Tag Archives: Ship

It’s OK to rock the boat sometimes

A builder named 呱氏神 (Gū Shìshén) has constructed, in my opinion, one of the most nauseating, vomit-inducing LEGO creations ever, but not because I dislike it. Quite the contrary. The skill level and presentation are all top-notch as evidenced by the beautiful waves, palm tree and gold filigree. My younger self would have loved the chance to go on this “Viking Pirates” ride, but as I get older it seems I’d rather quietly read about vikings or pirates and leave the real adventures to you crazy kids.

3斜面2

Queasy old stomach aside, this indeed looks as if it would be fun to play with. There is no video presentation for this, but the backside makes it clear that the ride works in exactly the way you’d think with the help of a manual crank and Technic gears. Continue reading →

Beauty and power on the high seas

Imagine being a pirate and looking along the horizon to see the flagship of the royal navy barreling your way. Say, Stephen Chao‘s Royal Guardian, for example. With more than enough canons to knock the wind out of anyone’s sails, it’s a sight to behold. To be honest, I like history but I’m not a huge history buff; yet I can’t imagine there was ever a pirate ship as formidable (except in movies). I suppose its only downfall would be the speed it would lose with the weight of those canons.

Royal Guardian

Logistics aside, this build is well detailed and impressive in more ways than one! It’s very busy but clean at the same time. And not only does it look realistic and have superb shaping, it’s also fully furnished. Because, go big or go home, right? The mammoth ship comes complete with captain’s quarters, a galley, a full arsenal, and more.

Royal Guardian

Like the kind of ships that sail upon the oceans blue? Check out this unique swashbuckler, or maybe another with a gorgeously sculpted stern.

Call pest control. We have a massive wasp!

A builder going by the name of Gonkius has built a SHIP called WA:59, or The Wasp. According to the Triassic era LEGO builder gods who made this stuff up, SHIP stands for a Seriously Huge Investment in Parts that must exceed 100 studs in at least one plane. Not only does this creation satisfy that definition, but the builder went the extra mile with some neat LED light up features both fore and aft. Aside from its striking yellow and black striped color scheme this sleek craft bears little resemblance to an actual wasp from the side.

However, when viewed from the front at a three-quarter angle, the resemblance to a wasp becomes more apparent with a feature replicating the compound eyes of an insect. The glowing alien heads beneath the canopy are an excellent touch. Strangely, this SHIP looks as if it would feel equally at home in space or under the sea…or perhaps ruining your next picnic.

I’m on a boat!

Are you aware that a hedge fund has nothing to do with shrubbery? Do you use the word “summer” as a verb? Have you ever summered in the French Riviera? Do you lack the ability and the know-how to change the channel on your theater sized TV because you have people do that for you? Does your walk-in closet have a heated swimming pool? Then you, my new friend, are a billionaire and you might be quite familiar with the super yacht. You know, for when a regular yacht just won’t do! I don’t know if Arjan Oude Kotte has a super yacht in real life, but it is a sure bet that he, if nothing else, has a massive LEGO collection. This model of an M/Y Scout Super Yacht is more than 48 inches long (123cm) and is built from roughly 14,000 pieces.

M/Y Scout. A 123cm long super yacht. Apr. 14000 bricks

Here is a video of the undertaking. My favorite detail is this handsome minifigure enjoying a beverage on the aft deck proving, once and for all, that rich people do it better. All kidding aside, I strongly encourage you to check out the rest of Arjan’s work, as he is no stranger to building intricately detailed models of ships and boats. Now where did I leave my Henri IV Dudognon Heritage Cognac Grande Champagne?

M/Y SCOUT

The next generation of warriors... Baby vikings!

It can be surprising how far a little camera angle and a good idea can go. Sometimes creations that are amazing from a technical standpoint can turn out overwhelming or chaotic, when simplicity is all you need. This creation by Martin Harris is one of the examples where less is more.

Baby Vi-vi-vi-vi-vi-vi Baby Vi- vi - vi- vi- vi- vi- Baby VIKINGS!!!!

The build is indeed simple, but it has everything it needs. The water is essentially just thoughtfully placed curved slopes, and the ship looks like a ship with a nicely sculpted dragonhead and a viking-style sail. All this is photographed cleanly and at an immersive angle. The selling point is the ridiculous idea though. The fierce warriors on the ship are different LEGO baby minifigs, including sewer babies from the LEGO Movie 2, all wearing LEGO Heroica helmets.

