Tag Archives: Ship

Yacht else do you want from a LEGO build?

Apparently, Ed Diment doesn’t JUST build 22-foot LEGO aircraft carriers. He also makes yachts, like this one titled “Moonlight.” Ed told one follower that this was a passion build for him, and it shows. The rigging immediately draws focus, from the size to the taut roping, and the limited colors of the yacht play off each other well without becoming dull.

yacht 01

One element that helps this LEGO creation stand out from its peers is that Ed doesn’t just focus on the yacht itself. He includes several minifigures throughout the yacht, letting mini-stories play out from helm to stern.

Moonlight Super Yacht Crew3

On a fun note, our own Ralph Savlesberg helped build the stand that was used for the LEGO yacht. The lettering here is really well done; it looks fluid and contrasts nicely with the black.

Moonlight Super Yacht Sign (by Ralph Savlesberg)

“Aliencat-style” highlighted in this ancient LEGO city

This LEGO build from Sebastian Arts (Aliencat!) was inspired by the artwork of Gabriele Pala, “but of course completely in Aliencat-style.” Right away we’re drawn to the enormity of the build, with the main focus being the blue, watery portal through which tiny flying ships pass. The blue contrasts beautifully with the otherwise muted color scheme. There’s a lot happening in this otherworldly city, with lots of traffic coming and going, reminding me of the Mos Eisley spaceport in Star Wars: A New Hope. (I’m sure there’s some scum and villainy afoot in this city as well.)

The Ancient Gate of Qarava

Continue reading →

Snack time for a sea serpent

There’s no other way to say it – it would really suck to be these guys. This LEGO Jörmungandr (Midgard Serpent) built by Cecilie Fritzvold could swallow that little boat in one toothy gulp. But could there be any solace in knowing that at least they were eaten by a pretty sea serpent? It’s an excellent use of the blue shield holder element, and the color combo with the dark blue and teal is on point. Finally, those wings on the head finish it off nicely as well!

Jörmungandr

Are you interested in seeing more from this builder? Check out Cecilie’s page in our archives. We also have more viking foder for you too!

The Spectre haunts the seven seas

Sometimes a builder has an idea but waits for years for the right LEGO pieces to come out. In this case, Sebeus I was inspired by the Queen Anne’s Revenge set that came out ten years ago and wanted to build a ship with a dark brown hull. It took all of this time but finally, his vision could be built. Behold The Spectre! He tells us that it wasn’t smooth sailing though as the 1×2 jumper plate still hasn’t been molded in dark brown. A point of pride for the builder is this isn’t a very flashy ship. Much of what people prefer to build are extravagant seafaring craft but an understated ship like this was more common back then. His main sources of inspiration were the Lady Washington and the HMS Bounty. This is clearly a labor of love well worth the long wait.

The Spectre

Top 5 LEGO excavator sets that could save the world economy right now [Feature]

With the global travel restrictions imposed worldwide right now, many of us are missing airplanes and trains more than ever. But instead of cherishing the day we can all enjoy international flights again, the whole world found itself discussing a completely different means of transportation — container ships. The poor giant, 1,300-foot-long ‘Ever Given’ with about 20,000 containers aboard, is stuck in the middle of the Suez Canal in Egypt.

It seems that there’s no force in this world capable of freeing the vessel, but here enters the tiny hero — the brave little excavator. Looking at the heartbreaking pictures, we can’t help thinking of sending help to the place of the accident. Thankfully, throughout the years, LEGO has released many awesome excavator models, which, we are sure, could solve the problem in no time. Let’s dig into archives and assemble the rescue team of LEGO construction machines to save the world.

Click here to see our top picks…

I like the shipshape shape of this ship-shaped ship.

Using only 101 pieces, Jonas Kramm creates a brilliant two-mast ship inspired by Käpt’n Blaubär. As you’d expect clever part usage abounds, but the best bit may be the rowboat that gets upscaled into the ship’s hull. The doubled white 3×4 curved panels for sails are brilliant as well, giving a great sense of motion to the build. There’s even a tiny masthead mermaid made from an orange bow and a a carrot top for a tail.

Two-Master

The 101 piece limit comes from the contest rules for the RogueOlympics, and Jonas has pledged to be back with even more 101 element creations. Maybe these builds can help inspire you to try your hand at your own microscale building!

