Yo, ho, ho. August is International Pirate’s Month, which makes it the perfect excuse to dig into the past and learn about the actual buccaneers of Savannah.
Anne, the Merchant Ship
At the Ships of the Sea Museum, you’ll see a replica of the Anne, an 87-foot-long merchant ship that brought the original settlers to Beaufort, where they took smaller boats to the Savannah River. According to the Real Pirates of Savannah GPS tour, the Anne fell under an attack of a pirate ship, with warning shots fired by the marauders.
According to a colonist’s journal, the captain ordered all the men on the deck, which must have been a deterrent as the pirate ship turned course and sailed away.
Blackbeard
Famed pirate Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard, has a namesake on the Georgia coast. Blackbeard Island sits south of the mouth of the Savannah River. A fierce pirate, Blackbeard roamed the Georgia coast in the early 1700s. Legend says he used this island to assess his profits and split up the booty with the crew. Rumors still flourish that Blackbeard’s buried treasure exists on the island, which is only accessible by boat. The U.S. Navy acquired the island in 1800, and in 1940 it was designated the Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge.
The Pirates' House
The Pirates’ House on Savannah’s riverfront is a must-stop for those interested in the city’s maritime history. As early as 1753, the building served as an inn for visiting sailors. As such, The Pirates’ House became a rendezvous for pirates. It eventually fell into disrepair and was slated for demolition until a local woman led an effort to save the building. The effort restored the building to its original state, including the haint blue shutters and doors to ward off evil spirits.
A bounty of legends surrounds The Pirates’House, including tales of tunnels leading to the Savannah River, allegedly used by pirates to kidnap unsuspecting (and often drunk) men to put into service as crew members.
The Pirates House also made literary history when Robert Louis Stevenson included the inn and the city of Savannah as the setting where Captain John Flint gave his map to Billy Bones. That set into motion the adventures of “Treasure Island.” Check out early edition pages of the tale in the Treasure Room at The Pirates’ House.
The Tiki Bar
For a drink worthy of a pirate, look no further than the Bamboo Room Tiki Bar, with a tropical atmosphere and beverages to match. The Bamboo Room, located above Sorry Charlie’s, has an extensive rum collection. Menu choices range from Tiki drinks served in vintage-style island mugs to frozen concoctions to craft cocktails. They’ll even put coconut-ice in drinks.
Start your Pirate Adventure
Spend your swashbuckling adventure at our luxurious Washington Square Manor, a four-bedroom/2.5 bath home that puts you in easy walking distance to The Pirates House and about three-quarters of a mile to the Bamboo Room.
You don’t have to find buried treasure to enjoy a gem of a vacation.
