Finding Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge

Although we believed for some time that the remains of the shipwreck discovered at Beaufort Inlet, N.C. by my buddy Phil Masters in 1996 was the notorious Blackbeard's, it wasn't until yesterday that archaeologists confirmed the historic discovery.

The 300-ton, 40-gun pirate flagship, Queen Anne's Revenge, was originally a French slave ship named the La Concorde when she was captured by Benjamin Hornigold near the island of Martinique. Hornigold awarded the beauty to one of his most courageous crew members, Edward Teach. And the rest is history!

The long-term debate over the true identity of Blackbeard's ship was because there was no precise identification. No name tag! Whereas explorer Barry Clifford's discovery of pirate Samuel "Black Sam" Bellamy's Whydah in 1984 was easily confirmed by the discovery of the ship's bell, QAR had a bell dated 1705, but no name. (FYI, most pirate ships were stolen and renamed, so the ship's bell didn't always reflect the name of the pirate vessel.)

Years ago, Phil introduced me to David Moore, archaeologist and curator at the North Carolina Maritime Museum. No one, and I mean no one, knows more about Blackbeard than David. (Obviously, we're kindred spirits.)

Get more info about the N.C. Maritime Museum's Blackbeard exhibit

And David has always believed the find to be Blackbeard's flagship. Why? The location. The number of cannons found. The size of the anchors. The age of the artifacts. And the fact that there is no historical evidence of any other large vessel like QAR in the neighborhood!

Read the National Geographic article: Blackbeard's ship confirmed off North Carolina

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St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum rated "excellent" by travelers

Employed by the English as a privateer; John Hawkins was considered a pirate and a criminal by the Spanish.

Pirates had workman's comp! Each captain took care of the injured by compensating crewmen for being maimed or losing a limb. And each captain had his own "rates:" loss of right arm, 600 pieces; left arm, 500 pieces; right leg, 500, etc.
The Castillo de San Marcos was built immediately after Captain Robert Searles sacked St. Augustine, Florida in 1668. Sir Francis Drake razed the city 82 years earlier.
"Walking the Plank" is a Hollywood myth. Pirates were more likely to throw men overboard, hang them from the yardarms, or keelhaul them.
Every Pirate Captain established a set of rules called the "Articles." Every member of the crew signed articles of piracy over a boarding axe prior to setting sail - symbolic to the oath the pirate just promised his fellow sailors.

What's You Favorite Pirate Ship Name?

	Adventure Galley
	Queen Anne's Revenge
	Speedy Return
	Golden Hind
	Rising Sun
	Sea King
	Good Fortune

ARTILLERY - CANNON

Naval artillery in the 'age of sail' encompasses the period of roughly 1571-1863: then large, sail-powered wooden naval warships dominated the high seas, mounting a bewildering variety of different types and sizes of cannon as their main armament. By modern standards, these cannon were extremely inefficient, difficult to load, and short ranged. These characteristics, along with the handling and seamanship of the ships that mounted them, defined the environment in which the Naval tactics in the 'age of sail' developed.

ARTICLES OF PIRACY

Though no universal code of conduct was acknowledged by all, many pirate captains established a set of rules with which each crew member was expected to comply while on board.

Many of these social contracts were remarkably democratic for their time and place in the world. As pirates, sailors had an unprecedented level of control of their destiny. In an assault to the traditional command structure at sea, pirate captains allowed the crew to vote in a new captain if a dispute warranted it.

WHITE SHARK

* 2 oz Light Rum
* 1 oz Vodka
* 1 oz Sambuca
* 2 oz Cream of Coconut
* 1 Scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream
* Blend ingredients with ice until smooth
* Pour into a chilled hurricane glass
* Dust with coconut shavings

Some of the many names for rum are rumbullion, rumbustion, Barbados water, rumscullion, devil's death (or "Kill-Devil"), Nelson's blood, and rumbo. A version of rum from Newfoundland is referred to by the name screech, while some low-grade West Indies rums are called tafia.

Backstay [bak-stey] - A long rope that supports a mast and counters forward pull.

Deadlight [ded-lahyt] - A protective cover fitted over a porthole or window on a ship.

Lee [Lee] - The side of a ship, land mass, or rock that is sheltered from the wind.

Poop [poop] - A short, raised after deck found only on very large sailing ships.

Finding Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge

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