Meet Bahama Bob:

Bahama Bob is a Key West Bartender at a Bar with over 200 Rums, and Rum Ambassador. He currently is living on a boat in Key West and a long time traveler of the Caribbean, Mexico, and the United States. In a previous life he was a NASCAR Racing chassis and suspension engineer, still being carried on in a small way today. Bob grew up in The San Francisco Bay during the 50′s through the 80′s before moving to the Charlotte area of North Carolina. In 2005 he moved to Key West where he currently resides.

His blog will take you through the Rum lifestyles of a fine group of people that enjoy the fun and pleasure of fine rums. He travels to distilleries, parties, and Rum Events to bring you the Rumstyles of all those he comes in contact with. Check out Bahama Bob’s Blog.

Bob took a 5 day trip to Panama and returned with an incredible find of three bottles of Ron Abuelo Centuria Reserva de la Familia, along with a new cocktail called “Lord Panama”. Bob has many rum recipes on his blog, including his famous “Root Juice” recipe, as well as “Painkillers”. Read more about Bob’s yummy “rumilicious” recipes and adventures on his blog.

Follow Bahama Bob on Facebook

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With the memory of the 20th annual Parrothead convention in Key West earlier this month still fresh in my mind, it’s easy to feel a rush of pleasure over my decision to live my life by pirate rules, partying with a purpose, searching for adventure — with nothing but sand, surf, or boat deck under my bare feet.

Not everyone follows their heart to live their personal fantasy life, and for those of us who do, some days are better than others. But there is something to be said for stepping out of the dream to actually live the life you’ve been dreaming of.

That said, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to share some musings from Author Anthony Bjorklund, whose book “I’m Gonna Live My Life Like a Jimmy Buffet Song (The Island Book, Part 1) is a great incentive for anyone considering ditching it all in exchange for the beach-and-margarita (or rum)-lifestyle of their dreams.

Bjorkland says:

There is something ever appealing about the search to truly enjoy one’s life, to take the  perfect moments we have, whatever they may be, and spend more time with them. Put simply, that’s what this book with the very long title is about. That and drinking a lot of rum and margaritas, since I’ve found they tend to blend well with that very enjoyment. And of course having a little Jimmy for a soundtrack never hurts either.

So if you’ve ever sat in the sun on a beach or around a campfire in a forest and wished the moment would never end, this book is about you, too. I’ve felt that way many a  time in Key West. And pulled up on the sandbar on the lake, kicking back on the S.S Lazy Lizard pontoon that is much more than a simple, sturdy craft; like Key West it’s my island of escape to more of those perfect moments that “I’m Gonna Live My Life Like a Jimmy Buffett Song” is all about.

Since 2009, I’ve been living my dream, living like a pirate since stepping out of the corporate world and into the freedom that searching for treasure and adventure brings. Have fun, share the spoils, enjoy your surroundings, the people in them, and your grog while you can.

In the immortal words of Jimmy, “Live a lie, and you will live to regret it. That’s what living is to me.”

Arrrrrr, (translated, means Amen).

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As any self respecting parrothead already knows, once you have the taste of a pirate’s life in your craw, you’re hooked.  All it took was that trip to the Keys last January, the temperature hovering around 85 degrees, gentle breezes, hard partying, the rum tasting better than you remembered it tasting at any other time or place.

But really, it was a few weeks later, after returning home; “A Pirate Looks at Forty” streams from an unseen radio in the supermarket or dry cleaners, and your eyes well up.
Yeah, it’s a lifestyle that suits you; vivid colors, tropical breezes, and a penchant for flip flops has you frequently escaping, at least mentally, to your newfound happy place on a boat, in aquamarine waters, searching for a lost shaker of salt. Lucky for you, the pirate lifestyle is growing in popularity, and your options for indulging the scallywag within are abundant.

Even though pirate festivals happen year round across the U.S., there is no better time than the present for all privateers and landlubbers, wenches and wannabe drivelswiggers to hoist the rumskull and start planning for the upcoming pirate season. First, get your pirate juices flowing before you land on sand with the right gear from Cap’n Dave at livinglikeapirate.com.

