Fist Full of Seamen

The Sloop "E. Seconds"

2012-01-22T17:02:00.001-08:00

The Sloop "E. Seconds" a legitimate English merchant vessel by all accounts, has a keen reputation in these waters of being able to deliver those hard to find items to any patron who is not too picky of the previous owner. By no means a pirate nor plunderer the captain of the vessel has all the right contacts in all the wrong places.

OverTaking the sloop "E. Seconds" by the aft can be a sticky situation.

Empire Falls near the lost temple of the Maya.

2012-01-18T10:58:00.000-08:00

Better video of waterfall mist made by a small humidifier behind the Plexiglas front.

New Recuits in the Spring!

2012-01-11T09:42:00.000-08:00

The Main Floor of Recruits Fall of 2011

Officially we have been granted Table Space in Lee's Summit, Missouri for the next session of Recruits. The Gracious hosts at Lee's Summit High School have provided an exclusive area beneath the main convention hall that will be more accommodating to our expansive tables our thunderous revelry and our pursuit of debauchery.

I'm told it is more spacious than it may appear. I do like the Decor!

The official write up

Event: Sixteen Miniatures on a Lead Man's Chest
Rules: FFoS (unpublished)
Period/Era: 18th century as Hollywood See's it.
Scale: 25/28mm
GM: Mr. Christian and the Mutineers
Club: Sponsor: Old Glory 25s (Prizes Provided)

Come about ye scurvy dogs and run up the colors! The Largest pirate game in the Midwest just got bigger. More Ships, more locations, and more adventure than ever before. Brave over 600 square feet of table space in one of 20 ships, raiding, trading and cannonading your way to the title of most infamous captain to sail the Caribbean. Governors, cannibals, smugglers, merchants, pirates and agents of the crown all scramble for their share of fame and fortune in a world of limited resources and infinite possibilities. Prizes will be awarded to both the best and worst career; participants are encouraged to dress the part. Anyone under the age of 14 must have an adult at the helm of their ship. If you are interested in bringing your own tall mast ship to play, please contact me before the convention to write up a sheet for game play.

http://www.mtswebsites.com/recruits/index.php

Hope to see you there.

Salty dog's Ship Log's

2011-12-14T14:11:00.000-08:00

Underway

The ship is as authentic as possible but with no support vessel we have to line the deck with everything we use for safety and public tours.

Crews quarters

If Columbus only had it this good. (galley)

At the helm

Bow Watch

The Captain ask me to up date the ships log for you land lover's, so here it be the links

Ships Log 1

Ships Log 2

Ships Log 3

A Fist Full of Improbability

2011-11-19T20:50:00.000-08:00

The writers of Fist Full of Seamen in an ernest if not potentially misguided effort to promote a more authentic gaming experience to the armchair buccaneers in our following have somehow mustered into the undermanned crew of an organization obviously desperate and woefully unaware of our seamen ship, trying to get two replica 15th century sailing ships to a port in Florida from Muskogee Oklahoma. Yes you read that correctly, tall masted ships, a landlocked state, Fist Full of Seamen. The Columbus Foundation (http://www.thenina.com/) an amazing little organization that has been visiting the ports of north America for the last twenty years, dedicatedly educating about Columbus' ships is exchanging training, birth and board for a thirty day voluntary commitment before the mast.

Now the potential of this has all the ingredients of a noteworthy calamity, and God willing, watching over little children and fools, this ship just signed on three of them.

Mr. Christian

Embarking December 7th a day that will live in infamy.

Pirates on the Seas and ne'er-do-wells on the land.

2011-10-31T09:30:00.000-07:00

This All-Hallow's-Eve be thick with highwaymen and brigands

Recruits! Sixteen Miniatures on a Lead Man's Chest.....

2011-09-12T08:33:00.000-07:00

Recuits Convention in Lee's Summit, Missouri (USA)

Table Layout for Fist Full of Seamen's "Sixteen Miniatures on a Lead man's Chest."

