Steel, Shipwrecks & Smoke: Pirates Who Refused to Sink

Blackbeard torches the harbor at St. Christopher, John Bowen rebuilds his fate after disaster, and modern raiders strike in West Africa. Plus—cutlasses for every pirate, in honor of Captain George. Issue #33 – Dec 5th, 2025

Ahoy, Matey

Some weeks the sea gives.Some weeks the sea takes.And some weeks, the pirates bite back and carve their own destiny out of fire, wreckage, and steel.

In this episode, we sail from a shipwrecked crew that built their own rebirth, to Blackbeard thundering contempt at the king’s fort, to a modern anchorage raid in West Africa that reminds us piracy never truly sleeps.

And because one of our loyal crew—Captain George—called us out for never including swords in our plunder picks…this week, we bring the steel.

Prepare yourselves, mates.Episode 33 is sharp.

⚓ PIRATE HISTORY SPOTLIGHT

December 1701 — John Bowen’s Shipwreck… and His Resurrection

In December of 1701, the Indian Ocean pirate John Bowen was riding high aboard his plunder-fat flagship Speaker. But fate has a way of testing even the fiercest rogues.

As Bowen’s ship neared the island of Mauritius, the sea betrayed him.The Speaker smashed into the jagged jaws of St. Thomas’ Reef, ripping her hull wide open and sending her to splinters in the surf.

Bowen and most of his crew washed ashore—alive, but stripped of everything.

For three long months, they survived on the lightly inhabited island like castaways. No ship. No plunder. No future.

But pirates bend before nothing.

At last, they managed to purchase a small local sloop. They dragged her ashore, rebuilt her plank by plank, and transformed that humble craft into a swift brigantine.

They named her: Content

Not because they were satisfied—but because they were ready to take their contentment back.

With their new ship, they sailed for Madagascar, raised a fresh crew, and returned to piracy with renewed fury.A shipwreck didn’t end Bowen’s story.It sharpened it.

PIRATE HISTORY – DECEMBER 1, 1717

Blackbeard’s Fiery Raid on St. Christopher

At dawn, three ships glided into Sandy Point on St. Kitts, black flags snapping in the wind. The settlers recognized the silhouette instantly:

Blackbeard had come.

The island’s defenses were in shambles—rusted guns, thin powder stores, few trained gunners. Even the proud fort on Brimstone Hill lacked the strength to challenge him.

Blackbeard’s men seized every trading sloop they could reach.But the real insult came next.

They sailed a large captured French sugar ship directly beneath the fort’s guns… and set her ablaze.

The sugar-laden vessel became an inferno, sending a plume of thick smoke over the battlements.It was a message:Your king cannot protect you.

As the Queen Anne’s Revenge departed, the pirates torched several more sloops, leaving Sandy Point choked in smoke and ash—a fresh humiliation painted across the Caribbean sky.

🏴‍☠️ PRESENT DAY PIRACY WATCH — WEST AFRICA REPORT

Raid at Ikungulu Anchorage — The Sea Challenger

October 9, 2025 — DR Congo

In the quiet dark of Ikungulu Anchorage, opportunistic raiders slipped aboard the anchored tanker Sea Challenger. The duty crew spotted movement on deck and immediately raised the alarm.

The intruders fled into the night—but not before making off with ship’s stores.

The Port Authority was notified, another mark on the growing list of West African at-anchor robberies.No crew were harmed, but the warning is clear:

A ship at anchor is never truly sleeping.

🗡️ PLUNDER PICK OF THE WEEK — The Cutlass Edition

In Honor of Captain George, Who Demanded More Steel in This Newsletter

Last week, Captain George wrote in with a fine observation:

“Ye send plunder picks every week — yet nary a sword among ’em! What sort of pirate forgets the cutlass?”

He was right. So this week, we correct our course with three blades—entry, mid, and captain tier.

⚓ Deckhand Tier — Entry-Level Pirate Cutlass

A fine starter blade for any fresh-joined deckhand. 

This pirate cutlass may be forged from a metal alloy and kept dull for safety, but don’t let that fool ye — she looks every bit the blade a rogue would brandish before a boarding run. Perfect for display in any captain’s quarters (or a family home where small sailors roam).

With an overall length of 27 inches, this saber carries a 19.5-inch mirror-polished 440 stainless blade that gleams like moonlight on open water. The basket guard has that classic pirate swagger, and the black steel handle—wrapped in cord—fits the hand like it’s eager for adventure.

She comes housed in a sturdy wooden scabbard, ready to hang on your wall, mount across your bar, or rest proudly at your hip when guests arrive.

👉 Claim yer beginner’s blade:https://amzn.to/3XypMib

🏴‍☠️ Buccaneer Tier — Cold Steel Pirate Cutlass

A rugged, beautifully balanced cutlass worthy of drills, displays, or defending your rum locker.

Forged from 1075 high-carbon steel, this beauty carries a wicked curve — wider toward the tip, with triple fullers carved along the spine like scars from a past sea battle. She’s built to bite.

The basket hilt boasts S-shaped quillons and a shell guard fit for a captain, all dressed with berry-shaped accents that gleam like stolen doubloons. The grip is wrapped in black leather, ending in a fan-shaped pommel that balances the blade like a dream in the hand.

She comes sheathed in a black scabbard with silvered fittings, etched with seashells and nautical markings — the kind of detail that says this blade belongs to someone dangerous. A metal loop on the throat lets ye hang her from your belt, where all proper cutlasses ride.

👉 Arm yourself like a true rogue:https://www.medievalcollectibles.com/product/pirate-cutlass-by-cold-steel/?srsltid=AfmBOopkwne_bb3F8NK2CA70ZF5IzPLf0ScdczlRWO7OTCTNIIDCf-CmoVA

🗡️ Captain Tier — 17th-Century Solingen-Style Cutlass

A museum-quality masterpiece—worthy of Blackbeard, Vane, or Rackham. 

This be no ordinary blade — this be an authentic 16th–17th century naval cutlass, the very steel carried by the sea dogs of Britain, Europe, and the mighty Dutch East India Company. And when such blades were stolen or seized (as they often were), they became the preferred weapon of privateers and full-blooded pirates across the known world.

Maker-marked in the fuller with the famed Solingen running wolf and mystical symbols — “xx an xx solingen xx” — this cutlass bears all the hallmarks of German steelcraft coveted by sailors from the Caribbean to the coasts of Africa.

This particular piece was unearthed during an excavation in Europe, its past lost to time but its blade still whisperin’ tales. Others of the same make have been found scattered across the globe — Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, Central and South America, even as far as Australia — proof of how far these weapons traveled in the hands of merchants… and marauders.

A near twin of this cutlass hangs in the National Museum of the American Revolution, a testament to its long service. Though this style began to fade by the mid-18th century, it kept cutting its way through history — wielded in the French-Indian Wars, the American Revolution, and even aboard privateers in the War of 1812.

This is not a replica.Not a stage prop.But a blade that lived the age of sail — carried by kings’ men and claimed by pirates who took it as their own.

👉 Seize the blade of legends:https://www.thepirateslair.com/9-17thcentury-solingen-cutlass-2.html

☠️ OUTRO — WHEN THE SEA TRIES TO BREAK YOU

From John Bowen rebuilding his destiny plank by plank, to Blackbeard scorching a king’s fort with fire and arrogance, to modern raiders prowlin’ the West African night—the lesson is the same:

Pirates do not surrender to circumstance.They carve their own fate.

Until next tide, mates—keep yer cutlass sharp, yer courage steady, and yer sails full.

🗣️ 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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Fair winds and full inboxes!

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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 captainblackquill@gmail.com.

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