November 24 through December 4, Key West will be hosting Pirates in Paradise, aka “11 Days of Pure Piratical Escapades Celebrating Key West’s Rich & Colorful Maritime Heritage.”

Featuring plenty of events for scallywags of all ages, count on well known entertainment, historic re-enactments, and plenty of piratical adventures and booty to satisfy your scurvy crew.

The 2012 pirate season launches January 28th in Tampa, Florida with the Old Seadog of them all, the 108th annual Gasparilla Pirate Fest.

Tampa residents take this over-the-top celebration very seriously, as pirates and lovers-of-all-things-swashbuckling converge on the city to shed the winter doldrums, grab a tan, and toast (heavily) the memory of Jose Gaspar, a legendary Buccaneer who terrorized the Gulf Coast waters of West Florida. Today, Gasparilla – a name he gave himself during his pillaging tenure in the late 18th and early 19th centuries – is all about pirates, boats, parades, partying and living, at least a little bit, like a pirate.

On Saturday, March 3rd we lift our grog in honor of the sacking of St. Augustine, the oldest city in the U.S. and the site of some serious plundering and pillaging reenactments. On June 2nd, it’s back to St. Augustine to celebrate Sir Francis Drake’s 16th century raid on the beleaguered port city with plenty of exciting historical reenactments, right down to the iconic head scarves, petticoat breeches, earrings, and true pirate garb – patched, stained with tar/grease/wine/rum/sweat/blood and  a bit ragged.

Of course, we’ve just scratched the surface of upcoming pirate celebrations, but it’s a start.  Now you know, you don’t have to be reincarnated to be living like a pirate. Just ask Jimmy Buffet.

Or better yet, if you’re hesitating over pirate plans this winter, just ask yourself “What would Jimmy do?”

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Plantation Rums are born in various rum-producing countries then finished in oak casks at the Cognac Ferrand estate in Cognac, France. Plantation Rums come from Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama and Trinidad.

Each rum in the Plantation Rum Collection is made according to its country’s traditional technique and expresses the rum characteristics and flavor of its country of origin. While the rums are born in the traditional fashion, produced in rum distilleries and aged in barrels in the tropical sun, they undergo a unique aging process not used by any other rum producer in the industry — the rums are plucked from their country of origin at just the right moment and brought to the Ferrand estate in France where they are refined for several more months in small French oak Ferrand barrels. These special Plantation Rums come from Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama and Trinidad.

“Our love affair with true rum began when we sold the prized casks that once held our Cognac to better rum producers, and we fell in love with their product,” says Alexandre Gabriel. “ninety-nine percent of rums are aged in barrels that once held bourbon. We found that adding an aging process in a French oak cask that once held Cognac adds extra complexity to the rum. This is a practice that was done more commonly in the past but has almost disappeared now. We thought ‘who better than Ferrand, with our knowhow and exceptional casks’ to resurrect this ancient technique.”

For those seeking rare rum treasures, the Plantation Rum Collection offers nine very different and unique rums. The Classics listed below are the blends that are refined by Frederic Gilbert, the Ferrand Cellar Master, which gives them balance and a smooth taste. The Vintages are ‘straight from the cask’ and show their differences in taste and from vintage and are also available in limited quantities. The distinction are very clear when tasted side by side. This range provides a wonderful display of the traditions of the Caribbean.

THE CLASSICS:

GRANDE RESERVE 5 YEAR OLD – Barbados (Caribbean)

This 5 year old Barbados rum is smooth and bursting with flambéed banana with a hint of vanilla, coconut and dried fruit flavors. This rum is perfect for mixing and for sipping. SRP:$19.99/750ml.

20^th ANNIVERSARY – Barbados (Caribbean)

Ferrand has sold their casks to the better rum producers for 20 years. This 20^th Anniversary Rum celebrates this history as well as Alexandre Gabriel’s 20 years at Ferrand. From the birthplace of rum, Barbados 20^th is a complex blend of very old rums. Spicy notes of vanilla and dark chocolate followed by flavors of ripe banana, sugar cane and roasted coconut. SRP:$39.99/750ml.

