Clenching swords in one hand and drinks in the other, Cayman’s annual visit from swashbuckling buccaneers kicked off with fanfare Saturday afternoon.
With the sounds of canons heralding their arrival, the pirates sailed into Hog Sty Bay for the start of the annual Pirates Week festival.
Thousands lined the waterfront to watch the theatrical landing of the pirates and the expected ensuing battle with the Red Coats as they protect the governor from abduction.
However, unlike previous years, the pirates did not come to pillage. Instead, they came to protect the islands from the looming invasion of the French commander Monseigneur Petit.
The blasting of the makeshift Fort George on the ironshore thrilled spectators gathered to watch the Bloody Bay Buccaneers and the Las Tortugas pirates make their way into town after capturing the French.
The clanging of swords echoed from the dock as the pirates battled to protect the islands, much to the delight of onlookers.
Captain Jack Sparrow, a crowd favorite, made his appearance by taking his own route to the waterfront, away from the pirate ships. Rowing a boat to the shore, Captain Sparrow was met by a wench who appeared to be a jilted lover who promptly welcomed him with a slap.
Not to be stopped, the cheeky pirate whispered some words and suddenly swept his wench into his arms for a loving kiss, only to drop her and run off to join the battle with his mates.
The hearty skit was a hit with the crowd as they giggled and cheered.
Ventisha Conolly, director of Pirates Week, said she was pleased by the turnout from the crowd.
“It’s even better than I was expecting,” she said in an interview with the Cayman Compass following Saturday’s landing.
She said the excitement is building for the rest of events planned for the festival, which includes the return of the popular pan in the city event.
Connolly said the community can look forward to more from the festival and bigger things ahead with the 50th anniversary on the horizon.
“Things had to change, we had to evolve and look at things to do better, and so it’s an evolving story and that’s that’s how we want it to be framed. So we’re not taking anything away. We’re just evolving with the times,” Conolly said.
Addressing the decision to drop Heritage Days from this year’s celebrations, Conolly said it is not the end.
“We’re looking at what works, what doesn’t work, what can we do better, and this is just one of those areas where we think we can do better, but we need a little more time to work on it. We also have other areas that we want to explore our heritage and push our culture with,” she added.
The landing was preceded by a parade of floats and a fireworks display Saturday evening.
The full schedule can be viewed here.
Related Videos
The Festival really needs to hit the RESET button; it has gone downhill ever since the departure of the Seattle Pirates, Ben “Blackbeard”, and Sonny “Capt. Jack” Chau! It truly has become the same old, same old performance that has lost the interest of the Caymanian people. Eventhough it was better than the Director expected, the crowd was pretty bare in a number of pictures! This was certainly not the case years ago, when it was a workout trying to navigate through the crowd! The current performance level, the lack of a pirate ship, and the same stale thinking its not going to take PF to the next level. This festival should have been way bigger and better than it presently is; unfortunately, the pettiness and politics between the pirate crews has been a big problem over the years. The government needs to start doing their part also; for for too many years they have not given this festival the financing and attention it needs. Fresh new blood (offshore pirate crews) is desperately needed, and the return of the Seattle Pirates and other former performers would be a GREAT HELP!!!