Seafair Pirates

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Seafair Pirates aboard the Moby Duck at White Center Jubilee Days, 2007

The Seattle Seafair Pirates are a voluntary group of people that was started in 1949 by the members of the Washington State Press Club. They joined together with other community leaders to create Seattle's first Seafair Festival in 1950.

1 Who Are The Seafair Pirates?
2 Charity
3 Pirates and Seattle community events
4 The Pirates outside Seattle, community ambassadors
5 History of the Seattle Seafair Pirates
6 Pirate ships!
7 Arr-References
8 External links

[edit] Who Are The Seafair Pirates?

The Seafair Pirates are a group that was founded in 1949 by some of the younger members of the Ale & Quail society. The group was created to help provide some entertainment and to promote the Seafair festival in Seattle, Washington. The Seafair pirates are a dedicated group who take their roles as pirates seriously. There is a rigorous process to even being considered when joining the group, as they only want individuals who will dedicate themselves. They are a big hit at the Seafair parades during the summer months, and the "boom" of their cannons warn the crowd that they are coming. They get the crowd pumped and scare a few kids along the way, but it's all good fun.

[edit] Charity

Despite their "bad boy" reputation, they entertain and raise funds for different charities twelve months a year. The Pirates charities include their own Holiday Treasure Chest Fund, which provides food, toys and good cheer to families in need. Every Christmas thousands of toys are delivered to families along with food for the holidays.

[edit] Pirates and Seattle community events

The Seafair festival is a month long festival that starts with the ^[1] at Alki Beach in Seattle usually during the first Saturday of July. Throughout the summer the Seafair Pirates participate in approximately 40 local festivals as well as several hundred private appearances. The grand finale is the Seattle Seafair Torchlight Parade that occurs in August. "Seafair has become a home town jewel that reaches nearly 2 million Puget Sound residents each summer." ^[2]

The Seafair Torchlight Parade is a regular highlight of the Seafair summer festival. In 1999, the parade featured 4,000 participants on more than 100 floats and in bands and dance and entertainment acts. ^[3] This parade is ranked the largest nighttime parade in the Northwest, with drill teams, community floats, regional and international bands, equestrian units, giant helium balloons, clowns and pirates. ^[4]

[edit] The Pirates outside Seattle, community ambassadors

The Seafair Pirates are Goodwill ambassadors for the city of Seattle, and have traveled across the United States and Canada, as well as to Grand Cayman, Mazatlán, Kobe, and Taiwan. Each year they also travel to the Cayman Islands for Pirate Week. In 2007, Sports Illustrated was shooting it's Swimsuit Issue for 2008 and the pirates appeared in full uniform with model Melissa Haro.^[5]

[edit] History of the Seattle Seafair Pirates

In 1949 the younger members of the Washington State Press Club's action committee, the Ale & Quail Society, founded the Seattle Seafair Pirates. The members of the Ale & Quail Society then joined together with other community leaders to create Seattle's first Seafair festival in 1950. Since that time the Seattle Seafair Pirates have directed their energies and talents toward the promotion and production of Seattle's annual Seafair festivities.

Every summer since 1950 the Seafair festivities have begun with the annual proclamation of Davy Jones' renewed warfare upon the upstart, so-called "King" Neptune. In due course the city falls and the Mayor hands over the keys to the city at the Pirate's Landing. The Seafair Pirates have triumphed again!

In early days the Seafair Pirates' triumph often included the burning of Neptune's flagship, complete with fire-works. That stopped when the supply of derelict ships became depleted.

The Seafair Pirates are led by Captain Kidd and Davy Jones. Captain Kidd is elected by the Ale & Quail Society to lead their pirate operations. Davy Jones, an honorary Seafair Pirate, is chosen from the Seattle community to sail with the Pirates for one year.

Always seeking to promote Seattle and Seafair, the Seafair Pirates have had many adventures over the years. According to the Pirates' website, in 1953 the Seafair Pirates heard of a fund that had been established to ransom British subjects captured by pirates. By then the fund was worth well over a million dollars. In an attempt to collect this treasure the Seafair Pirates "kidnapped" the British consul and vice-consul, informing the government of Britain that the pirates of old were still in business. While they were mentioned in The Times, they did not receive any payment.^[6]

[edit] Pirate ships!

The Moby Duck

The Seafair Pirates command two ships.

The Moby Duck is a former DUKW from World War II which has been highly modified to look like an old Spanish galleon. The Moby Duck has a siren in the front to warn the ladies and children of their approach. There are also real cannons to ward off those who might give chase. The Moby Duck is formerly amphibious but now sails only on dry land.

In 2006, the pirates hornswaggled themselves a hydroplane, the U-37, better known as the Miss Seattle. The boat had a previous existence as the U-8 Llumar Window Film, and has won the 2005 Seafair Chevrolet Cup (and two other races outside Seattle) and also won the 2006 Seafair Cheverolet Cup. Jean Theoret will continue to pilot the boat in races. The boat's official owner is Billy Schumacher, a boat racing celebrity.