Hidden in the shadows of the St. Augustine Municipal Marina is an old, wooden ship, filled with secrets, swords and shanties. Its crew, a rugged group of savvy and sassy individuals, have only one mission— to sail the seas for treasure—and they will stop at nothing until they find it.
Welcome aboard the Black Raven.
Black Raven Adventures is a two-hour water attraction for adults and children alike. The pirate ship offers adventures for birthdays, work events, reunions and even weddings, along with unique scenarios for each adventure.
“We normally do the kids’ birthday trips every Saturday, departing at 11:15 a.m.,” said Gunnar Hedqwist, owner of Black Raven Adventures. “It’s similar to the family treasure hunts, but here, we take time to focus on the kids. We also serve them drinks and cupcakes.”
Last Saturday, Jan. 18, three birthday groups were ready to sing pirate shanties and fend off evil pirates, Blackbeard and Mad Dog, who tried to attack and take over the Black Raven.
“We chase them down the river and have a sea battle with cannons going back and forth,” Hedqwist said.
And yes, down the river. Because Black Raven Adventures isn’t just about one pirate ship, but two. The Black Raven is being chased by Queen Anne’s Revenge, Blackbeard and Mad Dog’s ship.
After cannons blast, Queen Anne’s Revenge reaches the Black Raven and the evil pirates tie the ships together.
“We sword fight and basically, we overtake them and take the treasure,” said entertainment manager of the ships, Aimee Parker, aka pirate Lady Red, ironically dressed in green.
The treasure is a chest filled with goodie bags for the kids. And for a personal touch, the birthday boys and girls each received their own chest to open, with gifts from family and friends inside.
But an iconic moment was the inspirational quote from pirate Walker Plankton. “You get told to use your inside voices a lot,” he said to the kids. “Well look around you. You couldn’t be anymore outside!”
It was a refreshing reminder to both young and old that no matter how old one gets, there’s a free spirit in everyone waiting to let loose.
“This was so fun with the kids,” guest Alicia Bobé said after the show. “I can’t even imagine how fun the adult cruises would be.” Bobé sat at the bar with her family and conversed with Black Raven bartender Susan Nalley, aka Susy McKracken, while the crowd exited with pirate gear and smiles.
Thankfully, Bobé doesn’t need to imagine the fun. The Black Raven staff guarantees it because according to them, they, like the cannons, have a “blast,” too.
“It absolutely thrills me to be here,” said Lady Red. “Not only am I working with the public, where you meet so many different kinds of people and they’re all in their happy place here, but to be able to provide a smile for them is so rewarding.”
McKracken says “aye” to that. She and her son work together on the ship and she said it’s not only brought them closer together, but also out of their shell.
“It’s incredible to be able to meet people and see the kids’ faces light up,” she said. “I work with the best crew. This is my family. This is a great place to work.”
