The Pirate Republic

Issue #1 – April 25, 2025“For those who sail beyond the edge of the map... or at least the Wi-Fi signal.”

April 25, 2025

⚓ This Week in Pirate History

April 25, 1719 – Cast Away, but Make It Literary
Arrr, ‘twas on this day the world laid eyes on Robinson Crusoe, the granddaddy of all marooned-man yarns. But ye best know—it weren’t pure fiction. The tale was inspired by Alexander Selkirk, a hot-headed sailor who got hisself stranded for four long years on a deserted isle. He survived off goats, coconuts, and probably pure stubbornness. His rescue came via pirate-hunter Woodes Rogers, who later ruled over Nassau and tried to crush the real Pirate Republic. Irony sails in strange waters, eh?
📖 Crack open Selkirk’s saga here

🧭 Featured Pirate Tales

 The Ghost Ship of Le Rodeur
In 1819, the French slaver Le Rodeur returned from Africa with more curses than cargo. A plague o’ blindness spread aboard, and those afflicted were tossed to the sea like bilge water. The ship limped back with barely a soul who could see the sails. Some say her ghost still drifts on the wind, cryin’ out through the fog.
☠️ One-eyed Willy? Try no-eyed everyone.

April 28, 1721 – Heist of the Bloody Century
Three infamous pirates—John Taylor, Olivier Levasseur, and Edward England—nabbed the Nossa Senhora do Cabo off Réunion Island. Onboard: a bishop, a viceroy, and more treasure than ye can fit in ten Spanish galleons. Diamonds, gold, artifacts… all bound for Portugal and now long gone. It be worth over a billion doubloons today, give or take a cursed coin.
💰 Some say the loot’s still out there, waitin’...

☠️ Modern Piracy – Still Kickin’ after a thousand of years of seafaring

⚓ Seizure of the MSC Aries (2024)
Yarr, piracy didn’t die with the tricorne. In 2024, the cargo ship MSC Aries was hijacked near the Horn of Africa. Seems the age of sail's gone, but the age of stealin’ ain't.
📦 From sabers to satellites—pirates just got better tech.

🥃 Rum, Rebellion, and the Bloody Tariffs

Why Yer Grog Costs More Than It Should (Curse the Crown, I Say)

Back in the age when maps still whispered “Here Be Monsters,” rum weren’t just a drink—it was lifeblood. Elixir of courage, balm for wounds, and bribe for any honest sailor. But then came the land-loving lords with powdered wigs and greedy ink-stained ledgers. Remember the Molasses Act of 1733? A cursed decree from the British aimed square at colonial rum runners, tryin’ to force 'em to buy molasses from their own sugar islands instead o’ the cheap, French kind. Bah! That act did more to spark rebellion than a cannonball in a powder room.​

Ye see, every time the taxman raised a tariff, a new pirate was born. Smugglin’ molasses and rum turned honest dockhands into legends—and turned His Majesty’s customs agents into favorite targets for keelhaul practice.

Fast forward to our time, and blast it—we’re still payin’ for it! Tariffs, duties, and bureaucratic barnacles mean yer bottle of Caribbean firewater now costs as much as a new cutlass. President Trump's recent tariffs have slapped a 25% levy on imported spirits, including rum, making yer favorite grog pricier than ever. ​Reuters

So next time ye uncork a bottle o’ the good stuff, raise it high—not just for the taste, but for every scallywag who ever outsailed a taxman in the dead o’ night.

🥃 Rum Tip: Want to dodge the crown’s cut? Find a local distillery and tell ‘em yer conductin’ “pirate research.” Say it with a wink, and ye might just get a dram on the house.

🎪 Festival Forecast – Get Thee to a Faire!

  • April 25–28 & May 4–5

  • Felicita Park, Escondido, CA

  • Why: Steel-clashin’ duels, grog, sea shanties, and more swagger than a parrot on payday.

  • April 26–27

  • CRAIG RANCH PARK, Las Vegas

Why: Full-size ships, cannon fire, and enough rum to pickle a kraken.

🧢 Gear o’ the Week

🔥 The Kraken Tricorn – Dominate the Deck in Style
Feast yer eyes on this savage sea-chapeau: a pirate tricorne adorned with a kraken crest so fierce, even Poseidon’d hesitate. This hat don’t just say “I’m a pirate”—it screams “I’m the final boss.” Whether ye be stormin’ a festival or just lookin’ to command respect at the market, this beauty brings the terror of the deep to yer dome.

Pirate ship for sale!

Is it time to give up the landlubber life?

🏴‍☠️ Own the Seas: 91-Foot Pirate Brigantine for Sale

Always fancied a life on the high seas? This 91-foot brigantine may be your ticket to full-blown piracy. A faithful replica of the Sultana—a nimble warship once tasked with defending the Massachusetts coast—this beauty can haul a crew of 80 scallywags and sail straight into legend.

⚓ Price: 1,500,000 gold doubloons (or dollars, if ye must).
🏴‍☠️ Comes with sails, swagger, and sea stories waiting to be written.

Just promise us one thing: when she sets out on her maiden voyage… you bring your mates at The Pirate Republic along for the ride. Deal?

📣 Join the Crew & Share the Booty

Sail with us across the digital seas:
📜 TikTok: @thepiraterepublic
▶️ YouTube: The Pirate Republic

💌 Know a scallywag who’d enjoy this fine scroll? Send it their way or hoist yer referral link

🎖️ 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.

 Disclosure: Some links in this newsletter are affiliate links, which means we may earn doubloons (aka a small commission) if you make a purchase—at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting The Pirate Republic, ya savvy sea dog!