One week away: Seafair Pirates Landing – and pancakes – on Alki

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(WSB photo from 2008 Seafair Pirates Landing on Alki)
While the biggest West Seattle event next weekend is Summer Fest in The Junction (3 days starting Friday), we know a few (thousand) folks will likely duck over to Alki next Saturday to provide a welcoming party for everyone’s favorite marauders, the Seafair Pirates. Saturday, July 9th, is indeed the annual Seafair Pirates Landing, and we hear that there might even be a Moby Duck sighting (you’ll recall their beloved landborne “ship” ran into hard times last fall). The landing itself is between 11:30 am and 12:30 pm, per the Pirates’ page – but here’s a good reason to get to the beach long before then (besides securing yourself a better parking/viewing spot): From 7 am till 10 am that same morning, the annual Pirates and Pancakes breakfast fundraiser will be happening at Alki Bathhouse, right in the landing zone. $5 gets you pancakes and coffee or juice, and it’s a benefit for Sports in Schools, which is sponsoring WSB this week to promote the event.

WSfamily July 3, 2011 (7:02 pm)

Do yourself a favor and don’t waste your time. I stood out there for over an hour with other parents and their kids pressed up against that very chain patiently waiting in the hot sun. The pirates went an hour past their expected landing time last year due to the tide which was out of their control and many of the children were crying. Finally when they landed and started to come ashore everyone got excited but instead of the CHILDREN getting to enjoy it a bunch of greedy adults shoved their way in and the media that are allowed inside the chain completely blocked off the view of the pirates digging up the treasure. All of the parents were angry and shouting for the media and “V.I.P.S” (the pirates friends and family) who hadn’t even been waiting around to get out of the way. I was in the best spot you could possibly have secured and I couldn’t see a thing, let alone the kids without putting them up on shoulders and I was front row right next to the treasure. Everyone’s kids were tired, disappointed, sunburned, and crying. I couldn’t believe that I had wasted my money on pirate/vendor garbage and my time standing around for nothing. Sorry for the long post but this is really a joke and it’s no wonder they are running out of money.

WSB July 3, 2011 (10:18 pm)

WSF, I sure hope our photographer wasn’t one of those blocking the view … but in case he was, and on behalf of our profession in general, I apologize. Last year’s Pirates Landing was a little different due to activities involving the Make-A-Wish child whose wish was being granted as part of the event (including a big prelude we covered the night before). And it IS a tough event for little kids, with all that offshore action being kind of subtle, wondering from shore “what are all those boats doing anyway” … I remember taking my now-teenager to the Pirates’ Landing when he was little and I remember at least one time when it was a tough wait, big crowd, and seemed anticlimactic anyway. It should be noted that the Seafair Pirates are volunteers and raise money for charity; I don’t know who the vendors were but I know some other charitable groups participate too – the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle pitches in, for example, as do the West Seattle Hi-Yu volunteers and royalty. Anyway, you can certainly get a closer-up look at the Pirates during the West Seattle Grand Parade on July 23 (bring earplugs for the cannon boom!) so I hope you’ll consider checking them (and the other 90+ parade entries) out then! -TR

ttt July 4, 2011 (8:55 am)

I agree with WSFamily. It was our first time going, as it was our first summer living in West Seattle. It was too long of a wait for kids. We ended up leaving as they were coming ashore because our son couldn’t take waiting any longer. I’m glad they are a charitable bunch of pirates, but this was an over-rated event. If you’ve never been before, then peruse the activities on the beach and don’t expect a lot from the pirates coming ashore…

WSfamily July 5, 2011 (5:53 pm)

Thanks for giving some insight into the media aspect. I’m glad to know that at least that child had their wish fulfilled by the event. We enjoy the parade very much every year and look forward to it.

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