Ahoy, Matey

Some pirate legends are forged by steel.
Others by belief.

This week, we sail with Samuel “Black Sam” Bellamy, who struck British trade by capturing the Saint Michael and proved piracy could be about principle as much as plunder.

From there, the pirate spirit carries on — a Hollywood ship reborn beneath the sea, pirates stealing the stage in the UK, and swashbuckling fun at the holiday game table.

One pirate history.
Many pirate lives.

Welcome to Episode 34.

⚔️ PIRATE HISTORY — DECEMBER 19, 1716

Samuel Bellamy Captures the Saint Michael

The Rise of the Pirate Who Called Himself “Prince of the Free”

On December 19, during the height of the Golden Age of Piracy, Samuel “Black Sam” Bellamy and his growing crew struck a telling blow against British commerce — the capture of the merchant ship Saint Michael.

The Saint Michael was a British vessel sailing from Bristol to Jamaica, her hold packed with trade goods meant to feed the empire’s Caribbean appetite. She was well crewed, respectably armed, and utterly unprepared for what emerged on the horizon.

Bellamy’s ship closed fast.

🏴‍☠️ A Clean Capture

Unlike many pirate attacks, this one ended without bloodshed. Bellamy had already earned a reputation not just for success, but for strategy and restraint. Faced with his guns and his numbers, the Saint Michael surrendered.

The pirates stripped the ship of valuables, supplies, and useful gear — everything a growing pirate crew needed to survive and expand. Bellamy’s men took what they wanted and let the vessel go, a reminder that piracy wasn’t always about slaughter, but control.

⚓ The Philosophy of Black Sam

Bellamy wasn’t just a pirate — he was an idealist with a cutlass.

He believed the sea belonged to those bold enough to take it, not to kings, merchants, or monopolies. His crew operated by vote, shared plunder equally, and followed a code rooted in freedom rather than fear.

The capture of the Saint Michael helped cement Bellamy’s reputation as more than a raider — he was becoming a leader, gathering men who believed piracy offered a fairer life than the brutal hierarchies of merchant ships and navies.

☠️ A Legend Still Rising

This raid was one step along a meteoric path. Within months, Bellamy would command the mighty Whydah, becoming one of the wealthiest and most talked-about pirates of his age — before fate would claim him in a single violent storm.

But on December 19, Bellamy was still building his legend, one captured ship at a time.

And the British merchants learned a hard truth once more:

The Atlantic was no longer theirs alone.

🏴‍☠️ PIRATES IN POP CULTURE — THE BLACK PEARL’S FINAL VOYAGE

A Pirate Prop’s Final Act Beneath the Waves

Some pirate legends fade into memory.
Others slip beneath the waves — and begin a whole new chapter.

In late 2025, a 97-foot steel pirate ship used as a movie prop for Pirates of the Caribbean completed her final voyage off the coast of Panama City Beach, Florida. Instead of sailing into battle, she was intentionally sunk to become part of the region’s artificial reef system.

A pirate ship, reborn as a haven for marine life.

⚓ From Silver Screen to Seafloor

Prepared and cleaned for reef use, the ship was towed offshore and carefully scuttled in deep water, where she now rests roughly 75 feet below the surface. Steel cannons, flags, and themed elements were added so divers descending on her feel like they’re exploring a sunken legend rather than a scrap hull.

What once framed cinematic battles now shelters fish, coral, and curious divers — a rare meeting of pirate myth, film history, and marine conservation.

🌊 Watch the Black Pearl Go Under

The moment she slipped beneath the waves was captured on video. You can watch the dramatic sinking here:

👉 Facebook Reel — the Black Pearl sinking:
https://www.facebook.com/reel/4072799372973212

The masts dip.
The hull disappears.
And a pirate legend vanishes into blue silence.

🐠 A New Kind of Treasure

Today, the ship serves a purpose no filmmaker could have planned:
a living reef, a dive destination, and a reminder that pirate stories don’t end — they transform.

The Black Pearl may no longer sail, but she still draws adventurers… just with air tanks instead of cutlasses.