Eastern Map

Western Map

Lost Island of the Mayans

Settlements and Locations

Port Manteau (English)

Fort Nicanville (French)

Port Culis (Dutch)

The Slaves are revolting!

Brute Alley Tea House

Harbor

Lost Mayan Temple

What dangers inhabit these dark and foreboding shores?

The Local Wild Life!

Mayan Pyramid

Galleon Beach (Pirates Hideout)

Cannibal Island

Ships

Scalawags and Sea Rovers

Best Seafaring Career

Captain Ken claimed the most Doubloons scoring him the title of best Captain's Career. For this he claimed a Prize Sloop and an Old Glory Army card subscription.

For loosing the Dutch Port to Chinese Pirates without a shot fired, worst career goes to this young lad who was awarded this honorary pool floaty and another Old Glory Army subscription.

Credit Where Credit Be Owed:

Gracious Hosts at

Lee's Summit High School (LSHS)

Duane Fleck and Nick Wilkowski

Creator: Scott "Mutiny! Mr."Christian

Set Design and Photography: Steve "Quarter Master" Hobbs

Rule clarification and assistant GM: Cody "Keeper of the Code" Dillon

Costumes by Sherron"Pins and Needles" Christian

Pirate Art Work By Stacy "Paintchik" Klinger

Generous Prizes Provided by :

The East Indiaman Bangkok

2011-08-20T22:21:00.000-07:00

"The Bangkok"
The Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie or the Dutch East India Company's trade with the Caribbean Islands is well known and nothing represents their firm grip quite like when the EastIndiaman Bangkok delivers a load. A little smaller than a warship this lumbering behemoth's girth provides the pleasures of the orient to any one willing to pay and a bountiful prize to anyone daring enough to take her.

Treasure Galleon

2011-07-19T20:32:00.000-07:00

The Treasure fleets of the Spanish empire have all but vanished from the waters of the Caribbean in the turn of the 18th century. The once unfettered, gold laden, ships majestically road the trade winds to Espania propping up a decadent and bloated monarchy. Now the rare sighting of these antiquated warships sends buccaneers and governors alike into a gold educed delirium to claim what treasures await the bold, brave, and blood thirsty.

(Editor and Builders note: This ship was modified from a prefabricated purchased model. There just isn't a good selection of Galleons out there. I also wanted to see how easy it was to convert a display model to a gaming piece.)

The Brig Newton

2011-07-19T19:34:00.000-07:00

The Brig Newton has served the Halley Family of Derbyshire's foreign interests for nearly eight years. Her proctor Alexander, second son to Edmond Halley Sr. a successful and very wealthy soap manufacturer, named the vessel after an obscure mathematician his elder brother met at Cambridge. Her first venture to Turkey retrieved a rich bounty of dried dates, spice, and tea that netted a enormous profit despite Moorish blockades of Istanbul. Recognized by the British East India Company, Alex was chartered to relocate labor from the markets of Guinea to Hispaniola. After a deadly out break of cholera , the HMS Newton has fallen victim to the universal fourth law of motion. No movement is possible until acted on by sufficient investment.

Reef Raft

2011-06-14T20:30:00.000-07:00

Only a destitute sailor would brave the tumultuous moods of the Caribbean on nothing more than a little lashed wood.
These waters are full of desperate Seamen.

Galleon Reef

2011-06-13T14:15:00.000-07:00

The Wreck of the Galleon Monja Azul
The Royal Spanish Trade Galleon Monja Azul has served as a navigational marker, reverent shrine and occasional target practice for almost a hundred years. Perched on a craggy sandbar like a sentinel, the image of a Catholic Nun watches over the narrow passage that provides a precarious channel to the Spanish discovered Las Vírgenes, now under the protectorate of the royal Navy. When most protestant crews encounter the petrified sister for the first time and inquire for her name in English, a round of guilty snickers arise from the name "Blue Nun".

