Groundspeak Portal

Several recent categories reflecting general interest in a subject (MLK, JFK, James Bond) launched this category idea. The Pirates category would accept waymarks significant to the history of piracy including battles, famous pirate ports, museum exhibits, etc. of interest to the great pirates, buccaneers, and freebooters of legend. (No Long John Silvers restaurants or Jolly Roger Mini-Golfs accepted.) Any input, suggestions, or comments?

Generally I like it. Tell me more!

I'm not really interested in being an officer, but it sounds like a cool idea to me.  I'd go out of my way to waymark in that category.  I was thinking that it would probably be a very long time, if ever, that I could waymark in the category, but then I remembered an existing waymark I have that could be cross-listed: Cave-in-Rock a famous den for river pirates in the 1800s.

The category is open to site significant to famous pirates like Blackbeard, Barbarossa, Captain Kidd, Black Bart, Anne Bonney, Mary Read, Black Sam Bellamy. Sea ports historically associated with pirate history (Port Royal, Cartagena) would be accepted. I see no reason to exclude historic river pirates as they are another part of the long history of piracy around the world along with Elizabethan, Barbary, Caribbean, Spanish Main, Asian, etc. Other areas of interest would include permanent museum exhibits and public displays. Shipwrecks, battles, hideouts, treasure sites, graves, and any other sites of historical interest to the study of the Brethren of the Coast.

Captain Jack Sparrow and Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean attraction need not apply.

What is the era specification?

There are still pirates and modern crimes of piracy, from people in boats with heavy firearms who hijack private vessels and cruise ships, to nineteen year-olds in their bedrooms writing cheats for Microsoft Office.

I already know what you're talking about but I think you'll have to write language that excludes modern crimes of piracy (out at sea or otherwise) and turn up the historical value to minimise the "don't glorify criminals" criticisms.

But I'm on board, Cap'n. Yaarrrg!

steveherrick:

I'm not really interested in being an officer, but it sounds like a cool idea to me.  I'd go out of my way to waymark in that category.  I was thinking that it would probably be a very long time, if ever, that I could waymark in the category, but then I remembered an existing waymark I have that could be cross-listed: Cave-in-Rock a famous den for river pirates in the 1800s.

As long as river pirates are included think it would be good.  I could see this one being expanded to Pirates and Bandits and include railroad bandits to make it more inclusive.

Ahoy, ye scurvy dogs, The Sea Rats category has been created to plunder all yer pirate waymarks at the point of a blade. Arrgh!

 

 

Thanks, I'll do a little research to specify the era of history and to exclude modern sea piracy concentrating mainly on the Golden Age of Piracy.

Bruce, at your suggestion, I'll include river pirates of history as well but I don't want to expand into the landlubbing rail and highway bandits territory. I'm afraid that I'll overlap too much into Famous Crime Scenes.

I also like pirates, think it will be fun.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this!  Living near the NC coast and attending a University whose mascot is a PIRATE for the past six years have made me a little pirate crazy!

I think that it's important for each waymark page to include the story that makes this place significant, or a link to another website source that verifies the significance of the site.  For instance; Topsail Island NC is rumored to be named because Blackbeard used the waterways behind it (now the sounds and the ICW) in his navigation towards Ocracoke Island (one of his favorites) to hide from other ships, but ships out at sea could see the top of the mast of his pirate ship because of the lay of the island, so Topsail is what they called it.  There's not a specific site on the island that really tells you this, but there's internet documentation of the lore. 

That won't be necessary for a lot of self-evident sites, like museums, but a lot of pirate history is stories, both true and stretches of the imagination, and that's what makes them so fabulous and so far-reaching.  And also so elusive...

BruceS:

As long as river pirates are included think it would be good.  I could see this one being expanded to Pirates and Bandits and include railroad bandits to make it more inclusive.

Like on the Saskachewan River?

Great category idea.  Fun AND educational.  I'd like to see a western outlaws one as well (I know there are a few specific ones already).

Sounds like it will be a fun category! Plus it has the potential to be a universal one as well.

.......there's treasure to be found on this little island!

dinoprophet:

I'd like to see a western outlaws one as well (I know there are a few specific ones already).

Send a note off to YoSam. When the Jesse James category didn't make it through Peer Review, I heard he was going to rewrite to be an Outlaws category. I'm sure he'll like to know that there's still interest in having that category in the directory! :)