Many residents will recall the Pirate Ship that for about a decade rose from Davy Jones’ Locker each October to become one of the noteworthy stops for Halloween revelers in Celebration. Though now permanently resting somewhere in an undisclosed watery grave, its final voyage was captured six years ago in a one-hour ABC-TV special “The Great Halloween Night Fright Fight.”
It all began with Neil Motti and his most unusual hobby. Each year, the Celebration resident and noted Central Florida craftsman erected a ghostly, full-scale pirate ship facade on the front of a local house for Halloween. Motti’s elaborately detailed Pirate Ship, which became one of the most prominent Halloween home decorations in the area, started modestly. “Each year I added more and more materials, pirate-attired skeletons, cannons, lights, and pirate booty,” explained Motti. “But my imagination was rapidly outgrowing the size of my house.”
So about ten years ago, Kim and Rod Hawk signed on and offered their larger Celebration Avenue house as the quay for Motti’s Pirate Ship. It quickly became Celebration’s best-known centerpiece for Halloween, drawing visitors not only from the local area but literally from around the world. In response to the obvious question, Motti noted, “In 2013, we had a record-breaking 5,000 trick-or-treaters on Halloween! To ensure that every trick-or-treater gets candy, we throw a big Halloween party every year and charge two bags of candy as admission to fill our pirate chests.”
When Kim and Rod sold their house after the 2013 Halloween, it looked as though Motti’s role as a pirate ship captain was over. Unable to find a place to store the more than one ton of materials, he scuttled his ship and sadly disposed of everything. Celebration residents were aghast.
However, Motti was hounded by local children and adults alike, who urged him to resurrect his Halloween tradition. Like an unexpected gale, ABC-TV appeared out of nowhere, dangling a $50,000 sack of booty for the winner of their upcoming Halloween home decoration special. Motti and his wife Julie decided to revive their ship and went looking for another anchorage. Fortunately, Jian Song stepped forward, offering his house and signing on with the score of pirate regulars. Motti hurriedly recruited his former band of buccaneers and wenches, acquired 50 sheets of plywood, and in six weeks, the new and improved pirate galleon was ready for a Hollywood film crew.
Explained Motti, “We invited our pirate friends over for a Skeleton Decorating Party. Everyone brought different pirate-themed accessories to decorate the skeletons. We also opened it up to the community where they can purchase their very own skeleton, dress it up, and pick its placement on the ship. This is always a big hit! People love to come and see their pirate aboard the ship! It is a great way for us to get the community involved as well.”
Sure enough, as the cameras began rolling, about two dozen costumed residents enthusiastically welcomed Sabrina Soto and Michael Moloney, then the stars of “Extreme Makeover Home Edition,” as they drove up to the pirate ship, exited their car, and promptly became the targets of an unplanned pirate attack. Motti rescued the pair from his unruly friends and took them on a tour of his pirate ship creation.
Celebration residents gave a rousing pirate cheer when it was later learned that Motti’s ship had made the cut and would be one of six finalists to be featured on “The Great Halloween Night Fright Fight,” which aired on October 28, 2014.
Alas, despite a spirited effort the Celebration Pirate Ship finished behind a Lee, New Hampshire home for the grand prize. Nevertheless, Motti’s Pirate Ship will live on the collective resident memory and Celebration town lore.
By Jim Siegel