< PreviousDepartmentFeaturesStory and photos by Irene AmietGrowing up, children of the Texas Gulf Coast breathe the piratical history together with the salty air. Richard Reid was one such boy in Galveston, scan-ning the sea, hoping for a clipper to appear on the horizon while listening to his parents tell stories about an ances-tor who was part of Jean Laffite’s crew. Naturally, Reid watched all the classic pirate movies: “Treasure Island;” “The Sea Hawk,” starring Errol Flynn; “The Goonies,” with One-Eyed Willy, who was his personal favorite; and then “Yellowbeard.”For most children, those buccaneer adventures occurred only on the silver screen. But for Reid, the beach was just a step away and everything related to pirates didn’t seem at all remote or ficti-tious.As a young boy, his dreams of pirates were fueled by a father who loved to hide a bottle containing a rolled-up treasure map for the children to stumble upon on the beach. Working the map out, Reid and his sister would find a box filled with trinkets and beads.Later in life, Reid and his wife, Nita, would envy the people dressed up at yearly island Victorian festival Dickens on The Strand and The Texas Renaissance Festival. It seemed that the people wearing costumes always had so much more fun than the spectators, he said. The Reids invested in costumes around the time Johnny Depp swaggered across the screen in “Pirates of the Caribbean,” bring-ing pirates back in fashion. Richard Reid decided if they were going to do it, they were going to do it right, he said. They re-searched costumes and found pieces and accessories from around the country to complement their outfits. Once dressed up, they were in character. While in character, Reid has held the mayor of Galveston by gunpoint, has met strangers from all over wanting to pose with a true island character, and is proud to keep his family’s and the island’s history alive, albeit with tongue-in-cheek. The Reids carefully craft their costumes. Richard Reid made most of the leatherwork, the belt, baldric and hat. The boots are from El Paso-based Caboots, a shop that outfitted Depp and other Staying in characterIsland crew keeps legends of the sea alive COASTMONTHLY.COM / OCTOBER 2015 31Stay 3 Nights and Save 30%POOLSIDE CABANASJUST REMODELEDGALVESTONHILTON.COM • 409.744.5000PLAN AHEAD & SAVE 25%*PURCHASE DISCOUNT PLEASURE PIER TICKETSFREE PARKING & HEATED POOLGALVESTONHOLIDAYINN.COM • 409-740-5300*RESERVATION MUST BE MADE AT LEAST 21 DAYS PRIOR TO ARRIVAL. SUNDAY-THURSDAYEXCLUDES HOLIDAYS AND SPECIAL EVENTS.Featurescharacters in the second and third “Pirates” movies. Reid’s waist-coat and frock are custom made by Peggy Miller in Texas City. Museum replicas are good sources for period swords, Reid said. His canvas breeches were bought from Flying Canoe Traders, a Canadian firm specializing in historically accurate clothing for the theater industry. Some of his firearms are family heirlooms. One of Reid’s favorite things about the modern-day pirate cult is meeting like-minded people, he said. So, when the sun has set and the moon rises over the Gulf of Mexico, spectators along the seawall might just see a group of oddly dressed characters emerge from the sea. It could be Reid and his posse. But it could just as well be the ghosts of Jean Laffite’s crew. CRichard Reid, center, with his pirate crew, including Kyle Peltier, Brett Farley, wife Nita and Danny Perez.32 COASTMONTHLY.COM / OCTOBER 2015www.HomesInGalveston.comWendellOdorizziREALTOR®, GRI, RSPS, ABR, SRS409.771.2649wendell@sandnsea.comFor more listings,visitsandnsea.com 4226 Spanish Main3BR/2BA Canal Front in Jamaica Beach with Bay & Wetland Views.$375,0004151 Pointe West Dr. #2033BR/2BA Beachfront Pointe West Condo.$299,000906 Calico Jack CovePirates Landing Townhome.13638 San Domingo Dr.Pirates Beach Home. 10327 San Luis Pass Rd. #7153BR/2BA Diamond Beach Condo.$499,000 16709 Cormorant Rd.Jamaica Beach Canal Home.CarolMillerREALTOR®, GRI, SRS713.882.3934carol@sandnsea.comJust SOLD!Just SOLD!Just SOLD!ISSUEWho are some of Galveston County’s most eligible women? Find out in November, when Coast Monthly debuts its Bachelorette Issue.EASY LIVING, TEXAS GULF STYLENext month ...FeaturesBy Leslie Watts When Hollywood goes pirating, Galvestonian Jamie White often is part of the crew.As an internationally recognized expert on seafaring and all things pirate, White has made a specialty of being on set for a number of movies featuring marauders of the deep. Although not cast as a star himself, he’s shared the deck with such box office notables as Johnny Depp, Mel Gibson, Anthony Hopkins and Liam Neeson.White’s role includes ensuring such cinematic treats are not just spine tingling and fancy tickling, but also authentic in the ways of the sea.