The sun is up.*ding - ding* All Pirates to mid ship
Morning Pirates, this is it. Captains Steels Fortune is out there. And you Christa and Ben and your crews will be running for it.
The first clues were not in the Chest of Zanzibar, but in the First Mate’s Chest. You two have earned the right with those clues in your hands. One of the clues will lead you to the treasure worth half a million dollars.
*everyone is smiling*
The Captains Crew is Black. Ben, Azmyth, Cheryl, and Jupiter.
The Red Crew is Christa, John, Nessa, and Jay.
I have your sashes.
Christa Confession: I know what ever happen here, we’ve won. I feel really good, calm and patient. Prepared to receive my treasure.
In front of you are your kit bags, everything you need inside them plus your blunderbuss. (I finally find out the name of the gun in the last 15 minutes of the show.) Make sure you fire that thing to let the other one know you are the Pirate master.
Ben Confessional: Finally I’m here. This has been my dream. This is my time to shine; my time to show everybody that I got what it takes to be Pirate Master.
Host: Go over the side into the long boats and row to shore. For Captain Steel’s half million dollar treasure, and the right to be called Pirate Master: HONOR YOUR CREW, FIGHT FOR YOUR FLAG! BANG
Both teams start to row.
Host: The Pirates and their crews will row to shore. Race up a mountain trail to find a set of caves.
They will have to untie a Chinese box, and then unlock it with keys to open one of the drawers to get their next clue.
Cheryl Confessional: We paddled like we’ve never paddled before. It was crazy. We got ahead. I couldn’t go any harder.
The Black Crew hit the beach first and starting running up the trail. The Red Crew is close behind.
Nessa Confessional: We passed the Black Crew on the way to the caves.
The Red Crew reaches the cave first and starts tearing down the barricades.
Ben Confessional: We had to knock down the wall barrier to reach an ancient Chinese Puzzle Box that was tied to the ground.
Everyone is working on untying the knots.
The Red Crew brings out the box first, with the Black Crew close behind.
Jupiter reads the clue: Take this box down the path...
Host: The Crews must now carry the puzzle box up a steep trail to an abandoned armory.
There they must look for a key hidden in the barrel of a canon.
The Black Crew starts out first with the Red Crew right behind.
Ben Confessional: Azmyth and I had to lug this big box, the two boniest cats on the whole voyage. We’re running up uneven terrain, carrying a hundred pound box.
We had a led when we reached the armory.
Ben found the key in the canon. They opened the 3rd lock and found two decks of cards with a note.
Ben Confessional: We had to put the cards in order, starting with the King of Clubs. The Red Crew was right behind us, so we knew it was anybody’s game.
Jay Confessional: The Stacking cards seemed simple, but Christa over thought it.
Christa thought you were to switch suits every card.
Jupiter realized that when stacked there was something written on the edge of the cards.
Cheryl Confessional: Once we had the deck together, there was a clue that we had to read backwards. It said under cannonballs.
The Black Crew heads off looking for cannonballs. Azmyth discovered they were very heavy.
Azmyth Confessional: We dug around and found some burlap. We pulled it up to find a Captains wheel for the ship.
Ben starts reading the clue.
“Will you find my treasure...or will you fail.
Your fate is still unknown.
Only you may travel up this trail,
Leave your Ghost and go alone.”
Host: The finalist must now go on alone and find their way up a steep trail that leads to Captains Steel’s Quarters where they will find their next clue.
The Red Crew is still stuck on figuring out what the cards are for. Jay wanted to stack the cards in order. Instead he tried to find the Black Crew to see what they were doing. He saw them coming out of a gate with a ships steering wheel.
“It seems obvious to me we must look for the wheel. He takes off to search for the wheel.
Ben heads up the path a little sad to leave behind the ghost, but also realizing they hold him back.
Jay calls for everyone to come help look. They are still putting cards in order. Jay finds the wheel and clue. He realizes Christa must now head up the path to the Captains Quarters.