THE HISTORICAL VINTAGES:

TRINIDAD 2000 Vintage (Caribbean)

Its relatively fast fermentation gives it a delicate and elegant style true to its origins. This rum will let you discover one of the greatest jewels of Trinidad. It has a beautiful aromatic potency, with oak, smoke, finishing with orange and toffee hints. SRP:$34.99/750ml.

BARBADOS 2000 Vintage (Caribbean)

Plantation Barbados is the assemblage of rum from the same vintage – part of it distilled in a small copper pot still for extra aromatic touches and part of it distilled in a column still for elegance. This assemblage produces a smooth well balanced rum with great finesse. It is flavorful yet subtle and elegant with a pleasant, mellow, finish displaying lasting flavors of sugar cane and vanilla. SRP:$34.99/750ml.

JAMAICA 2000 Vintage (Caribbean)

A slower and longer fermentation (2 to 3 weeks) in the pure Jamaican stlye, followed by a distillation in an old copper pot still gives Plantation Jamaica its incredible mouth feel and rich taste. It offers a broad palette of tropical aromas of roasted bananas, dried coconut and pineapple. A generous, gourmet rum. SRP:$34.99/750ml.

THE EXOTIC VINTAGES:

GUYANA 1999 Vintage (South America)

From the west coast of Demerara, Plantation Guyana is distilled in two small traditional copper stills after a controlled fermentation, using techniques that date back several centuries. Its bouquet is redolent with flambéed bananas, dried figs, and raisins. It is beautifully balanced on the palate with a long aftertaste. SRP:$59.99/750ml.

NICARAGUA 1998 Vintage (Central America)

In constant evolution once poured in the glass, this rum will develop a wonderful range of aromatic notes thanks to aging techniques very typical of Nicaragua. It has round and powerful aromas of vanilla and oak, well complemented by vegetal notes. SRP:$34.99/750ml.

PANAMA 2000 Vintage (Central America)

Expressive and elegant, this rum offers unique and harmonious characteristics. It reveals subtle aromas of eucalyptus, pineapple and banana. The finish is beautiful, with toasted notes of vanilla and honey due to careful “wood management” during the aging process. SRP:$34.99/750ml.

GRENADA 1998 Vintage (Caribbean)

Rich and refined at the same time, this rum will immediately reveal a rare subtlety and complexity. The delicate jasmine notes harmoniously evolve towards exotic aromas of pineapple, banana and vanilla with a very pleasant mouth feel. SRP:$34.99/750ml.

For more information visit: http://www.plantationrum.com

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Meet Bahama Bob:

Bahama Bob is a Key West Bartender at a Bar with over 200 Rums, and Rum Ambassador. He currently is living on a boat in Key West and a long time traveler of the Caribbean, Mexico, and the United States. In a previous life he was a NASCAR Racing chassis and suspension engineer, still being carried on in a small way today. Bob grew up in The San Francisco Bay during the 50′s through the 80′s before moving to the Charlotte area of North Carolina. In 2005 he moved to Key West where he currently resides.

His blog will take you through the Rum lifestyles of a fine group of people that enjoy the fun and pleasure of fine rums. He travels to distilleries, parties, and Rum Events to bring you the Rumstyles of all those he comes in contact with. Check out Bahama Bob’s Blog.

Bob recently took a 5 day trip to Panama and returned with an incredible find of three bottles of Ron Abuelo Centuria Reserva de la Familia, along with a new cocktail called “Lord Panama”. Bob has many rum recipes on his blog, including his famous “Root Juice” recipe, as well as “Painkillers”. Read more about Bob’s yummy “rumilicious” recipes and adventures on his blog.

Follow Bahama Bob on Facebook

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Deep in the heart of Jamaica’s lush countryside is rum’s heaven: the Nassau Valley. Here sits the legendary Appleton Estate, where water is filtered by nature’s hand as it percolates for miles through unmapped limestone hills before it flows into the Appleton Estate spring. In this warm, verdant setting, Appleton Estate has been perfecting the art of making handcrafted rum for over 260 years.

