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Tag: Skullywag

Mystery tour raises money for Ukrainians

Mystery tour raises money for Ukrainians

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News, Longboat Key.

LONGBOAT KEY – Women from the Cedars Tennis Resort & Club embarked on a mystery tour aboard the Anna Maria Island Privateer’s parade vessel, the Skullywag, on April Fools’ Day, but they had a serious mission in mind.

Organized by Canadian resident and part-time Bradenton Beach resident Karen MacKay, the mystery tour drew 28 participants, collecting donations for the American Red Cross to help support Ukrainians impacted by the recent and ongoing Russian invasion of their homeland. MacKay’s grandparents emigrated from Ukraine to Canada in 1918.

Mystery tour raises money for Ukrainians
Karen MacKay, left, organized the mystery tour with help from the AMI Privateers. – Karen MacKay | Submitted

“The pirate ship arrived at the tennis resort playing loud music from the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ movie and the ladies’ mouths dropped in surprise. Most of them guessed we were going somewhere in golf carts, walking to the beach or doing nothing at all because it was April Fools’ Day,” MacKay said.

“Cheap wine and beer were served and our destination was the Anna Maria City Pier, where we had 45 minutes to explore. The ladies were thrilled and we loved watching the smiling faces on the adults and kids as we rode by in the Skullywag and waved. The most important thing for me was to give back to the Ukrainians and the bonus was we had fun doing it,” MacKay said.

MacKay encourages others to donate to the American Red Cross in support of the war-impacted Ukrainians.

Skullywag now a diesel beast

Written by Tom Vaught on . Posted in Community News.

HOLMES BEACH – If you’ve been around the Anna Maria Island Privateers’ ship, Skullywag, lately, you might have heard a deeper sounding engine. The venerable symbol of Anna Maria Island’s “pirate’s life” has gotten an engine transplant.

The Privateers found a used International DT466 inline six-cylinder diesel engine that came with an Allison transmission. According to Privateers Capt. Jamie Van Deusen, the engine had led an easy life before they got it.

“This engine came out of a water truck that was being retired by the place of employment of one of our members,” Van Deusen said in an email. “It has very low hours on it and should last for the foreseeable future.”

Van Deusen said it took just over three weeks to remove the old engine and transmission and install the new ones.

“The work was done by one of our members, John Gates,” Van Deusen said. “He is a diesel mechanic and donated his time to making the switch.”

After raising money for the drive train transplant, they got lucky, Van Deusen said.

“We did a couple fundraisers but most of the money we raised for it was in two grants from the Chamber’s trolley grant program,” he said. “That said, the engine, transmission, and labor to replace them all cost us nothing.”

The engine and transmission were donated by the company that was retiring the water truck, which wants to remain anonymous for now.

“The money that was granted to us by the Chamber is now being used to make other repairs on the Skullywag, such as a new fore deck, new sound system, and soon a new generator,” he said. “That money will also be used to replace some of the broken and worn wood around the ship making her both prettier, and, most importantly, safer for riders and spectators alike.”

The Skullywag was finished in mid-January, 2000 to replace their trailer ship, which had to be towed.

“She took her maiden voyage to Gasparilla as “The Mystic Lady,” Van Deusen said. “She was never properly commissioned so in July of 2007 she was officially commissioned the Skullywag honoring the late Jim Hungerford, whose pirate name was Skully. Jim was instrumental in getting the Skullywag built.