If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to live as a pirate, now you can find out. On Virginia’s Northern Neck, a giant pirate ship houseboat decked out with cannons and pirate flags is on the market for $49,000.
Daniel Corder, a 63-year-old retired firefighter-turned-artist, rigged the abandoned 1993 Holiday Mansion with a fresh coat of black paint and a new motor after buying it from a local marina. The 44-foot-long vessel, listed in the Pirate, Mermaids, & Scallywags Facebook group for pirate fanatics, comes with a fully equipped kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom. There is also spooky skeleton crew stationed on board to keep you company.
The Callao, Virginia resident, who also calls himself Captain Dan, has already received hundreds of offers from as far away as Australia, but he has yet to find the right buyer. Most people want to turn the ship into an Airbnb, which he thinks is a great idea, but it would require a “level of due diligence” and the proper docking facilities to maintain it. “I’ve had people that want to buy this thing sight unseen,” he says. “I don’t sell something to somebody that they don’t come to see and feel.”
This isn’t the first time Corder has struck gold with his creations. Over the past 10 years, he has sold more than 30 pirate ships that have become restaurant decor, tourist attractions, and pool accessories. This is just a hobby for Corder—his boats usually average under $15,000, but he bumped up the price for this one to compensate for its larger size and the extra work it took to rig it.
And for those who don’t see the use of owning a pirate ship, let us leave you with the words of Captain Dan: “Anyone can own a boat, but you are the coolest kid on the block if you got a pirate ship.”
Before becoming Research Editor, Damare Baker was an Editorial Fellow and Assistant Editor for Washingtonian. She has previously written for Voice of America and The Hill. She is a graduate of Georgetown University, where she studied international relations, Korean, and journalism.