The Nassau Valley has ideal conditions for growing sugar cane, a unique micro-climate where the mornings are warm and sunny and the afternoons experience gentle rain showers. The soil of the Nassau Valley is extremely fertile, and this also allows our sugar cane to flourish. The different species of sugar cane that we grow are specially selected for the unique character that they impart to our rums.

All Appleton Estate Jamaica rum is produced on this single estate – a small circumscribed geographic area where the “terroir” imparts a unique character. The Estate-grown sugar cane is individually harvested and distilled, adding distinctive buttery, fruity notes to the rums. Our proprietary generations-old natural yeast culture contributes to Appleton’s dynamic fermentation process.

Process

During the fermentation process, the sugar cane molasses and our special culture of yeast combine with exceptionally soft water, filtered by the limestone hills of the Cockpit Country and originating from a spring on the Estate. It is the natural qualities of our yeast and the pure, limestone filtered water that give Appleton Estate Jamaica rums their unique character, taste and aroma.

Appleton Estate uses a time-tested combination of small batch copper pot and column distillation – classic methods that have been handed down since the inception of rum making. Appleton’s copper pot stills are uniquely designed for the Estate and impart to the Appleton Estate Rum portfolio its distinctive character.

Appleton Estate’s slow, costly distillation methods help create richer, deeper flavors and add a more complex character to our rums.

The rums are then gently laid to mature in handcrafted oak barrels for up to 30 years and beyond. Only the finest American Oak barrels are used to transform the rum into a smooth mellow spirit with complex flavors such as vanilla, coffee, cocoa, and hazelnut. In addition, the wood aging helps the rum develop a beautiful golden color with delicate sweetness. High temperatures during the day and cool temperatures at night cause the rum to expand and contract in and out of the oak barrels.

The racks of our aging warehouse are lined with barrels of rum maturing over the years, awaiting the moment that they are hand selected by the Master Blender.

The Master Blender

The Art of Blending has become synonymous with Appleton Estate Jamaica Rums. During this special blending process, each rum is carefully selected and hand blended to create various Appleton Estate offerings each with a unique character, flavor and aroma. Described as a glorious combination of art and science, Appleton’s Master Blender, Joy Spence, noses and tastes each barrel to ensure the unmistakable quality Appleton Estate is known for around the world appears in every bottle.

Master Blender Joy Spence

Joy has the prideful distinction of being the first woman in the industry to hold the position of Master Blender. Driven by her passion for chemistry and science, Joy attended the University of the West Indies and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree, First Class Honors. She then moved to England to pursue a Masters of Science degree in Analytical Chemistry at the University of Loughborough. Joy graduated with Honors, and her final exams score were the highest ever achieved by a student at Loughborough – a record that still stands today.

After graduating from Loughborough, Joy returned to Jamaica and began lecturing at the College of Arts Science and Technology before joining Appleton Estate as Chief Chemist. She worked closely under the guidance of then Master Blender, Owen Tulloch, before taking the position herself in 1997.

Minimum Aging

Our Appleton Estate 12 Year Old, 21 Year Old and 30 Year Old all have age statements on their labels. This holds a very special meaning…

Under the laws of Jamaica, which are governed by Scottish-English law, each of the rums that enter a bottle must have been aged in oak barrels for at least the number of years stated on the label.

That means that every drop of Appleton Estate 12 Year Old was carefully aged for a minimum of 12 years creating its rich color and complex flavors. There are actually older rums in the blend, but by law we record the “youngest” rum in the blend on the label. The same is true for Appleton Estate 21 year old and Appleton Estate 30 year old.

For more information visit: http://www.appletonestate.com/

Follow Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum on Facebook

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Some merchandise as low as $5.00!!

Hurry over to The Pirate Store and claim your booty!!

Limited time while supplies lasts

Quantities limited to stock on hand

Sale Prices Good thru Feb 1, 2011

While you’re there,  be sure to check out the New Latitudes and Attitudes “Living The Dream” Men’s T-shirt!…and while you’re thinking of how you’d like to be “Living The Dream”… if you post your thoughts on our Facebook page, you will be entered into a drawing to win a “Living The Dream” T-shirt!… So if you’re not already following us on Facebook, you can click here, tell us what you’re version of “Living The Dream” is by posting on our page, and you will be entered into the contest to win!!!