Ben Confessional: Carrying the wooden wheel up the path was hard. But I knew Christa was also carrying one.
They are both running up the hill full speed.
Host: The Pirates must find the Captains chambers, mount the wheel on a coat of arms and decipher a code which will tell them where Captain Steel’s treasure is hid. They must also locate a locked metal box with a key inside they will need o unlock the final treasure.
Ben Confessional: I went inside to what looked like an old office of his. There was a large wooden plaque that the wheel fit on. To find my fortune you must align the wheel. After staring at the wheel for a while and not finding anything, Christa shows up. So I’m like neck and neck again.
Neither could figure out what it meant. Ben realized there were notches on the board. He aligned them and figured out it said the treasure was in the chest of Zanzibar.
Christa is looking on the table for clues.
Ben Confessional: It’s mind-blowing to think they’ve been staring at the chest every week not knowing there was a fortune in it. I realized I needed to take a heavy steel box without a key and head back to the ship. Ben starts off down the path.
Christa looks at the wheel and figures out what it says. (I wonder if Ben left the wheel as is or moved it?)
Ben said running down the mountain with a big steel box was like carrying a kid. “I gripped it like a pregnant woman’s belly. I know Christa would have a hard time with it. I wanted to make up every second I could.
Christa started walking down the mountain with the steel box.
Ben reaches his crew and asks someone to help carry the box. H e keeps running down the hill.
Host: The Pirates must now make their way down the trail, to the boats, and row back to the ship. The pirates must again leave their ghost and find their next clue in the chest of Zanzibar.
Christa finally makes it down the trail dragging her steel box.
John picks up the chest and heads down the trail.
The Black Crew makes it to the boat first.
Azmyth says they paddled like crazy back to the ship.
Ben realized he would have to figure out the last parts by himself.
When the Red crew reached the beach there was no other boat in site.
They started rowing.
Host: The Pirates must find brass puzzle pieces hidden inside of the chest and arrange them under the metal boxes to reveal the combination to the lock.
Ben starts pulling out all the drawers in the chest. He found the metal pieces and realized he must work the puzzle on the bottom of the box he brought back. I tried to piece them together, and then realized Christa was on board.
Christa found the drawer with the puzzle pieces and knew she still had a shot.
Ben moves near her to keep an eye on her. Ben realized there were two numbers.
He figured out the code was 1688, he punched the number into the combination lock on the metal box and it came undone. The top opened to reveal a small silver key.
Ben Confessional: The most beautiful key on the planet. And that was my destiny.
He unlocks the lid of the Chest of Zanzibar. Opens it, unlocks the flat panel to reveal the treasure.
Christa just sat and watched. She could do anything else.
Ben ran around the deck shouting and jumping. The Host looked on and smiled.
Ben hugs and thanks Christa; she wraps her legs around him and stay that way for quite a while.
Christa Confessional: She says through tears. I’m genuinely happy for Ben, I wish it had been me, but it wasn’t to be. I can go home to my daughter who is my real treasure.
Ben shots the blunderbuss in victory.
Ben Confessional: It’s a lesson out there for everybody who been doubted by people. When you’re an underdog. Use it as fuel and prove the world wrong. Step up and show them the underdog. Ain;t the underdog anymore.
I’m mesmerized by the fact that I’m Pirate Master. I’m going to go home, put my feet up have a few brews and chill. I’m going to the beach, and surf. I’ll kick my feet up and not worry because I know I won’t have to worry from paycheck to paycheck.
He hugs the Host: Cameron and tells him he’s the man.
Host: After enduring 15 grueling expeditions, using both his brawn and cunning, 23 year old Ben Fagan of South Carolina, has beat out 15 competitors to discover Captain Henry Steel’s Treasure worth half a million dollars. He is now Ben Fagan, The Pirate Master
There was this at the end of the show:
In Memory of
Cheryl Lynn Kosewiz
1971-2007