Learn about a Maine Legend at 13th Windjammer Weekend, Aug. 31-Sept. 2

The 13th annual Windjammer Weekend is set for Aug. 31 through Sept. 2 in Camden (www.windjammerweekend.com). This year it features a number of events, including a talent show, a dog show, a chowder-making contest, several showings of the film “Captains Courageous” (filmed in Camden in 1937), and performances by Aztec Two-Step and Portuguese fado singer Ana Vinagre.

It also features two special talks by Jim Nelson, the author of several books about naval history and an expert on pirates. At Windjammer Weekend he’ll give two talks (in character) on the only pirate known to have plundered his way across the Gulf of Maine: the legendary Dixie Bull. He’ll be at the festivities at 10:30 a.m. Saturday and noon Sunday.

Q. Who was Dixie Bull?

A. One of the things I found out about him was that no one really knows much about him, though he was a real, historical figure. Most of those classic pirates in the 1600s, like Blackbeard, were pretty serious, and their names appear again and again. He appears just once.

Q. What was he famous for?

A. Well, he’s most famous for raiding the trading post at Pemaquid in 1632. They say he got off with about 500 pounds of goods. He robbed them of everything. He took whatever cash they had, some hardware, and probably some furs.

Q. Why did he take up piracy?

A. He had come over from England in a small vessel to trade with the Indians. He was robbed by marauding Frenchmen in Penobscot Bay, and he wanted revenge. He took his boat to Boston and recruited a handful of men, about 15 or so, and came up and started robbing vessels, and then attacked the fort at Pemaquid.

Q. Were there ever any other pirates off the coast of Maine?

A. One of the things I say in my talk about Dixie is that in the Caribbean the Spanish were pulling vast amounts of gold out of the region. In Maine, the English and Portuguese were pulling vast amounts of codfish. Gold is much more attractive to a pirate than cod, obviously. And pirates tend to like it when it’s warm, because when your hobby is drinking rum until you fall down, you don’t want to do it where you’ll freeze to death.