calves. "We last saw her in 2008, so if she repeats her pattern, she may be visiting our area this season, too, with her fifth calf."

WHALE WATCHERS NEEDED

Experienced and new whale watchers, as part of a network of volunteers, are needed to help monitor the whale traffic in our area. Training is provided. Seasonal visitors as well as residents are invited to attend training sessions.

A training session will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Dec. 9 at the Anastasia Island Branch Library, 124 Sea Grove Main St. (off A1A at A Street) in St. Augustine Beach. Other sessions are scheduled on Dec. 4 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at the Flagler County Public Library in Palm Coast and from 2:30 to 4 p.m. at the Ormond Beach Public Library. An orientation for all volunteers will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. Jan. 2 at the Center for Marine Studies, Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, 9505 Ocean Shore Blvd. in Marineland.

Although the official whale watching survey is scheduled to begin Jan. 3, the whales don't always follow that calendar. Last year the first whale sighting occurred in mid-December.

For information on the volunteer program, call 461-4058 or e-mail marinelandrightwhale@gmail.com. Early whale sighting reports should be directed to the toll-free Marine Resources Counsel Whale Hotline at (888) 979-4253. Any local sightings will be passed on to Hampp.

Cleaning the boat...

So you would think that cleaning the cockpit of The Mystery would be a quick and easy task.  Right?  Well, that would be a resounding NO!

Not only do we keep a bin of dog food (read big bin...enough to last 2 weeks for 2 German Shepherds) that has to be removed, but we also have another bin of "over-flow kitchen items (my crock pots, pots and pans, etc.) that has to be removed also. 

Then there are the seat cushions.  These ridiculous, ugly cushions don't even fit the seats properly, but they do hide the stains on the seats!  I don't know who the fool was that decided to spill varnish (which this is the ONLY varnish seen anywhere on the boat...including the woodwork!) on the seats, but thankfully the fool had removed the hideous cushions so the stains could be hidden.

Now, as if that isn't enough, I now have to get the made-to-fit plastic grate off the bottom of the cockpit.  This heavy, green matting is of the "industrial variety" and looks crazily similar to what you would find in a restaurant kitchen.  Did I mention how heavy it is?  Not an easy chore attempting to wrestle it off the boat without joining it on the dock~lol

Add to that the copious amount of dog hair and sand that practically covers the entire cockpit (I have to get the sand and hair off before they get into the boat don't I?  Attempting to get it into the trash bag is a lost cause...Shepherd hair seems to be "lighter than air" and flies everywhere!), I must sweep before actually spraying the cockpit down (don't want to clog that drain hole...again!). 

I'm not even going to mention saw dust~lol  Instead of carrying wood that needs to be shortened up the gangway to the saw horses, Bob simply saw it in the cockpit...grrrrr!

After getting everything off the boat, it's finally time to clean:-)  I grab my scrub brush, the bleach solution and the water hose and I'm off...

Now, don't think that my cockpit looks so much better because it really doesn't...remember the varnish stains?  Well, there's also a few "unknown" stains that simply refuse to be removed..and peeling paint where some fool (probably the varnish fool) tried to "paint" the cockpit with the wrong paint.  All I actually accomplish is sanitizing the cockpit, removing all the sand and hair and...well...that's about it.

I have now spent a total of 5 minutes cleaning the cockpit, another 5 minutes making sure it's rinsed very well and now it's time to move everything back into the cockpit.

The time spent removing everything and putting everything back is around 45 minutes.  Seems a little crazy, doesn't it?  I do this at least once a week and should probably do it every few days really.

Next boat...a storage locker under the cockpit seat that will accommodate the dog food bin and the overflow bin.  I also want seat cushions that are not hideous!  Not sure we'll ever not have a mat since it's there to let water flow under, but at least the heavy stuff won't have to be removed to accomplish the task.

Today's task...tackling the stuffed to over-flowing hole in the wall they call a closet.  This "closet" is not even deep enough to accommodate a coat hanger and I'm supposed to fit clothes in there?!?!  Not to mention...it's behind the head!

Another photo update...

This is the full moon coming up behind the rigging on the boat across from us.
It looked huge when I tiik the photo~lol

This mornings sunrise...

This and the previous photo were taken with the chrome setting on my camera...

This and the next were taken with the regular RGB setting.
Big difference in how the photos turned out!

Saying goodbye...

Luke and Michelle aboard the Lesser Light
continuing their journey south.

I've said it before and I'll say it again many times over, but it is very hard to say good-bye to all the new friends we are making.  This morning, the Nordic Tug, Lesser Light, started the next leg of her journey and is underway for Daytona.  It was wonderful to have Luke and Michelle at Rivers Edge, even if for only a few days.  They were a wonderful couple and an inspiration for me while they were here.  We will miss you and hope to see you again on your way back.

~Pamela

Lesser Light...

Photo from the Lesser Light blog

The delightful couple with the little red tug, Luke and Michelle, have allowed me to look around on The  Lesser Light.  I have to admit, I have boat envy...again.  The v-berth is more than large enough to stretch out in AND there is a nice flat-screen mounted on the wall...one that doesn't require binoculars to actually see the screen.  They also have a shower...that works...I'm going to have one of those one day:-)  In the mean time, I'll just have a little boat envy and add another feature to my "future boat"...the shower:-)

To find out more about Luke and Michelle and their life aboard The Lesser Light, check out their blog.

~Pamela