Avast! A new puzzle has washed ashore: Sail Patching! Patching allows pirates to repair damage done to their ship by stitching up tears in the sails. Stitch as much as you can for a high score, but watch out for wind gusts! You can read more about this exciting new addition over here, and when you're ready, Patching is accessible from the Carpentry box aboard any ship, so go check it out!

If you're looking for a good way to celebrate Patching's release, what better way than with a new portrait? We just released a slew of new player-created backgrounds to choose from, as well as a bunch of new eyes and mouths to pose with! Feeling sly, or scared, or a little embarrassed? Now there's a portrait for that!

We also slipped a few more little things into this release, such as a cool new mask inside the Black Box. You can read the full details over here.

We'll see you on the high seas!

At a recent meeting with Captain Cleaver, the Puzzle Pirates team was given explicit instructions not to make any plum puns when talking about the upcoming Plum Mystery Box event. When we jumped in to say that we prefer to call plum puns "plumns", we were all flogged to within an inch of our lives. After a bit of rest and recovery*, we're back to tell you all about the new stuff available in July's Plum Mystery Box! In a mature and respectful tone, of course, because we're pretty sure that the Captain reads this blog and I, personally, can't bear to spend another afternoon cleaning the quarterdeck with a toothbrush.

So, what's new in the Plum Mystery Box?

• All of the trinkets in the Plum Mystery Box are new and unique to this month's event, and every single one of them can be held in portraits. Not only that, but the trinkets in the Plum Mystery Box can be traded in to your local Trading Post for Plum Chromas! Coordinating your perfect summer outfit has never been easier**.
• For a few of you lucky mates out there, each box has a chance to contain a new, never-before-seen Plum Panther*** pet, or even a super rare Plum Octopus! Both are fine additions to any respectable pirate's menagerie.

So, when can you get your hands on all this great new booty? Well... Right now! From now until 3:00 PM PDT on July 23rd, 2012, you'll snag a free Plum Mystery Box for every $9.95 you spend on doubloons or every month of subscription time you purchase! That's 5 Plum Boxes for purchasing a $49.95 package, 12 Plum Boxes for purchasing an annual subscription, or even more!

If all that sounds good to you, head on over and grab your boxes right now! If you're more of the ponderous type, you can find all the gritty details without all the interminable chattering over in the official event rules.

Good luck, everyone, and here's to a great summer on the high seas!

* We were plum tuckered out. WAIT NOOOO
** Mine involves both plum and lime green. Don't judge me.
*** We originally wanted to make a pink-colored panther, but somebody sent us a rather threatening package of fiberglass insulation and we lost our nerve.

The Navies can't catch 'em and the Empire - HAR! - they still deny their existence! But we know they exist because we've all pawed over their wares in the Black Markets. The Smuggler's code must be iron-bound 'cause we ain't ne'er even seen their ships up close...until now! That's right mate, the legendary Smuggler Class Sloop can now be gotten from yer local shipyard! Rumour has it that some unnamed person or persons made these smuggling vessels available for some reason. A vendetta 'gainst a former smuggling crew? Who knows? But here she be in all her glory!

She's adorned with the visage o' a shadowy lady gesturing for secrecy. We all know that loose lips can sink ships, so this seems a fitting figurehead for such a secretive bunch.

That bloke with the knavish look there on the deck wouldn't give any account o' hisself other than the moniker "Black Gull", no doubt an assumed alias. Nevertheless, Mr. Black Gull graciously volunteered to show us 'round the vessel, and we accepted. Ye can see the stealthy shades used for the decking, timbers, rigging and even the rowboat is outfitted for nocturnal activity.

Dropping below decks into the hold, we see the same shadowy tones, but other than that it seems a fairly straight-forward ship. What's that ye say, Mr. Black Gull? We should take a closer look at the wall there 'neath the jolly roger?

Great whistlin' sea hags! 'Tis a hidden hatch hoarded with contraband, me hearties! Arrrr! Look at all that loot! All right, all right, Mr. Black Gull - we can see yer antsy to go up the stairs behind ye, but let's just have ourselfs a wee peep inside some o' these crates, shall we? Fine! We can spy them out later, lads - lead away up yon stairs, Mr. Black Gull.

Aha! So it's back above decks we be, in a wee hidey-hole? More illicit goodies here and - eh? What about that wall, Black Gull? Have ye another trick up yer sleeve?

Avast! Another secret hatch leads us into the cabin, with the decks just beyond yon door. Well, I must say, Mr. Black Gull, I - wait, where be the blaggard? He were here just a moment ago! Blimey, well ain't he the slippery one?! Well, in any case, let me just say that The Smuggler Class Sloop is only available for the month of July, and, as ye can see, she's just the perfect thing for all pirate pastimes from pillaging beneath the summer sun to...more clandestine activities.

