Ahoy, Matey

“Splice the mainbrace, mates — this issue be stuffed like a treasure chest at the bottom of the sea! We’ve got Blackbeard nabbin’ the Sea Nymph while poor Stede Bonnet wanders in his dressing gown, the haunted ghost of the Whydah risin’ from the mist, a million in Spanish treasure pulled from the deep, and plunder to make yer Halloween shine. So batten the hatches — Episode 25 be ready to board!”

⚓ This Week in Pirate History

Oct 12, 1717 – Blackbeard Seizes the Sea Nymph

On October 12, 1717, Blackbeard added another ship to his growing fleet: the Sea Nymph, commanded by Captain Codd. With her capture, the infamous pirate was quickly building the strength that would soon make him the scourge of the Atlantic.

But the encounter also left behind one of the strangest eyewitness reports in pirate lore. Captain Codd, after his release, told authorities that while Blackbeard ruled the deck like a devil himself, his partner-in-crime Stede Bonnet — the so-called “Gentleman Pirate” — seemed oddly detached. Bonnet, still recovering from wounds and exhaustion, was said to wander about in his morning gown, a curious figure adrift among hardened buccaneers.

The story highlights the odd pairing of Blackbeard’s ferocity with Bonnet’s misplaced refinement — a partnership as doomed as it was notorious.

🎃 Haunted Seas of October

The Ghost of the Whydah Gally

The sea remembers, and some ships never rest. One of the most famous hauntings in pirate lore belongs to the Whydah Gally, flagship of the dashing pirate captain “Black Sam” Bellamy.

In the spring of 1717, Bellamy had just captured the Whydah, a massive former slave ship, and transformed her into a floating fortress. With nearly 146 men aboard and treasure from more than 50 plundered ships, she was a prize fit for a pirate king. But fate had other plans.

On a stormy April night, a brutal nor’easter smashed the Whydah into the shoals of Cape Cod. Waves ripped the masts away, the great hull splintered, and almost the entire crew drowned in icy black water. Only two men crawled ashore. The rest — Bellamy, his officers, and countless tons of silver, gold, and jewels — sank into the deep.

But legend says the Whydah did not stay buried. For three centuries, sailors and fishermen off the Cape have whispered of phantom cannon fire echoing across the waves. Some swear they’ve seen the ship herself, a glowing silhouette rising from the mist, sails torn but charging full speed through the fog.

The ghost stories are tied, too, to Bellamy’s forbidden romance with Maria Hallett, a woman of Wellfleet. Known in local legend as the “Witch of Wellfleet,” Maria was said to have been abandoned when Bellamy chose the sea. After the wreck, villagers claimed she walked the dunes in grief and fury, cursed to wander while waiting for her pirate lover to return. To this day, some say the sound of a woman’s wail can be heard when the wind howls through the dunes.

And if ye think this is mere sailor’s superstition — remember this: the Whydah was rediscovered in 1984, and more than 200,000 artifacts and coins have been pulled from her bones. Perhaps the old pirate ship still guards her treasure, lashing out with storms and shadows at those who dare to take it.

So keep yer lantern lit, matey — for on these dark October nights, the Whydah may rise again.

📰 Pirate News

Treasure Coast Discovery

Fresh treasure still comes up from the deep! Off Florida’s Treasure Coast, a salvage crew has recovered over $1 million in gold and silver coins from the wreck of the 1715 Spanish Treasure Fleet.

Among the haul were more than a thousand silver reales and rare gold escudos, many stamped with mint marks still clear after three centuries beneath the sea. Historians believe the coins may have once been stored in a single chest before the hurricane that shattered the fleet and scattered treasure across the Florida coast.

Three hundred years on, the Spanish Fleet continues to yield riches — a reminder that pirate waters still glitter with fortune for those daring enough to seek it.

💰 Plunder Pick of the Week

Transform yer home into a haunted pirate fortress this Halloween with the Epic Pirate Halloween Banner!

• Pirate Power: A fierce captain leads his fiery skeleton army across the seas of doom — guaranteed to chill the bones of trick-or-treaters.

• Grand Scale: At 13×6 ft, it covers a full garage door or wall, creatin’ a spectacle no buccaneer can miss.

• Battle-Tested: Crafted from tear-resistant, weatherproof polyester, it stands strong against wind, rain, or a full broadside o’ cannon fire.

• Quick Rigging: Comes with 8 grommets and rope — easy to hang on doors, fences, porches, or as a party backdrop.

• Reusable Treasure: Fold it up for pirate parties, photo booths, or next year’s Halloween raid.

⚓ Order now to be sure it arrives in time for Halloween night — or risk facin’ a mutiny at yer doorstep!

👉 Claim yer Epic Pirate Banner here before the tide turns.

🎪 Festival Forecast

Escondido Renaissance Faire – With Pirate Alley!

📅 Oct 26–27 & Nov 2–3, 2025

California’s longest-running Renaissance faire returns to Escondido’s Felicita Park for two weekends — and this year the pirates are dropping anchor in force. Alongside jousts, markets, and merry revelry, the faire features Pirate Alley, where multiple pirate crews gather to swap tales, show steel, and welcome landlubbers to the brotherhood.

Expect costumed bands of buccaneers, sea shanties, pirate-themed shops, and enough rum-soaked antics to make even Blackbeard grin. Whether ye be a knight, fairy, or freebooter, the Escondido Ren Faire be a port worth making.

▶️ More info: Escondido Renaissance Faire

☠️ Outro – Captain’s Log

“From Blackbeard’s fleet-building to ghost ships and fresh gold, this issue proves the sea never runs out of stories — or specters. And as October’s nights grow darker, remember: every knock at the door might be a trick-or-treater… or a pirate crew demandin’ chocolate, rum, or both. Until next tide, fair winds and foul weather to yer enemies.”

Fair winds,
– Captain Blackquill

🗣️ 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!

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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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