Follow us on Facebook

Coming soon!! NEW!! Avail­able Monday in The Pirate Store!! Silver or Gold Sparkly Bling on black, available in a womens tank or Scoop Neck

Cowboy Pirate Tanks and Tees

Boozin and Cruzin Tanks and Tees

Rumskull Pirate Tee

Everyday is Living Like A Pirate Tanks and Tees

Full Zip Short Sleeve Hoodie

Pirate Capri Pants

Pirate Chick Baseball Tank

Pirates Dig My Chest Tank

Tiki Bar Tank

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Check out the new innovative drinking device that is sweeping the nation

Will someone get me a Doctor, I need a “Shot Doctor”

The Ultimate Party Drinking Device for any type of Party, Special Event or Promotion

To all who welcome the party lifestyle

Check out the new innovative drinking device that is sweeping the nation

A fun and exciting novelty and a real crowd pleaser

Bars / Restaurants, Hotels / Resorts * Festivals / Concerts

The ideal promotional item to market your event or promote your business

Fantastic for all types of parties such as Luau’s, Island Parties, Grand Openings, Company Parties, Pig Roasts, Clam Bakes, Pool Parties or any type of Special Occasion.

The perfect gift for your Rehearsal Dinner, Wedding Reception or Bachelorette Party

Shot Doctor’s are a must for any type of Pub Crawl

Create everlasting memories taking pictures of your friends using the “Shot Doctor”

*Calling all Parrot Heads

The Shot Doctor will easily set the tone for that next Jimmy Buffett Concert or Meeting of the Minds Gathering

The Shot Doctor is the ultimate party drinking device

Follow The Shot Doctor on Facebook

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Quinnipiack Full Mast

Check out the Adventures of Jolea, aboard the 129 ft. Schooner Amistad, and follow her transition to The Schooner Quinnipiack out of New Haven, Connecticut.

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Mark "Cap'n Slappy" Summers & John "Ol'Chumbucket" Baur Founders of Talk Like A Pirate Day

It started with 2 guys. John Baur and Mark Summers. And that really should be all you need to know about the origins of Talk Like a Pirate Day. They’re guys. Not men, with responsibility and suits and power ties. They’re guys, with all that that implies. But here are some of the details.

Once upon a time — on June 6, 1995, to be precise — they were playing racquetball, not well but gamely. It wasn’t their intention to become “the pirate guys.” Truth to tell, it wasn’t really their intention to become anything, except perhaps a tad thinner and healthier. As they flailed away, they called out friendly encouragement to each other -”Damn, you bastard!” and “Oh, jeez, my hamstring!” for instance – as shots caromed away, unimpeded by their wildly swung rackets.

On this day, for reasons they still don’t quite understand, they started giving their encouragement in pirate slang. Mark suspects one of them might have been reaching for a low shot that, by pure chance, might have come off the wall at an unusually high rate of speed, and strained something best left unstrained. “Arrr!,” he might have said.

Who knows? It might have happened exactly that way.

Anyway, whoever let out the first “Arrr!” started something. One thing led to another. “That be a fine cannonade,” one said, to be followed by “Now watch as I fire a broadside straight into yer yardarm!” and other such helpful phrases.

By the time their hour on the court was over, they realized that lapsing into pirate lingo had made the game more fun and the time pass more quickly. They decided then and there that what the world really needed was a new national holiday, Talk Like A Pirate Day.

First, they needed a date for the holiday. As any guy can tell you, June 6 is the anniversary of World War II’s D-Day. Guys hold dates like that in reverence and awe so there was no way they could use June 6.

Mark came up with September 19. That was and is his ex-wife’s birthday, and the only date he could readily recall that wasn’t taken up with something like Christmas or the Super Bowl or something. They also decided — right then and there on the court on June 6, 1995 — that the perfect spokesman for their new holiday was none other than Dave Barry himself, nationally syndicated humor columnist and winner of the Pulitzer by-God Prize.

