Hundreds of years ago, pirates and privateers docked their ships at Fells Point - when they weren't out looking for plunder.
Today, machine-gun-wielding Somali pirates are terrorizing trade along the African coastline.
But do these rogues deserve to be called pirates? Semi-professional pirate re-enactor Charles Waldron doesn't think so.
"I wouldn't call them pirates," he said. "They're just a bunch of hoodlum-looking characters in a little boat with automatic weapons. They're just thugs on the water."
Waldron would know. Since 2003, he has donned full pirate garb and swashbuckled his way through re-creations of sword fights and ship boardings. Saturday, he and his crew, Valhalla's Pirates, will be among hundreds of pirates and privateers celebrating Privateer Day and Pyrate Invasion in Fells Point.
Now in its fifth year, Privateer Day began as a celebration of Fells Point's 275th anniversary. Since then, the daylong celebration of Baltimore's nautical pastime has grown to include weapons demonstrations, a sea battle featuring tall ships, historical workshops and kids' activities. Last year, about 10,000 people flooded Fells Point for the event.
During the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, the U.S. government licensed pirates to attack enemy ships. Called privateers, these sailors would give most of the bounty they took from other vessels to the government, keeping a portion for themselves.
The recent resurgence of modern piracy could inspire more people to come check out Privateer Day, said Jason Sullivan, executive director of the Fells Point Development Corp., which organizes the celebration. Despite the seriousness of the hijackings and hostage-takings, they have raised the profile of Privateer Day.
"Pirates are on everybody's mind," Sullivan said. "We're extremely pumped."
Waldron and a dozen of Valhalla's Pirates will be in the middle of the mayhem, dressed to the nines and stirring up mischief. They plan to re-create a mutiny, among other dastardly deeds. Waldron will be decked out in a black leather vest, black britches and a cutlass with a black sheath. It's no surprise he calls himself Capt. Charles Black. In costume, Waldron said he can be quite intimidating.
"I usually hang eyeballs from my ears," he said, with a laugh.