“Pirates and privateers were the consummate sailors,” said White, a lifelong sailor and director of the island-based Texas Seaport Muse-um and its 1877 iron-hulled barque Elissa. “Pirates could not afford to make mistakes. Their livelihood — and their lives — depended on their seamanship — they had to be not only excellent, but better than the experienced seamen upon which they were preying.”White’s work goes beyond making sure everyone on a movie set knows the difference between “avast” and “ahoy.” There could be no satisfactory excuse offered for a pirate — even a fictional movie pirate — to be observed tying a landlubber knot or unfurling an improper sail. And although computer-generated special effects take care of many cinematic challenges today, there still isn’t a substitute for a basic understanding of the dynamics of sailing and hands-on expertise.Even the space-age engineering incorporated into today’s sound stages to give the appearance of a ship’s sailing on the open seas won’t make up for poor seamanship, White said.Handling rigging, ropes and sails with ease takes practice; lack of skill in these areas will be apparent to and noticed by audiences.“In Hollywood, it’s all about what looks good within less than 10 feet away,” White said. Sea savvyWhen Hollywood needs pirate advice, they turn to islander Jamie WhiteJamie White, director of the Texas Seaport Museum, is who Hollywood turns to when they need advice on seafaring and all things pirate.Photo by Jennifer ReynoldsIt’s often more exhausting to work on a movie than to crew on an actual ship, he said.“There are many long, hard days,” he said. “You may also have to work your way through a disagreement with a director about which 34 COASTMONTHLY.COM / OCTOBER 2015sails to set for the particular wind condition he is trying to replicate.” With a love for the sea that began during his boyhood spent on the California coast, White is well acquainted not only with the technical aspects of sailing but also highly informed regarding the fact and fiction of what is sometimes referred to as “piratol-ogy.” He also quickly makes the distinction between pirates, who worked for themselves, and privateers, who worked on behalf of a national interest. 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Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Franchise is Independently Owned and Operated. If your property is currently listed with a real estate broker, please disregard. It is not our intention to solicit the offerings of other real estate brokers.©2015BetterHomesandGardensRealEstateLLCBetterHomesandGardens®isaregisteredtrademarkofMeredithCorporationlicensed FeaturesAmong his favorite authors are Herman Melville and Joseph Conrad, and privateers who interest him include Felix von Luck-ner, a legendary captain recognized for never having a casualty — on either his or his enemy’s side — as he plied the seas on behalf of Germany during World War I. Luckner would pull alongside an enemy ship, take that crew captive aboard his own ship — the Sea Eagle or Seeadler — then sink the other ship, White said. The captive crew was then treated to great hospitality aboard the Sea Eagle, until being put ashore at the nearest neutral port, the understanding being that Luck-ner would be given three days before the incident was reported. The Sea Eagle is credited with sinking 14 ships in this manner. In addition to his movie career, White has been a lec-turer at the Scottish Institute of Maritime Studies at the University of St. Andrew’s in Scotland, and only recently returned from New York where he helped “tie up” the 300-foot-long Wavertree, the largest iron ship in the world, in preparation for the vessel going into dry dock. Despite such expertise regarding ships, however, what is the question White is most often asked by the general public? “What is Johnny Depp like?” White said with a wry smile. The answer: “Actually, he’s very amiable — he remembers personal things about the behind-the-scenes crew members and is interested in them as people. He will ask about children and other things going on in their lives. He’s definitely not a prima donna.” C Courtesy photos(Above) Jamie White works on Blackbeard’s ship, Queen Anne’s Revenge, for “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.” (Below) Disney built a functional working version of the infamous pirate’s vessel for the fourth installment of the film series starring Johnny Depp as Capt. Jack Sparrow.38 COASTMONTHLY.COM / OCTOBER 2015West End Gallery & Decor409-974-0039 • 16708 San Luis Pass Rd. 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