⚔️ This Week in Pirate History

November 5, 1718 — The Death (or Legend) of Captain John Phillips

It was said that on this very day in 1718, the notorious Captain John Phillips met his end in the Caribbean — cut down by Captain John Mortimer, a man sworn to rid the sea of rogues.

Some tell that Phillips, drunk on plunder and pride, had anchored near Hispaniola when Mortimer’s sloop came bearing down. The night flared with cannon fire and musket smoke, and before dawn the once-proud pirate was dead — his own crew scattering like gulls before a storm.

But the truth, like the sea, is never calm. Other records place Phillips alive years later, commanding the Revenge off Nova Scotia until 1724 — when he was slain not by a naval officer but by his own captives.

So was Mortimer’s victory merely a sailor’s tale, told to warm rum-soaked bellies in Caribbean taverns?
Perhaps. Yet each November, the wind off the islands is said to carry whispers of the battle — and of the pirate who died twice.

📜 Historical note: The death of John Phillips in 1718 remains unverified. Most credible sources record his demise in 1724 near Newfoundland, but this earlier account persists among seafaring legends.

November 6, 1718 — The Recapture of Stede Bonnet, the Gentleman Pirate

After escaping from his Charleston cell disguised as a common sailor, Stede Bonnet fled up the Carolina coast aboard a small sloop. For weeks, he dodged patrols, hiding in inlets and creeks like a rat among reeds.

But fate — and the Royal Navy — would not be denied. On November 6, colonial forces cornered him near the Cape Fear River. Bonnet was dragged from his vessel, still wearing remnants of his “gentlemanly” attire, and returned in chains to Charleston.

Witnesses said he looked broken, pacing his cell in silence while awaiting the gallows. When the noose came for him, he begged only that his officers be spared. The crowd jeered, yet some pitied him — a wealthy planter who traded silk for sailcloth and found only misery.

☠️ So ended the Gentleman Pirate — proof that the sea takes from nobles and knaves alike.

Feature Story: The Notorious — A 15th-Century Caravel Reborn

⚓ Ship of Discovery — and Pirate Dreams

Nestled among Australia’s coastal waters sails a vessel unlike any other: the full-size replica caravel Notorious. Based on the ships of the 1480s and early Age of Discovery, this remarkable craft was researched, designed and constructed single-handedly by Australian boat-builder Graeme Wylie over the span of approximately ten years.

• Construction: The ship was built from reclaimed Monterey cypress timbers salvaged from windbreak trees in southwestern Victoria. Wylie began the keelson in April 2002, using an ironbark beam salvaged locally.

• Launch & Specifications: The Notorious was launched at Martin’s Point, Port Fairy, Victoria on 7 February 2011. She measures about 17.5 m in length, 5.5 m beam, 2.1 m draught, displacing 58-tonnes—one of the few true lateen-rigged caravels still sailing.

• Historic Inspiration: Wylie drew from local legend of the “Mahogany Ship,” a purported Portuguese caravel wreck on the Australian coast, sparking his ambition to recreate a ship type that could carry the mystery of exploration and piracy alike.

• Operational History: Notorious has sailed over 20,000 nautical miles through the Southern Ocean, Bass Strait and Tasman Sea. She is also used for public visits, offering an immersive glimpse into late-15th to early-16th-century ship-life.

🎩 Why It’s a Pirate’s Heart-Throb

Though built as a replica of a caravel—ships used for exploration—pirates historically valued such vessels too for these reasons:

• Speed and agility: Lateen-rigged caravels were more manoeuvrable than larger galleons, ideal for hit-and-run raids.

• Small crew-friendly: A caravel with lateen sails could be handled by fewer hands—perfect for pirate crews who sought maximum plunder with minimal overhead.

• Hidden potential: The Notorious features authentic period-style interior elements—capstan, block-and-tackle pulleys, galley hearth—often noted by visitors as evocative of pirate lairs.

🌀 A Tale of Legacy and Possibility

Standing aboard the Notorious today is more than a museum experience—it’s stepping into a world where exploration and piracy overlapped. Though she may not have carried a black-flag over her stern, she carries the shape, the sails, and the spirit of an era when corsairs, privateers and explorers shared the same waters—and often the same vessels.

If you ever find yourself in Victoria or any port visit where the Notorious is moored, climb aboard. Touch the teak, imagine seabirds, salt-spray and the crack of canvas overhead. For one ship’s past is exploration; another’s is plunder. The Notorious gives room for both.

💰 Plunder Pick of the Week

LEGO® Ideas: The Goonies (21363)

“Never say die,” me hearties — especially when ye can build One-Eyed Willy’s treasure ship with yer own hands!

Set sail for adventure with the new LEGO® Ideas: The Goonies (21363) set — a stunning tribute to the 1985 classic film that made every kid dream of finding pirate treasure.

⚓ What’s inside the chest:

• A highly detailed model of the Inferno, One-Eyed Willy’s legendary galleon, complete with hidden traps and treasure-filled decks.

• Iconic minifigures — Mikey, Chunk, Data, Mouth, Sloth, and even the villainous Fratellis ready to chase them below decks!

• Easter eggs from the film: a secret cave entrance, organ puzzle, and yes — a bag of marbles for your next booby trap.

It’s nostalgia, adventure, and piracy all in one box. Perfect for any collector, sea-dog, or Goonie who never quite grew up.

⚓ Never say die — just say “add to cart.”

👉 Explore the LEGO Ideas: The Goonies

🎪 Festival Forecast

Beaufort Pirate Invasion – Beaufort, NC (Nov 14–16, 2025)

Blackbeard’s old stomping grounds are under siege once more! The Beaufort Pirate Invasion returns November 14–16, turning the waterfront into a three-day pirate takeover.

Location: Eury Park, 700 Front Street, Beaufort, North Carolina

Friday Highlights:

• 2–4 PM – Pictures with Santa C.L.A.U.S.E
  A jolly twist on holiday photos: kids (and grown buccaneers) can grab a shot with a very pirate-friendly Santa.

• 5:30 PM – Pirate Dinner Cruise aboard the Crystal Coast Lady
  Set sail for an evening on the water with food, views, and plenty of pirate atmosphere. (Tickets via CrystalCoastLady.com.)

• 6 PM – Pirates’ Parlay in the Park
  An evening gathering of rogues, captains, and scallywags under the stars. (Tickets via TheBeaufortPirateInvasion.com.)

Saturday:

• From 9 AM – Street Vendors on Front Street
  Front Street between Queen and Marsh Streets (plus John Newton Park) fills with vendors, food, crafts, and pirate gear as the invasion takes over downtown.

If you’re anywhere near the Crystal Coast, this is the weekend to don yer tricorn, grab yer cutlass, and join the invasion.

🏴‍☠️ Closing Log – By Order of Captain Blackquill

So ends another voyage across stormy seas and stranger legends — a noble ship reborn, a gentleman undone, and a pirate who may have died twice.

Till the next tide, keep yer cutlass sharp and yer heart wild.
The sea calls — and Captain Blackquill answers.

🗣️ 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!

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🎖️ 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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