Killed Bates-- how do I get to Despair?

So, it seemed like a good idea for my half-orc to gut that bastard Bates for his capitalistic oppression of my people... but the problem is that now, I don't have a dialogue option to ask Teach to take me to the Isle of Despair. Oops! Any suggestions?

 

One word - RELOAD.

 

That could be the problem. I think this game is made so that even if you mess up at one point you can still complete the game. That is unless you really screw up and do something really stupid.

 

There has to be a way. Aren't there diaries / maps in Bates' house which show the isle of despair?

I do not believe that he is so important you cannot kill him.

 

You can still advance the storyline if you've killed Bates.

You have to break into his room, open his safe, and read his diary. Then go down to the docks where Teach is and tell him you need to go to the Isle of Despair.

TIP - grab the book from the barrel near Teach's boat before you leave.

 

Yeah, but I read the journal already and it still won't let me do it! I gave it to Appleby though; maybe if I go steal it back from him and have it in my inventory, that would work? I'll try that.

 

Hmmm... I know you're just missing a trigger somewhere... And I know that you can still get to the Isle of Despair if you killed Bates, because I've done it. I just don't remember quite how...

Check your logbook. Do you have a quest there that says something like, "Go to the Isle of Despair and seek information about the Black Mountain Clan"?

Have you done the whole thing with P.Schuyler and Sons and the ring you got at the crash site?

 

Yes, not only all of that, but I have the option of asking everyone ELSE about Despair; I can ask all the other ship captains to take me there, but they all just say, "Go talk to Teach," but when I do I don't even get the option to ask him about it. But I haven't tried the stealing the journal back from Appleby thing yet; I'll see if that works.

 

you go to the bmc first, talk to the crazy dwarf, then you can go to the isle...

 

Nope, I got the journal back from Appleby and it STILL doesn't work. I've given up on it at this point; I went back to try to resurrect Bates, thinking maybe if he's alive that would do it, but his body was already gone. So, I give up, bit of a bummer since I liked that character, but I have 2 others already past that point so no great loss.
If anyone has any other ideas (including any cheats or downloads that might let me go directly to the Isle) I'd like to hear them.