Prospect — The Friends of Fort Knox are sponsoring the annual "Pirate Day" at Fort Knox State Historic Site 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, July 17. In addition, the professional pirates of the Dark Rose and their ship the Must Roos will be plying the waters of the Penobscot River, letting loose cannon fire at the pirate cannon battery at the fort. New this year will be an opportunity for a limited number of guests to sail on the Must Roos.

This is the ideal event for all those who have harbored a secret desire to be a pirate. Those wishing to participate in this event are asked to don their best pirate costume and practice pirate speech and accent.

The pirates will engage in a cannon-firing demonstration, sword fighting, gun play and creating general mayhem.

The Friends' Pirate Day will feature several contests, including best-sounding pirate, best-dressed pirate, a pirate parade and two treasure hunts. The schedule for Pirate Day contests follows:

10 a.m. - Meet and greet the pirates

11 a.m. - Captain Crudbeard's Cannon Shooting Lesson

Noon - Pirate Parade and Costume Contest

12:45 p.m. - Treasure Hunt 1

1:15 p.m. - Talk Like a Pirate Contest

1:45 p.m. - Pirate Ship Attack with Cannons, Flintlocks and Cutlasses in front of the Fort

2:30 p.m. - Treasure Hunt 2

3 p.m. - Sail on the pirate ship Must Roos with cannons and fllintlocks; six passengers maximum.

3:30 p.m. - Pirate weapons demonstration with grappling hooks, pikes, boarding axes, whips, swords, pistols and blunderbusses.

4:00 p.m. - Second sail on the Must Roos

5:00 p.m. - Third sail on the Must Roos

New this year will be the chance to take an hour-long ride on the Must Roos pirate ship for $20 per person. The ship can carry a maximum of six passengers and will make three separate trips at 3 p.m., 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. The ship will leave from the Bucksport Town dock and people interested in booking a spot are encouraged to buy tickets in advance by calling the Friends of Fort Knox at 469-6553 or stopping by the gift shop.

Those planning to attend the event are encouraged to form carpools, as there is limited public parking at the fort. Visitors may want to bring a picnic, as there will be no food other than snacks in the gift shop. An event donation of $3 per person is requested above the regular fort admission fee to cover the cost of hiring the pirates.

The Friends of Fort Knox is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Fort Knox and enhancing its educational, cultural and economic value for the people of Maine. For more information about the Friends and other special events go to their Web site at fortknox.maineguide.com