Oct. 1, 2006 — The smash-hit "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies show mythical sailors plying regional waters 300 years ago, but a modern mariner helps bring that myth to the silver screen.
David Pearsall, a 27-year old St. Thomian, has captained boats on all three "Pirate" movies: "The Curse of the Black Pearl," "Dead Man's Chest" and a third scheduled for release next year, "At Worlds End." But don't expect Pearsall to gush about Johnny Depp, who stars in the movies as Captain Jack Sparrow. Pearsall "met" the movie star on Dominica.
"Well," Pearsall says, clearly unimpressed, "he came over one day and posed for a picture with my wife and son, David. When I saw him the next day, he didn't recognize me. Stars like Depp come in, shoot their scenes and leave. Orlando Bloom had to wait around while they filmed others, but they get the principal actors in and out."
Pearsall crews with movies stars and travels widely while still captaining a local charter fishing boat. On top of that, Pearsall raises a family on Water Island with his wife, Kristine. They have two children: David, 3, and Alyssa, 16 months.
He is a tall, serious young man, boyish, looking even younger than his years. Pearsall grew up on the water. His family has lived on Water Island since 1967. Pearsall inherited his movie and water chops from his father.
The senior Pearsall, who died in 2002, was a well-known sailor and local movie trouper. He worked with the Tourism Department for years on boat and scouting assignments, and traveled around the world working with film crews. He earned a V.I. Medal of Honor for his part in rescuing seven passengers from an Antilles Airboats accident in the 1980s.
"I went with my dad to St. Lucia as far back as '94," he says. "We worked on 'White Squall' there in '97."
During much of the past three years Pearsall has captained the camera boat for the "Pirate" films and, in between, worked on "Into the Blue," a watery adventure thriller about drugs and diving starring Jessica Alba, released in 2005. Film work can be unpredictable.
"I was home about two weeks in 2004 when I got the call and had to go back to the Bahamas," Pearsall says.
Positioning the yachts in the "Pirate" movies was crucial to filming.
"There were about seven pirate yachts, and we must have had 40 power boats," Pearsall says. Positioning the yachts is a particular skill. "It's like circling the boats around the fifth position on a die, so they could move depending on the position of the sun."
A lot of the filming took place on Dominica and St. Vincent.
"In St. Vincent," Pearsall says, "we had to transport the crew for a half-hour boat ride from Point Royal at the East Indian dock, and then another two-hour drive to the location."
The Black Pearl pirate ship has a singular history that only the movie industry could conjure: "The ship was constructed in Alabama," Pearsall says.
Why?
"I don't really know; I guess it was cheaper," he says. "It sailed to the Caribbean, a registered, seagoing vessel. Then they chopped down a freighter and built a functioning hull, and placed the pirate ship on top of it."
Pearsall's favorite location is Dominica.
"The island is pristine," Pearsall says. "Waterfalls, gorges — they gave me a little beach house. We had close to 700 extras, and hired local cab drivers, cooks and transportation workers. There was lots of water work maintaining the boats."
In between all the traveling, Pearsall maintains a somewhat unsettled family life. "Kristina and David came to visit me on Dominica, and we get together as often as we can."
The movie work can be tough, he says. His workday frequently runs from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m., six days a week.
"It's mostly wake up, work, go to bed," he says. "Nothing glamorous." But the pay is good, even if, Pearsall says, "There's usually no place to spend money."
The work ethic on the movie set is also tough, Pearsall says.
"I enjoyed everyone. They don't tolerate guys who don't get along with everybody, or who can't do their job; they are sent off. You don't have time to do anything wrong, and you don't make enemies. There is too much money being spent to fool around."
On location in the Bahamas last year, Pearsall did have occasion to spend some money. "We rented an apartment from August to November for Kristina. She was pregnant then with Alyssa, our daughter, and I would fly up as often as I could."
That was during filming for the second "Pirates," "Dead Man's Chest," which came out this summer.
"Then the storm came," Pearsall says. "I forget if it was Katrina or the one before. That was the worst. We had to evacuate and move to California."
The work doesn't always make sense to the casual observer. For instance, Pearsall says, didn't the filmmakers realize it was hurricane season?
"It was logistically insane," he says. "They gambled and they lost on the weather. But, they have deep pockets."
Pearsall has also done a lot of movie work near Miami. "I worked on 'Miami Vice,'" he says, "and that was easy. It was in Biscayne Bay, and it was lots fewer hours."
He doesn't necessarily remember all the crew he meets from year to year.
"After a year, you forget," he says. "I drove the camera boat, so they all knew who I was, except the makeup people and the accountants."
If you pay attention, you can see Pearsall's name in the credits for "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" as boat captain in a category called "below the line."
"We went to see it here on the island, and they shut the film off before they finished the credits!" Pearsall says, shaking his head.
After graduating from Antilles School in 1997, Pearsall attended Florida International University, earning an associate arts degree in business. There he met and married Kristine Chung, who runs a local makeup business catering to weddings and the advertising industry.
The movie work can be exhausting, but so is Pearsall's "day job." He works with Capt. Steve Malpere, who owns Peanut Gallery Fishing Charters out of Crown Bay.
"I got my captain's license in 2004," he says, "and we do a good business."
Pearsall had trouble scheduling time for an interview.
"We do a lot of half-day fishing trips," Pearsall says. "We get mahi-mahi, game fish and shore fish. For the most part we throw them back, but we keep the edible ones. We can get to the South Drop for inshore and offshore fishing most days, depending on the weather."
For more information, see the Peanut Gallery's website.
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