The Brethren of the Coast's flag waved proudly over Ventura Harbor Village June 21-22, 2003, when we held our encampment at the city's annual SeaFest.

This is the second year our crew performed at this festival. The encampment offered all the comforts of home port. Visitors marveled at the singing animatronic skeletons and delighted to the generosity of the doxies who gave chocolate doubloons to the children. After marching through the village to the sound of battle drums, we stopped at the flag poles and raised our fearsome colors, while several cutthroats fired their flintlocks in salute. This year, however, we did not clap the mayor in irons.

The pirates entertained the crowd with songs, skits and swordfights. Our well-heeled doxies also offered clothing to those visitors who dared to dress up as a pirate to have their souls captured for a nominal fee.

Festus McCloud gave demonstrations of bullet making and passed out free samples. Our house band, The Doxie Chicks, got the audience on their feet with their rousing tunes.

The coordinators of SeaFest asked us back, so watch for our scurvy faces in Ventura next year!

Ventura Harbor SeaFest is free to the public and offers fun for the whole family. In addition to the pirate invasion, several nonprofit organizations provide information on wildlife protection and vendors sell handmade goods or offer games and rides for the children.