More Pictures from Border Wars

2011-05-19T11:56:00.000-07:00

Wider angle shots of the Table.

Fifteen Miniatures on a Lead Man's Chest (Boarder Wars)

2011-05-15T19:46:00.000-07:00

Here thar' be pirates.
Kansas city saw the first run of the game I've been putting together for over a year now. The whole project is only about a third done, lacking still several ships and two more boards of equal size. One man's ambition is another man's madness. For size comparison next to this 1500mm pirate is the game-board stretching out a meager 28ft by 8ft. This sounds like an absurd adjective for size but a 26 inch long Ship of the line needs a lot of room to grove.

Land-lubbers about to get their feet wet. Some more than others.

The Pirate's Code isn't a complex mater but it does take a bit of explaining from Mr. Christian.

Strangely in both encounters the British Ship of the line fared poorly to the French frigate.

The lone inhabitant on this deserted isle is Salty Al, a saltwater American crocodile. He enjoys long strolls along the beach, the sound of the surf, mixers with the natives, puppies or anything else unlucky enough to wash up on shore.

Galleon Beach is little more than a sand bar but the pilfered wreckage of a Spanish trade ship serves as a warning to those who misjudge its merciless reefs.

Fort-Nicanville

Cannibal Island

Port Manteau

Rogues' Gallery of our Brethren of the Coast
(Dressing the part)

Prize Winners
A prize vessel from Old Glory Shipyards was awarded to the most Successful player, the captain of the French Frigate who used a burning schooner to ignite the British ship of the line.

"The BBopp Award"
The unluckiest captain by popular vote was awarded a 5th of Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum and a set of pink child floaties after having his merchant ship taken as a prize by pirates. Left adrift on the damaged pirate sloop where upon rowing to a pygmy savage infested island his remaining crew recovered a lost Inca treasure. After loading it into the longboat his remaining crew were eaten by Cannibals. Alone the Captain in the longboat pulled for the closest French port. Just yards from shore he was intercepted by cutthroat smugglers where he was challenged to an honor duel for the treasure. Consequently both combatants were Mortally wounded. The crew now without leadership mutinied and left with the treasure never to be seen again.

Honorable mention
This young entrepreneur received the Capt. Jack award for opening a catering service for the local cannibals.

Credit where Credit be owed
Camera Work: Robert Steve Hobbs
Location provided By HMGS-HA (Border Wars) Organizer:Brian Beale
Transportation and logistics: Grady"Caisson" West
Assembly, movers, assistant plot developers and Island inhabitants: Shelby"Shanghai"West, Brian"Broadside"Bopp, Cody " Cannonade" Dillon.
Press Ganged into service for last minute painting:
Sherron"What the hell is dry brushing?" Christian
Carrol " I call it Art!" Tuttle,
Tim "They Call me Tim" McCollum
Matt "Beat to Quarters" Rose
Alex "14 shades of Brown" McDonald

Next Port Of Call :

Recruits!

La Petite Mort

2011-05-11T09:03:00.000-07:00

La Petite Mort
(By Steve Hobbs)

Crew spun legends of the Flying Dutchman, the fanciful tails told to new swabs to keep them spry on watch in the small hours of the morning are common place but few sailors know the real horrors that roam the Caribbean nights. Mentioned in hexes and whispers by only the saltiest of sea rovers, The La Petite Mort is enough to make a tea toting Puritan turn to the bottle. A cold sweat, a quiver down the spine and a cry in the night for the Almighty are the last things a sailor may ever experience.

