Sadly, a ship that was captured by Somali pirates in 2010 sank last week from rough seas and mechanical difficulties. The whereabouts of the fifteen crew members remains unknown, although the pirate captain has said that two crew members had been killed. Piracy remains a problem, especially in some parts of the world. However, armed guards aboard cargo ships and an international naval armada (complete with aircraft that carry out onshore raids) have curbed piracy off the African coast where it is most problematic.
Pirates are on their way to North Carolina! On August 9 & 10 they will attack Beaufort during the annual Beaufort Pirate Invasion. This event is going to be great. There will be lots of special events throughout both days for all ages, such as:
*a sword fighting show
*pirate attack including cannons
*costume contest
*live music
*pirate magic show
*pirates on trial
*dinner and buccaneer revue
*pirate drink (grog!) and menu specials at area restaurants and pubs
*lots of activities for children throughout the weekend, including “Ahoy Pirates” at the NC Maritime Museum from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. that will include pirate tattoos and hats, dining with pirates, and a scavenger hunt to find treasure.
Some events are FREE and some have admission costs. To learn more, visit www.maritimemuseums.com/beaufort/plan-your-visit/special-events and www.beaufortpirateinvasion.com
Note: August 2 there will be an update at the NC Maritime Museum at Beaufort about the QAR excavation project. This is widely believed to have been Blackbeard’s flagship that sank off Beaufort Inlet. Recovery efforts have been ongoing since 1996 and there is a permanent exhibit at the maritime museum featuring some of the artifacts recovered from this shipwreck.
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