Description
A former marijuana smuggler tells us the story of Charleston's other most notorious outlaws — the pirates.
Starting Location
Duration
1 hour, 5 minutes
Description
Barry Foy is a Charlestonian who knows a little something about being a maritime outlaw. In the 70's and early 80's, he and his friends smuggled a billion dollars worth of marijuana into the United States on sailboats — much of it into the shoreline near Charleston. The Feds that were chasing them called them "The Gentlemen Smugglers" and eventually put together the largest task force in South Carolina history to catch them: Operation Jackpot. Barry is one of the few people around who can actually tell us first-hand what it feels like to be running from the law on the high seas. And so who better to tell us about Chalreston's most famous outlaws — the pirates?
During the Golden Age of Piracy, Charleston was one of the largest hubs for pirate activity on the East Coast. Some of the most famous pirates of all time called Charleston home, plundered ships outside its harbor, and spent their hard-stolen money in its taverns and brothels. But in 1718, two pirates — Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet — took the whole city hostage and sparked Charleston to launch an all out war on piracy. On this journey, you'll learn about their story — and the story of the Gentlemen Smugglers — as you walk the beautiful streets of Downtown Historic Charleston.
You'll stroll around Charleston's beautiful, world-class harbor and find out what attracted so many pirates to the Holy City in the first place. You'll see the taverns and brothels they frequented and learn from a local expert which of the stereotypes we believe about these infamous rebels are fact and which are fiction. You'll meet the author who wrote the best-selling book on Barry and his smuggling compatriots and learn how the Feds finally caught up with them. And you'll do it with a modern day renegade leading the way.
This is the real story of the two of Charleston's most colorful, and infamous, groups of outlaws — the pirates and the Gentlemen Smugglers!
Tips & Hours
- This Detour can be taken anytime, any day, but is best started between 10am - 3pm Mon through Sat.
- Mon through Sat, The Tavern is open 10am - 7pm and the Powder Magazine is open 10am - 4pm. On Sun, the Tavern is closed and The Powder Magazine’s hours of operation are shortened to 1pm - 4pm.
- There are stops where you may wish to purchase items: The Tavern, The Powder Magazine, and 82 Queen.
- Occasionally on Sat, the Tavern will hold impromptu spirits tastings. So if you’re over 21 years old, make sure to bring ID and see if you can catch one of them!
- Charleston’s summer weather is very hot and humid -- wear comfortable shoes and bring a bottle of water. (If you don’t there are food and drink vendors and establishments along the route.)
Credits
Narrator: Barry Foy
Head of Content: Heather Schuster
Executive Producer: Avi Glijansky
Producer: Dominique Ferrari
Associate Producer: Christopher Hanson Jasmine McLaurin
Sound Design Supervisor: Julian Kwasneski Music Supervisor Mikael Sandgren
Audio Post Production services by Bay Area Sound: Matthew Strasser, Andy Jung
Featured Voices:Jason Ryan Michael Coker
Cover Photo: Geno DiMaria
Navigation Photos: Christopher Hanson
Starting Locations of All Detours