Les Bien Hores

2011-04-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

Les Bien Hores

With a black flag and a heart to match Captain Pedazo de Culo has terrorized the Spanish main for the last 2 years. Formally a English colonial textile miller with no formal training in sailing or Spanish, he went completely berserk after finding his new bride in the arms of his castilian wet nurse. In a fit of rage Martin burned his town house to the ground and left the two standing at the shore line as he sailed off in a stolen dinghy. His first boarding action was logged and recanted later by his crew as Martin rowing up to the side of the first vessel flying the Spanish ensign he could find. Then being helped on board by the boatswain, Martin announcing to the captain he was personally declaring war on Spain and threw the Officer overboard.
It goes without mention that we were a bit tak'n a back by this castaway over throwing the ship at first. When he first say's his name es "Motin." We were like Mutiny? Yea we haven't seen pay in a month. El Capitain's Espanol es dreadful pero....ahh we try our best to get his orders carried out. We still don't really understand the name of the ship he picked "The good hours?" We think it has something to do with his wife.
(Sucio Carlos, Able seaman)

Fregate Marseille

2011-03-27T22:09:00.001-07:00

Tensions in the Caribbean have been high since the arrival of a new British warship and not wanting his interests to run afoul Louis the XIV has dispatched the Fregate Marseille (Frigate Marseilles EN.) to appease his edgy local governors. The ship has made birth at Fort-Nicanville (pronounced: Fornication-vil in FR.) not to duel with the British ship-of-the-line but rather to drive away the influx of scalawags that are no longer welcome in the English King's waters. The Frigate Marseilles a 26 gun, fully rigged warship has not entered the Caribbean without the notice of the other colonial settlements. More than a few times the captain's unintentionally engaged English speaking merchants by simply hailing for news.

"They came up right next to us like they were want'n to trade and parley. Then her captain shouted "Ahoy! Fregate Marseille to English Vessel." They never loosed a shot but after we heard they gave no quarter our captain ran like hell....."

The "Rood Dijk"

2011-03-19T23:05:00.000-07:00

For 98 years the banner of the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC has monopolized on trade from the new world to the Far East. In her armada of cargo laden fluyts, Junks and galleys seemingly unnoticed passes discrete and deadly vessels tasked to aggressive negotiations. Many a troublesome Governor have overlooked tariff after a company bombard ketch dropped anchor in his harbor and iron on his customs house. Too well known to the Brethren of the coast is the say’n to dally to long in a pirates haven attracts the company and a meal for the ravens.

Beneath the ensign of the United East India Company and the billowing canvas of little more than a yacht, the ROOD DIJK, Red Dike in Dutch, hides a 13 inch mortar used for trade liquidation in hostile takeovers. The Dijk in a matter of a few commodity exchanges can bring a bull market to a crashing halt. It is said that the Ketch got its name from the vessel’s first skipper that drunkenly reminisced of the red tulips of a lush valley that he knew as a young man. Seems no man of his hamlet was allowed entry and was often driven away by the frigid approach.

H.M.S. Titan Uranus

2011-02-16T08:42:00.001-08:00

The HMS Titan Uranus, the dominant power of the British Crown in the new world is commanded by Rear Admiral Philip McCavity. A grand vessel to say the least, filled with the finniest British seamen in the Caribbean has done her best to bring taxable goods safely to port. This fifty-two gun, fourth rate ship of the line to most navies, has dominated the sea-lanes east of Hispaniola and makes birth at Port Manteau a prominent English stronghold in the West Indies.

Nothing makes a scalawag clinch up like the sound of a bow cannon shot across his Poop deck and the cry of "TITAN URANUS OFF OUR STERN!" quoted a beaming midshipman of the Royal navy.

Small Craft advisory.

Nothing quite says British Naval Superiority like the prowl carving of a preening cherub clutching the Ensign of St. George's Cross.

The Pinnace "Enya"

2011-02-16T07:46:00.000-08:00

Smuggling in the new world is the second oldest profession, right behind taxation and only because women were frightful bad luck on ships. Small craft like the Pinnace Enya have served as couriers, duty free traders and cut rate transportation for those unable to afford the high tariffs of the crown. Not much of a prize for pirates and too costly for the crown to waste resources chasing down, the skipper of the Enya quietly slip in and out of ports around the Caribbean making a fair living.

