Once a year, Catalina Island, the Isthmus to be precise, loses its mind and opens up the harbor to pirates.  It's not Hallloween, it's better.

Buccaneer Days, or Buc Days as those in the know call it, is a three day (if you count the hang over recovery day) festival of debauchery.  Pirates arrive by sailboat, powerboat, feerry, car and bus from Avalon, and some even via helicopter.  They sleep on their boats, in tents, at the Banning House lodge or wherever they fall that evening.  Tying up at the dinghy dock requires determination and agility as you might have to make it over 7 other dinghies just to get onto the dock where hundreds mill about in costume.

It used to be that any old bandana and eye patch would do to transform you into a passable pirate.  These days, there are folks who go all out with their costumes and a few who could have used a little more outfit just to be in public.  For some of these people, it's clear that Buc Days falls second only to their devotion to the Rennaissance Fair. Sure there are activities for kids and adults alike, but the primary entertainment is people watching. 

Most of these folks are no Johnny Depp, but they try hard.  And some might even succeed to convince a few hapless lasses that they're the real thing as they stumble off into a temporary tent city set up behind Two Harbors' one and only bar.  Judging by the carnage the next morning, a few Billy Bob Blackpearls didn't quite make it back to their sleeping quarters and lay where they fell.  This may have been their view on Sunday. 

Some folks obviously packed light given their slightly worse for the wear costumes still being worn the next day.  Even the buffalo came down to take a closer look - but not too close - they were just out of Captain Morgan's stumbling distance.  It's amazing that given the 48 hours of freed inhibitions, not much serious happens here year after year.  Although, I can  say that if I heard aaargh one more time, there may have been a jailable offense committed.