Chicago Sun Times 8/4/2006

Title: Tall ship crews let out inner pirate

Chicago Sun Times - Chicago, Ill.
Authors: Esther J. Cepeda
Date: August 4, 2006
Section: news
Edition: Final

Sub-Title: Tall ship crews let out inner pirate

Captain Bruce Randall may not have long dreadlocks, gold teeth, or a peg leg, but he's every bit the pirate at heart. Randall, 45, along with his tall ship, The Red Witch, and his not-too-motley crew have been known to fly a pirate flag and shoot off a cannon when the scallywag mood strikes. And it struck Thursday morning through the mists on Lake Michigan, as Randall and his wife and Red Witch co-owner, Karen, took their first promenade past Navy Pier in the Tall Ships Chicago 2006 Parade of Sail.

Slicing through driving headwinds, past the cheering crowds, the 77-foot, two-masted topsail schooner's 1st Captain Jim Marzano was at the helm shooting off the Red Witch's bronze-cast cannon -- to the hoots and hollers of his 50 guests for the day. "The Red Witch has been part of Tall Ships before," said Karen. "In fact, the first time we laid eyes on her was at Navy Pier during a Tall Ships, but this is our first time in the festival." Bruce Randall, a logistics manager for Domino Sugar, and Karen, a practicing psychologist, started their own chartering company three years ago after lifetimes spent in and on the water. "The lore of tall ships has its own draw," said Bruce. "If you're a sailor -- everyone wants to be a tall ships sailor."

BLACKBEARDS WITH BLACKBERRIES

And, in the spirit of legendary early 1900s Great Lakes schooner pirate Dan Seavey, every sailor has an inner pirate. Even modern ones, who check their Blackberries every two minutes while steadying the giant mahogany wheel of a yesteryear rig. "Pirate flag? Oh yeah, it's fun," said Bruce. "We'll see the Windy, or other Chicago rigs, and we'll fire cannons back and forth, yell silly stuff -- 'aaarrrgghhh!' . . . and other pirate things."

See all 17 Tall Ships on display at Navy Pier through Wednesday. For information visit tallshipschicago.net or call the Office of Special Events at (312) 744-3315. Photo: Al Podgorski/Sun-Times Photo / The Tall Ships Parade of Sail on Thursday was under rain and dark, gloomy skies -- perfect pirate weather. Photo: The Tall Ships festival continues through Wednesday.