And somewhere below the surface, the legend waits.

🏴‍☠️ PLUNDER PICK OF THE WEEK — Holiday Game Night Edition

Skull King: The Ultimate Pirate Card Game

Looking for a treasure that doesn’t require digging holes in the backyard or explaining why the parrot learned new words?

This week’s plunder is a perfect holiday game for kids, grandkids, and pirate fans of all ages — a fast, clever card game that brings swashbuckling fun straight to the table.

⚓ Grandpa Beck’s Games — Skull King

A wildly popular pirate-themed trick-taking card game, Skull King challenges players to do one simple thing… and fail spectacularly trying:

Predict how many tricks you’ll win each round.

Bid right, and you’ll haul in points like a seasoned captain.
Bid wrong, and it’s straight to Davy Jones’ locker.

🃏 Why Pirates Love It

This isn’t just cards and counting — Skull King is packed with pirate chaos:

🏴‍☠️ Pirates & the fearsome Skull King
🧜‍♀️ Mermaids who can turn the tide
🐋 The White Whale & the Kraken for surprise twists
🎯 Strategy, bluffing, and laughs every round

Easy to learn, quick to play, and endlessly replayable — perfect for holiday gatherings where ages and attention spans vary wildly.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Perfect for the Holidays

• 2–8 players

• Ages 8+

• Great for family game night, vacations, parties, and pirate-themed gatherings

• Loved worldwide in 20+ languages

Whether you’re teaching young deckhands the art of strategy or outsmarting a table full of grown scallywags, Skull King delivers big laughs without sinking the evening.

👉 Add this treasure to your holiday chest:
https://amzn.to/4rTblmC

🎭🏴‍☠️ PIRATES IN THE ARTS — UK SPOTLIGHT

“Treasure Island” Swashbuckles Into Festive Fun

Ahoy to our mates across the pond! If your December plans include theatre, rum-soaked carols, and a proper dose of pirate mischief, there’s a lively production you’ll want on your radar.

A new UK stage adaptation of Treasure Island is making waves, earning glowing praise for turning Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic into a raucous, music-filled, family-friendly pirate romp. According to ArtsHub UK, this version leans hard into festive spirit — bold performances, live music, humor, and high-energy swashbuckling that brings the tale roaring back to life.

This isn’t a dusty literary retelling. It’s pirates as spectacle — loud, joyful, and unapologetically theatrical. The cast leans into the fun, the music drives the pace, and the whole production feels tailor-made for December crowds looking for adventure, laughter, and a bit of nautical danger without the cannon fire.

For UK readers, it’s proof that piracy still rules the stage — not just the page or the screen.

⚓ Why it matters to pirates:
Pirate stories endure because they’re meant to be shared out loud — sung, shouted, danced, and acted. This production reminds us that pirates have always belonged as much to taverns and theatres as to history books.

If you’re in the UK this season, keep an eye out — Long John Silver and crew are very much alive… and stealing the show.

☠️ Captain’s Log

Samuel Bellamy believed piracy was about more than taking gold — it was about choosing freedom on your own terms.

That belief still echoes.
In ships reborn beneath the sea.
In stories brought roaring back to life.
And in laughter shared around a table of cards.

Pirate legends don’t fade.
They adapt, resurface, and sail on.

Until the next tide, mates —
keep your course bold and your spirit free. 🏴‍☠️⚓

🗣️ Share the Spoils, Matey!

Know a landlubber who’d love tales of treasure, ghost ships, and real pirate history? Don’t keep the gold to yerself—send ‘em our way!

📜 Sign up here → https://www.piratefanclub.com/weeklynewsletter-thepiraterepublic

Fair winds and full inboxes!

Sail with us across the digital seas:
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▶️ YouTube: The Pirate Republic

🎖️ Thanks for Embarkin’ on the Voyage

We set sail every Friday, storm or shine. Keep yer spyglass pointed at the horizon...
and may yer week be full o’ plunder, parlay, and just the right amount o’ mutiny.

Share this letter with yer crewmates, an if ye find treasure or tales worth tell’n, send them to [email protected].

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