Scuppered

From the Bay Area: Fremont's pirate store to abandon ship.

FREMONT — All hands on deck! The Tri-City area's unique pirate store plans to abandon ship after nearly three years on the stormy retail seas.

Owner Don Hatcher, 47, said SeaWolf Trading Co. will raise anchor by Aug. 31, when the store's lease is up.

"We did great the first year, but we've been in the swamp for the past year, ever since the foreclosures started," he said. "We started to immediately see sales start slumping.

He said an effort to build community around the store by hosting a regular Guitar Hero video game night only attracted a small crowd, a result he attributed to gas prices.

Hatcher also was a vendor at last month's second Northern California Pirate Festival in Vallejo. He said plenty of people attended but seemed to spend less than at last year's fest.

"It's a rare place in Fremont, as opposed to the usual strip mall crap," Neu said. "We'll miss it."

C'mon kids, by now you've had enough practice. Can you say it?

HELOC!!!

He plans to sell off the décor, including an elaborate treasure cave, as well as the discounted wares — which this reporter succumbed to — before the store is sent to Davy Jones's locker.

YAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!