Blackbeard, known on weekdays as Ben Cherry, a North Carolinian, is no stranger to the Cayman Islands as he has been visiting us every year over the last 20 plus for our National festival, Pirates Week. I am sure you spotted him, together with his wench, actually his wife, Dee Gee, last week.

What you probably don’t know is that they are both involved in a local flotilla of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary where Ben is a past Flotilla Commander, a Vessel Examiner, & Materials Officer.

Dee Gee is the current Flotilla Finance Officer (Ironic to put a pirate in charge of the bank account, wouldn’t you say?).

Dee Gee was kind enough to send iNews Caymansome photos of Ben as

a US Coast Guard Auxiliary crew member on a mission involving a helicopter extraction of Coast Guard Academy Cadets.

Dee Gee says, “We attended a District USCG Auxiliary conference in Virginia last year where one of the events was a 1950’s themed dance contest.  We entered the contest mainly because we enjoy dancing to the ‘oldies’, but ended up winning.  The attached photo is of us with the trophy that we could only keep for a year as it is “recycled” for the next year’s contest!  “

Thank you Dee Gee. I am sure we are going to ‘hear’ a lot more about Blackbeard and his wench as like Oliver Twist our Editor has asked ‘for more’.