One day in early 2002, John chanced upon Dave Barry’s e-mail address. As the entire universe knows, Dave Barry is a syndicated columnist and the author of somewhere between four and 6,000 books and the second funniest man in the universe. Dave is like a whole parade with brass bands and elephants. Ambition suddenly burned bright, and sending e-mails is a very easy thing to do. Which is why they finally got around to contacting him.

The first e-mail introduced them, and told him about their great idea — Talk Like a Pirate Day. They knew he wouldn’t be able to resist. Then they offered him the only thing they had, the chance to be official national spokesman for the event.

Surprisingly, they had an answer in a matter of days. It’s a great idea, he said, (actually “very excellent” were his exact words, in case you’re keeping score.) But then he asked the fatal question.

“Have you guys actually DONE anything about this? Or are you counting on me to carry the ball here?”

Very perceptive of him. The way they answered would be crucial in bringing Barry aboard. They decided on the truth, with a lot of ass kissing thrown in.

“Well, we’ve talked like pirates every Sept. 19, and we’ve encouraged our several friends to,” John wrote in reply. And Mark put it in perspective when he wrote, “We are dinghy-sized-talk-like-a-pirate kinda guys, but you, Dave … you are like a frigate-huge-sized-talk-like-a-pirate kinda guy.”

In early September, John got a phone call from the feature editor at the local paper, someone he had worked with for several years before leaving the newspaper business…

“John, I was editing this week’s Dave Barry column and it’s about … Is this you?”

It was. The nationally syndicated columnist and Pulitzer Prize winning writer of “distinguished commentary” (the Pulitzer committee’s description, not his own) became convinced of the great potential of such a holiday. Or maybe he had run out of fresh column ideas and didn’t want to do another one on toilet training his infant daughter. Either way, he had written the column.

And hell broke loose.

You can visit their site: http://www.TalkLikeAPirate.com for the full story, the aftermath, cool links, crew members, photos and fun stuff.

You may also want to check out their newest book: The Pirate Life: Unleashing Your Inner Buccaneer

The Pirate Life Book

Experts in areas of pirate lore, pirate philosophy, and pirate fashion sense, the book presents a hilarious guidebook guaranteed to have landlubbers swashing their buckles in no time!

• Shoot up the corporate ladder with your newfound pirate panache.
• Discover how pirate-hood provides a solid platform for power and political gain.
• Dive right in to the dangers and delights of dating pirate style.
• Raise a family—and see how pirate tactics will keep your li’l swabbies in line.
• Learn how to write your own pirate romance novel. Really, how can you beat that?

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2008

Rated R

So you really want to know what we mean by ‘Hunt for Treasure, Treasure the Hunt’?   Then check out “The Art of Travel”. What a find!  We just watched this movie over the weekend, and loved it!

 “The Art of Travel” stars Christopher Masterson in the lead role (some of you might remember him from Malcolm in the Middle—he played the eldest son).  Here he portrays Connor Layne, a young adult just graduating from high school, who, on his wedding day, makes a life-altering decision.

This movie is truly about following your heart, and hunting for your own treasure, wherever that hunt may lead you.  The tag line, “The art of travel is deviating from one’s path” holds the essence of the film. While in Panama, Connor meets a couple that have made it their life’s work to lead a year-long expedition across the Darien jungle of Central America. Through the trials and tribulations of such an undertaking, Connor comes to some revelations about himself, the world around him, and falls deeply and truly in love.

 The scenery throughout the movie is astounding, and the film even won an award at the Oxford Film Festival in 2008 for best cinematography. You will have to suspend your reality for about 60 of the 100 minutes and just not ask yourself where the main character comes up with the money to fund his world travels.  But hey, reality is highly overrated! Besides, the message and inspiration you receive from the overall film is well worth the temporarily relaxed mental state!

 If this movie doesn’t get you started on your own treasure hunt, something is wrong with you!  Don’t get us wrong.  We are not suggesting you have to give up everything and take a knapsack to a third-world country to find yourself.  What you simply must do though, is live for yourself by making your life a treasure hunt.  Life is too short to live under someone else’s expectations!

You can watch the trailer on Living like a Pirate on Facebook

Happy viewing!

LLAP Crew

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