Introduction and Background:

Piracy refers to robbery committed at sea by an agent without a commission from a sovereign nation and is, therefore, illegal. Those engaging in piracy are termed pirates. Piracy has been occurring since the 13th century BC and continues to be a problem in many areas today. Although piracy has largely been eradicated from the Caribbean Sea, this area was once famous for its pirates. The golden age of Caribbean piracy occurred from about 1560 to 1760 AD when the likes of Blackbeard pillaged the coast. Pirates in the area typically raided merchant ships for valuables, food, liquor and weapons. While pirates could make use of any ship available, the preferred vessel of the 17th and 18th centuries was the schooner. This is because it was relatively small, quick, study and maneuverable as compared to other merchant vessels of the time period. Once secured, the 'booty' was often buried in remote locations so as to evade colonial officials and other 'bilge rats'. Maps were drawn up to provide a record of the burial location thus allowing pirates to retrieve their 'loot' as needed.

Pirate culture in the Caribbean played an important role in choosing a burial location. Studies have shown that pirates' interests, outside pillaging, were focused on being 'loaded to the gunwalls', singing 'sea chanteys', 'taking caulks', and recounting the myth of 'Davy Jones' Locker'. This myth appears to have formed a sort of religious ideology among the pirates. The legend of Davy Jones, initially telling the story of a pirate who sank every ship he commandeered, came to represent death at sea in general. It was thought pirates who died at sea would eventually be transformed into the myriad features of the sea floor. This process took many hundreds of years during which drowned pirates continued to pillage and plunder almost to excess and were left unsatisfied with their spoils.

Pirates from the 17th and 18th century Caribbean cursed to death at the hands of Davy Jones continue to prowl the oceans of the world in their relentless search for 'booty'. However, as world population figures continue to grow and more and more of the land is settled, these pirates are finding it necessary to sail further afield in search of suitable areas to bury their treasure. As such, pirates are employing diverse tactics to locate suitable areas.

In early October, 2006, I was contacted by Bloody Henriques the Englishman, captain of the Marauding Sea Monkey. After explaining his situation, he requested my services as a student of Geography 355 in locating the most suitable areas in the Greater Vancouver region for him and his crew to bury 'booty' recently secured off the Californian coast. This project documents my efforts to aid Bloody Henriques and his crew in this matter.