Disney Builds Pirate Ship at Bayou La Batre

Although we were too busy to yesterday (16 April 2005), we wanted to return to Bayou La Batre, the little fishing village about 15 miles southwest of Mobile that we discovered a while back almost by accident. More on that in a minute. We learned last week that Disney crews had secretly built a pirate ship, The Black Pearl, at Steiner Shipyard in Bayou La Batre. The pitch-black ship is actually a huge wooden prop built on top of a modern 96-foot-long steel utility boat. Yesterday the crew was to sail it out of the Bayou and head for filming in the Caribbean. It will be seen in sequels to Disney's 2003 "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl."

We knew such a project was underway somewhere around here because when we were flying home for Christmas Carol sat next to a fellow on the plane who said he was heading home for Christmas but would be returning to build a ship for a Disney movie. He didn't say where but we thought maybe in Pascagoula, MS, which is a large ship-building area.

We had noticed a new exit off I-10 west of Mobile being constructed and when it finally opened a temporary sign pointed the way, "To Bayou La Batre." We kept wondering what it was, maybe a resort, or a hotel, or new housing area. So one day we decided to take the new exit and see where it went. The road eventually led us to the village of Bayou La Batre, the "Seafood Capital of Alabama." We drove through the village and had lunch there. Quite a quaint little place.

If you happen to be in the area and are looking for ways to celebrate the Year of Alabama Food, Bayou La Batre has a suggestion: the Blessing of the Fleet, April 30 through May 1. Marilyn Jones Stamps with the Alabama State Tourism Department wrote on their website that Bayou La Batre was founded by Frenchman Joseph Bosarge in the 1780s. She continues: The area flourished as a resort destination until 1906, when a category 4 hurricane almost wrecked the industry. Ten years later, what remained of the resort business was swept away when two category 3 hurricanes slammed into the area. Having experienced the worst the Gulf of Mexico could offer, the intervening years have brought the gulf’s bounty to this small, south Alabama town. The commercial seafood industry in and around Bayou La Batre brings $90 million into Alabama’s economy each year. Ninety percent of this comes from shrimp, but oysters, crab, and fish are also part of the catch, making Bayou La Batre a natural location for a seafood festival. For more than 50 years, with its livelihood linked so inextricably to the gulf, the town has blessed its fleet each spring and celebrated the occasion with a seafood festival. The next Blessing of the Fleet/Seafood Festival will be held the last Saturday in April and the first Sunday in May.

The festival began in 1949 when a local grocer revived the Old World custom of asking God to protect the fleet and provide a bountiful harvest. Food was donated for that event, and a local resident boiled shrimp in her kitchen to feed those attending the ceremony. This year, the event is expected to draw 10,000 people. They’ll dine on traditional seafood dishes as well as Vietnamese cuisine prepared by the local Asian community. Festivities include a gumbo cook-off, two parades (one on land, one on water), arts and crafts festival, crab race, and the crowning of the Fleet Queen.

The photos of and article about The Black Pearl below were published in and copyrighted by the Mobile Register on Tuesday, 12 April 2005. The article is by staff reporter Russ Henderson. Following the article are a few photos we took of the area.