Pirate Adventures Martha’s Vineyard puts your child in control of the journey. This year, adults to also partake in the fun.
“We’re trying to create a fantastical experience for the kids and adults alike.”
By MV Staff
At the Oak Bluffs harbor, one boat looks especially different from the others.
Indeed, the striking Sea Gypsy X certainly stands out. The boat appears to be made of wood. It sports a spacious front deck and waves an authentic looking pirate flag. This seafaring vessel is where Pirate Adventures Martha’s Vineyard takes place, offering 90 minutes of pure pirate-y fun.
“The whole concept of the trip is that we focus on the kids” Captain Jeremiah explains before the little mateys, as the crew calls them, start to arrive. “We’re trying to create a fantastical experience that kids buy into. They truly believe they are becoming part of our pirate crew.”
And they definitely do; right from the get-go.
Before the boat set sails, the children proceed to a training area to get prepared. They don special pirate gear, sign the boat’s flag, and choose a pirate name. As the children enter the boat, some have decided on a captain title, others are sailors, and some dreamy girls choose to be mermaids.
Captain Jeremiah explains that the idea for a pirate-themed adventure came from his wife, who had taken a similar trip. On returning to the Vineyard, she realized the concept was perfect work for her husband, who spent his whole life on boats and more specifically, on the same dock where The Sea Gypsy X is anchored.
The kids are, as the Captain promised, the focus of the tour. And without question, they have a lot of fun.
The youngsters put together a map, find a message in a bottle, shoot cannons at a traitor and help the clueless crew solve problems with the boat. Toward the end of the journey, an excited child is likely to be excitedly running and yelling, “We found the treasure.”
What’s the treasure? You’ll have to take a ride on the Sea Gypsy X to find out.
Kids are not the only ones afforded such fun. Captain Jeremiah and his crew have something special for the mature crowd. MV Pirates offers sunset cruises for adults.
The seasoned bunch is permitted to bring their own food and drinks, and up to 45 friends, for this unique sail into the sunset. What could be better than a 90-minute summer happy hour or a party at sea?
Another option for adults and kids is the educational, exciting, and delicious MV Pirate Ships Oyster Adventure.
Oyster adventures take place Thursday nights from 5:45 p.m. until 8 p.m. Once the boat set sails, biologist Rick Karney from Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group explains what aquaculture is all about. On to Cottage City Oyster farm and purveyors Dan and Greg Martino introduce guests to their nursery, upwellers (a system used to grow shellfish), and show the oyster harvest process in action. The adventure ends with a tantalizing tasting and shucking demo of fresh oysters plucked right from the water and a sunset sail around picturesque Oak Bluffs harbor.
Information on all Pirate Ship Adventures is available at www.mvpirates.com
