Pirate Bill

[lprof]

Recently a beloved figure of Coral Bay passed away. He was known as Pirate Bill.

In January an art benefit was held in Cruz Bay where many of those attending purchased tee-shirts.

Someone who knew Pirate Bill for many years is seeking one of those shirts which are no longer being printed and sold by Tall Ships Trading. Does anyone know of a shirt that might be available to this fellow???

RIP Bill.


(Thanks to Yelena Rogers Photography)

[Lindy]

OMG! That's who he was?! We always called him Dumbledore....like from Harry Potter. Seems like we almost saw him every time we stopped at Skinny Legs.

[Jumbiegirl]

I've been wondering for a couple of months how he's been since he left the island for Hospice. I hope his last days were peaceful.

[tochin]

Skinny Legs will not seem the same now.

Back in 2009, my son, who at the time was 5, was determined to find buried treasure on the beaches of St. John. I had stopped at St. John Spice and picked up a little bag of pirate treasure coins they sold at the time. Throughout the vacation, I would place a coin in the sand on the shoreline of whatever beach we were at and my son would happily discover a treasure. He was so thrilled.

During the vacation we made our required visit to Skinny Legs and Pirate Bill was there. We had seen him there many times in the past but had never talked with him. My wife went over and introduced herself to Bill and during conversation found out about his treasure hunting life. She asked him if he would give my son one of the treasure coins I had bought earlier in the trip. So, Bill came over to our table where my son was waving around a plastic pirate sword. Bill asked him if he was a pirate and sat down with us for a few minutes and talked to us about his treasure hunting days. It was very kind of him to do that and enhance my son's pirate imagination. It sounded like he led a very different and remarkable life. His spirit and the memory of him will live on in Coral Bay and at Skinny Legs.

Rest in Peace, Bill.

[bdkane]

Skinny Legs will not seem the same now.

Back in 2009, my son, who at the time was 5, was determined to find buried treasure on the beaches of St. John. I had stopped at St. John Spice and picked up a little bag of pirate treasure coins they sold at the time. Throughout the vacation, I would place a coin in the sand on the shoreline of whatever beach we were at and my son would happily discover a treasure. He was so thrilled.

During the vacation we made our required visit to Skinny Legs and Pirate Bill was there. We had seen him there many times in the past but had never talked with him. My wife went over and introduced herself to Bill and during conversation found out about his treasure hunting life. She asked him if he would give my son one of the treasure coins I had bought earlier in the trip. So, Bill came over to our table where my son was waving around a plastic pirate sword. Bill asked him if he was a pirate and sat down with us for a few minutes and talked to us about his treasure hunting days. It was very kind of him to do that and enhance my son's pirate imagination. It sounded like he led a very different and remarkable life. His spirit and the memory of him will live on in Coral Bay and at Skinny Legs.

Rest in Peace, Bill.

StJohn2009__PirateBill2.JPG

That just brought tears to my eyes

I saw Bill many times around the Island or while at Skinny Legs, we always gave each other a kind "hello" or "what r u drinkin?" and a hand shake at the bar but never really had a conversation... Then on one trip just prior to hearing of his leaving the St John I was sitting at Skinny's at a table by myself, waiting for some friends, he came over and formally introduced himself as "Pirate Bill", he thought he had know me, I explained I'm a frequent visitor to the Island and we have met in passing many times this is probably how you recognize me, we then chatted for sometime and went on our way, When I went back to our villa I told my 6 year old son I had met a real life treasure hunter and a pirate... I soo wanted my son to meet him but unfortunately we did not see him again,I recall telling my wife he had eyes like the sea... Its funny how someone I hardly knew will be so missed next time Im on St John... RIP Pirate Bill

[david@va.beach]

Pirate Bill was quite the character. He learned how to dive at a wmca and worked with Mel Fisher prior to the discovery of the Atocha shipwreck. Bill told me years ago that mel wrote contracts on bar napkins sometimes and rewarded Bill's previous work with him by giving him a piece of the treasure ( a few links of a "money belt") Let's roll up one for Pirate Bill. R.I.P.

[BillVT]

My cousin's husband dove for Mel Fisher also and was able to walk away with some loot. I'd love hear the whole story of Pirate Bill. He is another of the great STJ fixtures that are slowly disappearing and made the place what it is.

[GidgetPicklebrain]

We just returned from St.John last night (trip report soon come). We took a sail to Jost with Captain Phil on the Wayward Sailor whilewe were ther. Captain Phil told us some Pirate Bill stories on the trip. According to him, after Bill went to Hospice, one day he decided he was ready to go and took a swim out to sea. He just headed straight out and kept on going until he could swim no more. Don't know if these are the true facts but it is the story we got.

[bdkane]

We just returned from St.John last night (trip report soon come). We took a sail to Jost with Captain Phil on the Wayward Sailor whilewe were ther. Captain Phil told us some Pirate Bill stories on the trip. According to him, after Bill went to Hospice, one day he decided he was ready to go and took a swim out to sea. He just headed straight out and kept on going until he could swim no more. Don't know if these are the true facts but it is the story we got.

So began... "The Legend of Pirate Bill"

I wonder, does anyone know his real name?

[lprof]

I wonder, does anyone know his given name?

I have been watching for any notice of memorial or obituary, but have seen nothing yet. Maybe the next issue of Tradewinds will have one.

His name was William Aiken.

[bdkane]

Thank you

[lprof]

I need to make a correction to the spelling of Pirate Bill's given name.
He was William Aitken, who twenty some years ago actually incorporated a business named Pirate Bill, Inc. in Key West, Florida.
I believe that Capt. Phil's story of his death is true. May he rest in peace.

[lprof]

Some of you may be interested in this interview with Pirate Bill probably from 8 or 10 years ago. (My guess)

http://stjohnhouserentals.wordpress.com ... rate-bill/

[BillVT]

First of all, thanks for finding that article. It fills in around all the other things I had heard about Bill.

As I had said earlier, my cousin's husband had also dove for Mel Fisher and they still live in the Keys. My cousin contacted several of the older divers still living in the area and they all remember him fondly.

Here is a sampling of the comments from her facebook page:
"Oh No!!! Well THATs the end of an era... So sad to hear though I must admit when he came to the states last year for some doctors app.... I was shocked to see him still up and about. He used to live on his sailboat right next to the old galleon that was cemented to the bottom. ALWAYS BAREFOOT.. ALWAYS Miss you ... Sail on Pirate Bill"

[jaybfloyd]

That's truly awe inspiring! I wonder where his "Pirate's beach club" was located?