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Saturday and Sunday afternoon had a pirate battle to entertain the Whitehaven Maritime festival crowd. The Vilma, packed with the most dangerous cut-throats to descend on the harbour since John Paul Jones, decided to spring a surprise attack on Grand Turk and Zebu and so at first sailed past exchanging only greetings.
However, on the second pass she showed her pirate colours and exchanged cannon fire with Zebu and then Grand Turk, apparently fearless of the fact she was greatly outgunned.
Another pass and another exchange of cannon and musket fire between the Vilma and the Zebu and Grand Turk - the deafening larger cannon shaking the whole harbour.
Eventually, hoping to take the Zebu as a prize before she became to damaged by cannon, the Pirate Captain gave the order to board her.
A British rowing boat from one of the ships, armed with a swivel gun and muskets, eventually returned to join the battle and help defeat the pirates.
The pirate battle re-enactment had a great bunch of desperate characters thrown together in a vigorous fight - but they all seemed friends in the end.