PAGE 16 • WINTER 2005 THE JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SAILING ASSOCIATION
FEATURE STORY
continued from page 10
LAST MINUTE HOLIDAY GIFTS!
Avast, ye landlubbers
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Here was an opportunity for adventure and maybe even
stardom that even Jimmy Buffet surely would not pass
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up. A week later, I’d made my way far up the coast to for a great selection of gifts
Disney’s makeshift offices at Chateaubelair where tall
ships assembled and the ghost ship, The Black Pearl,
for the sailor!
was being constructed on top of a barge. Life was
looking good as I met a few other excited would-be
All This & More!
pirates and we tracked down the right person to speak
with regarding our new careers. Most pirates I’ve come to
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learn had a pretty short stint at it before they met some • ASA Coastal Nav Course
gruesome fate, and my piracy too was delivered a full
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broadside and sank in flames in short order when casting
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informed us would-be buccaneers that the pirates were
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all being flown in from Los Angeles and we would be • Ullman Sails Sunglasses
filling out the ranks of the British Navy and Royal
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Marines. Now swinging from the footropes of a tall ship
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as she plowed through the seas didn’t sound all that
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bad, and I figured it would probably look better on my
sailing resume than pirate so I said, “I’ll be a sailor
then!”
A month later, rowing training commenced, and the
bustle of the British Navy seemed nearly real as sailors
from all over the Caribbean assembled to do their duty
and learn to row the jollyboats under the direction of the
real sailors who’d brought the tall ship The Lady
Washington down from my home state to be the featured
ship in the film as The Interceptor. Having rowed in the
wig of real hair and, of course, the tri cornered hat under
sun for three days until we were finely honed to respond
the tropical sun with temps hovering around 90 degrees.
in perfect unison to the Boson mate’s formal commands
of rowing a boat, we’d made the grade of sailor and
My first command was of a Jollyboat that rowed across
come to accept that the footropes of the tall ships had
the background of a scene with Johnny Depp entering
also eluded us. Still my new mates and I merrily showed
Port Royal. It did not seem that this officer was headed
up at costuming on the given day where we fell under
for glory any time soon, so I took the only course of
the close scrutiny of Disney’s campy British costuming
action available: always be the first officer to show up
department.
when there is a call. This, of course, required me to keep
my uniform on most of the time and kept me out of the
Pre-soiled and stained garments began transforming my
ongoing card games in the extras’ tent, but I knew that
mates as we stood before them but they only circled
Disney is scrupulous when it comes to continuity from
around me muttering to each other “Oh yes, this one,
scene to scene, and therefore I just needed to get in
he’ll do nicely!” They were courteous enough to ask me if
front of the camera once and I’d be entrenched in the
I’d be a naval officer, and I felt at first another broadside
heat of the action. Blood, sweat and tears, fortunately,
coming after all the training and camaraderie found with
were not necessary to claim my prize, only sweat; but my
my new mates, but as he doffed me with a tri corner hat
campaign was victorious and I became Commander
and said with a wink that I’d have more scenes than
Norrington’s left-hand man for days of filming.
Johnny Depp, the lure of rank and a real sword set my
jaw resolutely to the administration of my new rank.
Three weeks later and many other adventures on and off
the set, the filming wound down. After all that film time,
my mates and I were sure we filled half the movie and
The joy of fame we began to hint that we’d be willing to show up at the
Rank unfortunately has its pitfalls and mine came in the
premier. Disney never sent our tickets to the premier;
form of a high-collared shirt, wool vest, stockings, wool
and, unfortunately, the pirates ultimately won the battle
breeches, three-quarter length heavy blue wool coat, a
continued on page 18
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