The culmination of months of smuggling, bootlegging, and other forms of ne'er-do-well'ry, the Series 3 Black Box is now available for purchase from your local Black Market!

Indeed, the scoundrels at the Black Market have really outdone themselves this time. New items for Series 3 include the design for the brand new Rogue Class Dhow, the delightfully devilish Dastardly Moustache Wax, and the mythical Shadow Unicorn pet!

That's not all, of course: there's also a whole slew of other Black Market-themed prizes, including the super-rare Skeletal Monkey familiar! The full prize list can be found over here on the YPPedia, but why take our word for it? Head over to the Black Market and get yer mitts on some filthy lucre right now!

On June 22nd, we will be retiring the Series 2 Black Box in favor of the new Series 3 Black Box. Normally, we like this sort of thing to be a surprise, but as some of the Series 2 prizes will be cycling out of availability at that time, we wanted to take a moment to give some advance notice on exactly what is changing.

The items that will no longer be available from the Black Box on June 22nd are...

• Black Painted Chest
• Black Poker Table
• Black Jaguar
• Black Elephant
• Gold Chroma (still available from the Gold Box)

If you want one of these items, this is your last chance to try your luck by snagging a Series 2 Black Box from your nearest Black Market!

What exactly will be in the Series 3 Black Box, you ask? Well... we have to save something as a surprise, don't we?

Searching for inspiration, we here at Puzzle Pirates HQ recently spent some time at the largest gambling mecca in all of the Eastern Seas. All things considered, it went pretty well! Forculus struck it big at poker and used his winnings to form Forculus Industries, a holding company whose sole asset is Fishheadred (who is very bad at poker). Eightycats got yet another kitten tattoo that he is going to regret. As for Greenbones and I, we spent ten minutes playing Treasure Drop and then immediately got back to work, producing the initial sketches for what turned into June's Limited Edition ship: the Casino Class Sloop!

Pictured here is Quicksilver enjoying the Casino Class Sloop's captain's cabin, which has been converted into a little gambling den, complete with cashier's cage and roulette table! The roulette table will spin a number upon request and announce it to you and the rest of the ship, but it won't accept bets. Where would the Pieces of Eight come from, after all? Quicksilver refused to pony up when we asked.

Here's a lovely image of the ship's lucky joker figurehead. My grandpappy always said that the trick to poker was to always have the best hand, and you can't get any better than the royal flush this prow is packing! Quicksilver maintains that it's much more convenient to carry your royal flush up your sleeve. He's no longer invited to poker night.

This is the hold of the ship, with a cashier's cage navigation table, a pile of loot that works as a booty chest, and, of course, all the parlor and card tables you could ever need! There are also bilge pumps down there somewhere, of course. You can't play poker with wet cards, after all! Well, you can, but we don't recommend it.

The Casino Class Sloop is only available for the month of June, so head on over to your local Shipyard and place your bets now!

From now until 3:00 PM PDT on May 21st, 2012, you'll earn a FREE Banana Box for every $9.95 you spend on doubloons or every month of subscription time you purchase! That's 5 Banana Boxes for purchasing a $49.95 package, 12 Banana Boxes for purchasing an annual subscription, or even more! Featuring the seasonal color Banana, each Banana Box has a fantastic prize inside, including some brand-new surprises, such as the new Banana Dog pet, the Banana Snake familiar, or the Banana Monkey! What monkey wouldn't love being Banana?!

There's a bunch of other great prizes available, as well: Banana sloops, Banana furniture, and even Banana Spring and Summer trinkets! Don't let it be a cruel, cruel summer: peel open a Banana Box right now! For a full list of available prizes and other more detailed info, the official rules can be found here.

Good luck, everyone!

Technology continues to leap forward here on the Puzzle Pirate seas. Why, it feels like only yesterday that some forward-thinking genius out there invented the top hat, and soon afterward, the felt chamber pot. Even so, it's a red letter day for us all here at Puzzle Pirates HQ as we're pleased to announce that the very first Steam Class Sloop has rolled off the production line!

Or, well... I guess it sailed off the production line. Let's not get too ahead of ourselves here.

The Steam Class Sloop is sturdily built out of only the finest and most buoyant bronze available. We asked one of the engineers exactly how this worked, but he just threw an empty rum bottle at us and called our mother something uncouth. We're going to assume this means that it's a "trade secret".