Tiny and tossed about

Here’s a little diorama that captures what it must have felt like to be a sailor during the Age of Exploration. Ferdinand Magellan’s ship Victoria was the first vessel to circumnavigate the globe, and it was a mere 69 feet long. No doubt rounding the horn in a ship that small must have felt a bit like aboard the ship in TonyFlow76‘s little kinetic sculpture.

Using trans-blue garage doors pieces to simulate the undulating sea, a tiny ship is held in place while it rides up and down the massive swells.

 

We came from the land of ice and snow

While I’m boringly American in culture, I do have a significant amount of Scandinavian ancestry, as attested by my Swedish surname. Though I’m sure my ancestors were the same lowly farmers in Sweden that they were when they arrived in the United States several generations back, I like to imagine that somewhere among my forebears were some axe-swinging Vikings pillaging Irish fields so green with Led Zeppelin playing in the background, rowing longships like this LEGO one designed by Jonas Kramm across the North Sea. On they sweep with the threshing oar, seeking that rich western shore, crewed by a small army of CMF Series 20 Viking warriors. The serpent prow of the ship is lovely, as is the simplicity of the whole construction. Valhalla, I am coming!

Viking Longship - Ideas Project

Love Viking builds? Then check out the TBB archives here. And see more of Jonas’ builds here, too.

LEGO 77904 Star Wars Nebulon-B Frigate now available on Amazon (US only) [News]

The long-awaited sales of the Nebulon-B Frigate which was revealed in October is now available on Amazon (US) only.  It comes with 459 pieces and retails at USD 39.99. Grab it soon as this cancelled SDCC exclusive will likely fly off the shelves fast.

Continue reading →

Next stop, Plymouth Rock

A moment of American history is frozen in time in James Pegrum‘s LEGO recreation of the Mayflower, the English ship that transported the first Pilgrims to New England. The story goes that indentured servant John Howland was swept overboard during a storm and held on until the crew hauled him back to safety. That splash is represented at the center of the build, carefully crafted out of rows of dark blue bricks and white curved slopes among the turbulent waves. The Mayflower flaunts some brick-built masts and beautiful blue accents on her sides. Plus, the rigging is all string and no prefabs — a solid choice for this level of realism.

Man Over Board

Set the controls for the heart of the sun

It’s not my fault, really. Our new Brothers Brick contributor, Mansur got us thinking about it and now I can’t see all this LEGO SHIPtember business without hearing Pink Floyd tunes. I can’t even fathom anymore how space travel is even possible without Pulse on continuous loop. While I already have the soundtrack in mind, Marko Petrušić gives us a glimpse of what real interstellar travel could look like. Of all the massive SHIPs we’ve seen lately this one stands apart. The inclusion of solar sails certainly help give this craft a different profile.

Daedalus

Marko calls this creation Daedalus whom, if you recall your Greek mythology, lost a son to wind-surfing or something. If you like nerd data, Marko tells us this measures 177x177x136 studs with the solar sails and 28x28x54 studs without. While this is indeed a computer render, he also tells us this took only a day to create…or about the length of a live version of your average Pink Floyd song. Here’s a closer view of the craft without regard to the solar sails. Check out that amazing detail!

Daedalus - Closeup

Purple Highlighters...In spaaaaaaace!

As much enjoyment as I get out of microscale builds, I find that it’s the really large LEGO creations that get my blood pumping. That’s why I look forward to SHIPtember – that magical time of year when talented builders like Marin Stipkovic deplete their personal brick stock to create SHIPs aplenty. Reaching the goal of 100+ studs in length is no easy task, but Marin accomplishes it in style with the Phunky. I love the unusual color scheme of the mirrored transparent purple windscreens in the command deck, That, combined with the overall shape, reminds me of a giant purple highlighter. If, you know, stationary was more like space-tionary. No, I will not be explaining that terrible logic jump any more than that. Instead, let’s take a moment and admire the other clever part usage like the new goggle rings from the 75551 Brick-built Minions set along the underside.

Phunky

From the side you can get a better view of the Phunky’s rail gun and beam cannons, as well as the sweet color gradient along the hull. (For those of you wondering, the Phunky was already at 107 studs long before the guns and thruster burst were added.)

Phunky - armada shot

Don’t think Marin is limited to just building giant markers…I mean spaceships. Check out their other featured builds!