2011-01-03T08:34:00.000-08:00

The Salty Swallow

Blockade running for nearly a decade the Swallow boasts a spotless log of no lost seamen before the mast. Her skipper B.J. O'Toole an Irishman of Limerick with a notable aptitude for short anapest metered poems has made a name for himself and vessel by running contraband and individuals avoiding the English crown from Caracas to St. Kitts.
"For the French I not be a like'n, but thar' colors I'll not be Strike'n. Under thar' lettre de course I strike the English with nary remorse. Kill'n every limey bastard among'um."
Skipper B.J. O'Toole

The "Sea Cups"

2010-04-25T22:20:00.000-07:00

The Sea Cups a recent acquisition by pair of entrepreneurial brothers has been a little more than a handful for her new investors. Previously Dutch crockery kilnmen the Van Utters, sold their family business and set sail for the west Indies in search of a better market to peddle their jugs. To honor their former trade they christen the Sea cups after their previous holdings in the Delftware "Double Tankard" factory where the pair apprenticed. Although thought of as pair of boob's by their less than enthusiastic crew, firm profits have kept the crew more than aroused about their next grope at fortune.

The Pinnace "ENVY"

2010-04-17T19:13:00.000-07:00

The Pinnace Envy skippered by the enigmatic yet strangely effeminate self Commissioned Major Crimson Flow terrorizes the shoals of the Virgin Island about every 28 days. Leaving no survivors and staining the seas with blood, Major Flow has waged a curious war against the East India Trading company's New world coco production bound for markets in Western Europe. Much speculation has flourished about this sea Musketeer's identity and eclectic targets but no evidence points to any local man as an able hand on the pinnace.

The Sloop De'Jour

2010-04-15T21:27:00.000-07:00

The schooner "Orator"

2010-04-14T21:35:00.000-07:00

It's said that the Shcooner Orator has offered service under more colors than an Antiguain bar maid.

seaman Poole

Captain Harry Snatch at the helm.

Flying the Lible Roger

Documenting progress,

2010-01-25T20:43:00.000-08:00

Lost Island Falls.
I placed a micro humidifier behind the falls to make a mist effect for the water fall.

The Port Cullis

V.O.C.

Still waiting for some of the washes to dry the Dutch trade outpost is almost done. Mostly needing detail work, I posted these for the followers that are wondering where to trade cargo in the upcoming game.

Stopping for sleep, 96hours until "P" day.

The Brute Alley Tea House. , whipping you up a good hot drink to stave off the cold.

Try the pound cake.

nearly done on the lost Mayan Adventure. Weird part is it's really not even that important to the rest of the game. Just a side adventure for those who want to venture over there. the pictures stink because I only used an iphone to grab them. better photos later when it is finished.

YELLOW BEARD!

Yea he can't tie one stink'n knot but man he can climb ratlin's

A busy Saturday.

Lost Mayan Temple.
This is a combined effort project by Steve Hobbs and myself. Steve built the Island from foam and a compound by the Foam Factory website that puts a hard shell over the structure. He also built the bridge. I'm the waterfall builder and I am currently working on the forests.

Markers for the Pirate game......

This post is just documenting the progress of the game board for Fist Full of Seamen. Official posts later. Most of the buildings were pre-fab with the exception of the Caribbean Buildings from Brigade Games and Games of War .

French port day 1

Cannibal Island day 1

Port Manteau day 1

Day 1

Jungle View of Church

French port Day 2

Port Manteau Day 2

Day 2 both ports

Flocking Around the Clock (day 3)

More Flocking Pictures (day 3)

Flock this Place I'm Going to bed. (day 3)

Next on Survivor Cannibal Island

Someone had a Spaniard over for dinner.
Idol time
Neolithic Lawn ornament

Going out for dinner.