2015 King & Queen
by: Fin “Masthead” MacGregor
The Drunkard of Sandy Crab-bottom!
Greetin’s pirates, scoundrels, scallywags, & wenches, alike. Another season has passed and a new King & Queen must take the throne. Though many have pillaged & plundered, few have held these positions. After years of mastering Tybee’s waters & conquering Little Tybee’s beaches, Captain Black Bart Jarrell(Lannie Jarrell) & Queen Anastasia of the Isle o’ Tybee(Stacye Jarrell), have arrived to claim the honor of the 11th annual Tybee Pirate Fest King & Queen.
As with any well-run vessel, Tybee Island requires quite a large crew to keep r a float. That bein’ said, often one mate or another goes above & beyond to support their community. Every year, as the temperatures cool & fall approaches, Tybee recognizes two of these individuals by honoring them with the position of Tybee Pirate Fest King & Queen.
Both originally hailing from different parts of Georgia, Lannie & Stacye both converged on our little island. Stacye, arrived on the shores of Tybee for the first time as a young lass camping with her family. Seasons passed, and at the age of 21, she dropped her anchor & restored her first house. Lannie, growing up about 70 miles away, also traveled to Tybee throughout his early years. Being drawn to the sea, Lannie purchased a house, & chose to call Tybee his home. For many years, both lived upon our shores, often sharing many of the same shipmates, without ever meet’tn. In 1999, they crossed paths at Tybee’s oldest operating watering hole, Doc’s Bar. Wit’in the year, they became inseparable, & even went into business together. Oceanfront Cottage Rentals, named after the first property Stacye purchased in 1978, has grown to 105 beautiful properties located all over the Island. Years later, they embarked on an adventure & opened Tybee Island Wedding Chapel & Grand Ballroom, which has become a premier wedding venue in the state of Georgia. The Chapel has attracted visitors from all over the world and is also used for local fundraising events.
Lannie & Stacye have supported Tybee in so many ways it’s almost impossible to begin. From housing fundraisers for Tybee Island Maritime Academy & The Tybee Post Theatre, to promoting Tybee Island any way they can, we are lucky to have them. So, batten down the hatches & raise the sails. Come one, come all, & come join our Pirate King Captain Black Bart Jarrell & Pirate Queen Anastasia of the Isle o’ Tybee at the 11th annual Tybee Pirate Fest.