To Carthage, and beyond...

While Greek galleys have been an occasional subject for LEGO builders, it’s not often we feature the Roman navy, despite its historical importance in carrying the Roman army to victory across the Mediterranean in places like Carthage, as well as to Britain from Gaul. Iyan Ha has corrected this oversight with his wonderful little Roman warship, with full rigging and even pavilions on the deck for the elite passengers. As wonderful as the ship is, don’t miss the filigreed stand, complete with a custom plaque and a pair of tigers.

LEGO " ROMAN WARSHIP "

Timbers will be shivered

The trading of cannon broadsides was surely the bluntest form of projectile warfare. Huge ships, passing within yards, blasted cannons into each other’s sides as quickly as the sailors could reload. Simon Pickard brings the fury of battle under sail to vivid life in this LEGO creation — a frigate and a galleon all set to pound one another into matchwood. The tightly-cropped image creates a real sense of action and drama — you’re just waiting for the splinters and blood to start flying. The brick-built ship hulls are impressively shaped, and the sails are beautifully done. This is a close-up view from a large-scale pirate-themed LEGO layout we featured previously, put together by British building collaborators Brick To The Past.

LEGO Pirates Cannon Battle Broadside

Lloyd, your Destiny is...small?

When I reviewed the newest official Destiny’s Bounty set, I was surprised at just how big the set was, coming in at a massive 21 inches long. Now, W. Navarre is seeing just how far to the other end of the spectrum Ninjago can go with this absolutely adorable tiny Destiny’s Bounty. As with any micro model, every piece counts and must be made good use of, but the curved roof of the Bounty’s quarterdeck is what I like most, since getting that rounded top is no small feat, though it’s helped tremendously by the new 1×1 quarter circle tiles.

The Destiny's Bounty

Sail away in this Seanchan Greatship

The Wheel of Time is a classic series of Fantasy novels by Robert Jordan, first published in 1990. One of the empires in the Wheel of Time universe is known as Seanchan, and it inspired Douglas Hughes to build a LEGO version of a Seanchan Greatship. According to the builder, the Seanchan style is a fusion of medieval European and Asian influences. For example, the figurehead is European while the trio of ribbed sails are reminiscent of Chinese junks. I love the sculpting of the bow and the ornate detailing running the entire length of the ship. The golden hawk figurehead looks stunning and doubles as a reference to Artur Hawkwing, one of the Seanchan empire’s earlier leaders.

Seanchan Greatship

How small can you go?

Sometimes, the leviathan is small. In this magnificent tiny vignette by Grantmasters, a lone ship rides a ferocious ocean. It’s a safe bet that it’s the Pequod, since it’s hunting a white whale. As usual, Grant’s build is rife with excellent parts usages, from the little known Belville figure feet making most of the whale’s body, to the beard for a tail, or the axe blades for water.

Leviathan

This incredible custom LEGO Flying Dutchman from the Pirates of the Caribbean is over 3 feet long

After six years in the making, master shipbuilder Sebeus I has completed his sensational LEGO version of the Flying Dutchman. The 3-foot-long ship has been fittingly constructed from a muted palette of grey, dark tan, and sand green bricks, giving it the perfect spectral hue. It also allows for an amazing amount of detail to be packed into the vessel’s decaying hull.

Flying Dutchman

The tattered sails and rigging are particularly well realised, looking most effective as she glides out of the gloom.  Sebeus’s photoshop skills enhancing the atmosphere to good effect.Flying Dutchman

Click to see more of the amazing Flying Dutchman

A fabulous frigate full of fantastic features

It really shows when a builder knows their subject, and that is absolutely the case here! According to Luis Peña his 1:200 scale LEGO model of a Type 23 frigate in Chilean Navy service was built with the aim of reproducing as many of its details and equipment as possible. Every aspect of the build, form the various surveillance and control radar to the ship’s 4.5 inch Mark 8 naval gun is a miniature replica of its real world counterpart.

Type 23 Frigate, 1:200 Scale, LEGO Model, Chilean Navy

My personal favourite features, though, have to be the microscale Cougar SH32 helicopter perched on its landing pad, and the Sea Wolf anti-air missiles’ vertical launching system, which Luis has built in epic mid-launch.

Type 23 Frigate, 1:200 Scale, LEGO Model, Chilean Navy