The Black Sparrow Pirate Ship Cruise in Harbour Town

• Trip: About 90 minutes, from the Harbour Town dock
• Best for: Children roughly 2 to 10, with a grown-up
• Tickets: From $44.99; infants under 1 are $15
• Phone: 843-363-7000

Pirates of Hilton Head runs a children’s treasure-hunt cruise on the Black Sparrow, a purpose-built pirate ship tied up at the commercial pier in Harbour Town, under the lighthouse. The whole thing takes about an hour and a half, and it is aimed squarely at children of roughly 2 to 10 and whoever brought them.

It leaves from the same dock as the dolphin cruises and the watersports boats, at 149 Lighthouse Road on the Harbour Town Yacht Basin, inside Sea Pines.

What Happens on the Black Sparrow

The first quarter of an hour happens on the dock, not the water. Each child is given a pirate name, a tattoo and face paint, put into a bit of pirate costume, and taught how to talk like one. Once they have sworn in, they are crew.

Then the ship casts off into Calibogue Sound with a treasure map and a problem: a pirate called Stinky Pete has the key to the sunken chest. Finding him and getting the key back is the plot, and the way the crew gets it back is by turning the ship’s high-pressure water cannons on him. There is singing and dancing in between, and the recovered treasure is shared out before the ship comes back in. Every child goes home with some.

It is a show rather than a boat ride, so it works best for children who are happy to be part of one. Nobody gets soaked — the cannons point outward at Pete, not at the deck — but a drizzly day is worth dressing for.

Tickets, Ages and Booking

Tickets start at $44.99 and are the same price for adults and children; infants of 11 months and under are $15. Everyone on board needs a ticket, whatever their age, including the adult who is only there to watch. Booking is online through the operator, and trips do sell out, so it is not a walk-up plan in July.

Cancellations more than 48 hours before the sailing are refunded in full. Inside 48 hours there are no refunds and no changes. If the crew cancels for weather, you get your money back — they sail in light drizzle, and call it off for steady rain or thunderstorms.

Before You Go

• Arrive 30 minutes before the sailing time. Check-in, costumes and face paint all happen in that window, and the ship leaves on time.

• There is no bathroom on board. The check-in area has a public restroom; use it first.

• Bring sunblock and a camera. Swimsuits are not needed — this is not a swimming trip.

• Water is sold at the dock for $2.

• Boarding is up a ramp, then two steps up, one step over and three to five steps to a seat.

Getting to the Dock

Harbour Town is at the south end of Sea Pines, which is gated. Unless you own property there, are a resort guest or have a Sea Pines rental booking, the gate fee is $10 per day for a standard vehicle; the guest pass office page has the rest of the rules. Park in the Harbour Town lot and walk down to the water. In summer the lot fills, so leave more time than the drive suggests.

While you are there, the Harbour Town Lighthouse is a two-minute walk and the pier is right beside the dock. For lunch before or after, see where to eat in Harbour Town.

Not the Same as Pirates HHI

There are two children’s pirate cruises on Hilton Head and they are easy to mix up. Pirates of Hilton Head sails the Black Sparrow from Harbour Town and its villain is Stinky Pete. Pirates HHI is a different company, on the other side of the island at Palmetto Bay Marina, with its own ship and a villain called Smelly Sam. If you booked one and drove to the other, you would be half an hour away and on the wrong side of a gate.