But surely you must be thinking... how does it all work? What is this strange device in the hold? Why aren't we giving you a chance to ask these questions yourself? Well, dear reader, through an advanced alchemical process known as "ocean potion locomotion", this "engine" found in the belly of the ship makes very loud noises and belches poisonous smoke. Meanwhile, alcohol, in the form of rum, is pumped from the ship's hold into the pirates crewing the vessel. This increases morale significantly, giving them the energy they need to sail the ship forward, as well as to survive the incredibly toxic smog being put out by the engine. Did we mention that the smoke was ridiculously dangerous, odorless, invisible, and has no real effect on gameplay? I feel like we forgot that part. At any rate, it's very hazardous. Don't inhale it.

Oh, it's not all ridiculously-light brass and poisonous fumes, however. The Steam Class Sloop also has all the trappings you'd expect to see in a Limited Edition ship of its caliber: a sturdy vault door sealing the captain's cabin off from the rest of the ship in not-quite-airtight comfort, the finest in bronze cannonry and fittings, and even an extraordinary automaton figurehead! While we personally feel that it's a metallic monster whose existence challenges the very notion of our humanity and what ethical lines should be drawn when pushing the limits of technology, our artists thought it was "neat".

The Steam Class Sloop is only available for the month of May, however, so speed on over to your Shipyard and buy the ship of tomorrow... TODAY!

Oh, and by the way... We've also turned top hats on for purchase for the duration of the Steam Class Sloop's availability, because frankly, if you're half as excited about this as we are, you're going to need a place to relieve yourself, and quickly.

Avast ye defenders o' the free archipelagos, ye knights-errant o' the briny deep!

I be the gilded pirate Goldtooth Glittersleeves, Secretary o' the Treasure, and this be an official-like announcement - so set yer deadlights on me words and mark 'em well... It be my great honour to announce the release of the Gold Box!

Ah, the plunder has been a'flowin' heavy of late, and we at the Department have taken a portion of the surplus and appointed the finest of goldsmiths to fashion it into loot befitting our noble pirate natures and pack it into shiny Gold Boxes!

Aye, noble indeed! For hasn't it fallen upon us to put our courageous hearts to the test and battle the wickedest forces on the high seas, the fiercest of sea-monsters and to repeatedly send the Empire the message that they don't yet rule us all? Indeed, be we not the last free folk o' the sea, robbin' from the rich and givin' to the poor? True, the poor has mostly meant ourselves since most of us were as poor as wharf-rats when we first went "on the account" - but that don't take away the fact that we're an honorable and princely lot, says I!

It be in this spirit that we've created the Gold Boxes and distributed them to banks across the ocean, installing a shiny new golden safe in each bank to hold these grand new glittering goodies!

And in addition to the lustrous loot, we've engaged the services of exotic beast-tamers from the furthest reaches o' the world to add a rare few magickal beasties to the fare!

We've also employed gifted ship designers and ye'll be able to turn in yer Gold Box trinkets for glorious Gold Class Ship designs at ye olde Trading Post.

The first shipment be ready now, but after that, the Gold Box will only be available for a two week period every other month, since "acquiring" the raw materials takes a wee bit o' effort and not a few deeds of daring-do!

SO! If ye be needin' even more explanation than all that, feast yer eyes on this summary o' all the fiddly details. Otherwise, put on yer fancy boots, stump yer intrepid ol' bones down to yer island bank and TREAT YERSELF. Ye've earned it, mate!

T. Hieronymous "Goldtooth" Glittersleeves
Secretary, Department o' the Treasure

April's Limited Edition ship is our most luxurious yet. Say ahoy to the Emperor Class Sloop!

Easily the stealthiest ship on the seven seas, the new, fully transparent Emperor Class Sloop is perfect for midnight raids on Imperial outposts, as well as for everyday pillaging and treasure hunting!

The Emperor Class isn't without teeth, however. Check out the new "giant-sized" cannons here on its deck that do three times the damage of a small cannonball!

But what would a Limited Edition ship be without some luxurious fixtures? Every Emperor Class Sloop comes with a complete pet menagerie, including some exotic and never-before-seen animals, as well as a beautifully appointed captain's cabin, with an extra-special Sea Battle board game table and attentive servant NPPs!

You don't have to worry about getting rumsick aboard the Emperor Class, either. As you can see, there's a fully functional distillery down here in the hold, so you can make as much fine rum as you need while you're out on the water!

The Emperor Class ship is only available for the month of April, so make sure you place your order now before it disappears!

EDIT: Sorry, everyone, but it turns out that the shipment of new Emperor Class ships has gone missing! We could swear they were safely tied up at the dock, but when we went to check on them this morning, they weren't there. Our apologies for any inconvenience!