User blog comment:J Fan/Before going On Stranger Tides/@comment-3574741-20121227230731/@comment-1984959-20121228074422

''I believed Gibbs stayed in Tortuga and wrote his own guidelines. He was bent on retiring from piracy (as says in the book) but then changed his mind to find Jack.''
 * I certainly love this one! It explains so much of why the Guidelines doesn't cover any of Gibbs' post-AWE adventures.

Regarding Jack's look...
 * Jack's hair - I recall being told the same thing about his "blonde" hair shortly after seeing Jack's new look(I think after the Comic con teaser)...being told that it was possibly a nod to Tim Powers' novel; but then, it was the work of either Rob Marshall or the costume designer's, whom I'm not real sure thought of making said connection.
 * Dinghy/Ship - Personally, I can't say that Jack couldn't survive on the dinghy; heck, the worst he dealt with was the sinking Jolly Mon in Wedlocked and CotBP(even then, we have no idea how long he had it). But then, Jack's adventures with the dinghy are not set in stone, so your idea's possible.
 * Clothes and others - I might have forgotten to post this up on the blog(I guess now is good a time as any), but Johnny Depp himself was interviewed about most of the costume in an issue of Entertainment Weekly(which I believe is where User Gibbs got the "woke up with the X" info ;) ). Though I think I like Depp's version of changing vests was pretty funny - seems like Jack we know. The X is probably contradictory; Jack could've gotten it from a fight, but why an X.

All in all, great post Cap'n Dashing! :)