Bob Williamson’s square-rigged
schooner "St. Peter" has been asked to appear in the sequel to
"Pirates of the Caribbean". At her home in Nelson’s Dockyard she is,
as a result of being in the first film, even more popular with tourists who
clamor for visiting rights.
The filming will take place once
again in Walilabou Bay in St. Vincent in March and everybody is excited about
returning there. Rumors had it until recently that the sequel would be filmed
in Thailand, the Philippines, Australia, New Orleans, and St. Lucia – so much
for rumors. The owner/skipper was pretty sure that the boat would make it to
Thailand but he wasn’t at all sure he would.
Disney has also indicated that they
want to buy "St. Peter" so Bob began the now feverish negotiations at
one million dollars… these informal chats are continuing.
The new Commission appointed by the
new Antiguan government to oversee the National Parks, also wants the boat at
the quayside in Nelson’s Dockyard as a tourist attraction. Over the years she
must have been in a thousand home movies with her image appearing on t-shirts,
bumper stickers and empty cigar tins. Kisses and hugs from the owner will, of
course, continue to be extra.
"St. Peter" was purchased
in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1994 and she sailed to Antigua via Finland,
Estonia (where she was arrested in both places – handcuffs and machine guns),
Sweden, Germany, Holland, the UK, Spain, Portugal, the Canaries and across the
Atlantic. In the spring of the following year she entered the Antigua Classic
Week and was awarded four prizes – one the coveted Spirit of Tradition – one of
the others was for being the slowest boat in the entire history of the event.
She was built in 1990-91 to the plans of a 74′ 1780′s Baltic Trader.
But now, with her new John Deere
diesel and a suit of new red sails she can easily plough along at 8.2 knots.
She has been for five years the flagship of the Royal Redondan Navy – view the
Royal Website at www.antiguanice.com/redonda.
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