Which Way Do Your Flags Fly?

[Errorist]

Anyway the wind blows ofcourse.

But since this depends on the imagination of who's playing with these flags, the position can be anything

Even upside down for that matter

[Captain Webb]

Flags always face the direction of the wind even if the wind is directly behind the ship the flag would point toward the bow.

ITS A SCIENTIFIC FACT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edit by Phred: Fixed sizing.

[Opproperaar]

And why have you stopped flying them backwards?

It appears that some ppl who fly their flags backwards, convert to forwardism.

And i don't know of any forwardists who have converted backwardism.

Am i wrong?

We ought to create a Eurobricks inquisition. We need to track down the heathens and give 'em a spanking they'll never forget! Onwards men, For God and forwardism

I believe, despite the logical factor, that anyway the wind blows simply looks better as well.

[legotrainfan]

The flags point forwards because the wind blows into the sails... though "the way the wind blows" is also a good response. But this would mean that sometimes the ship won't go forward since there is no wind blowing into the sails. How does this work in real life? No hobby sailors among us? I suppose you must steer a ship with sails into the wind so that it blows into the sails.

[Cardinal Brick]

I always thought it was more a case of ‘what looks good in the scene‘ that’s what I have always tended to do, though I am starting to go towards the way the wind blows look.

[Opproperaar]

The flags point forwards because the wind blows into the sails... though "the way the wind blows" is also a good response. But this would mean that sometimes the ship won't go forward since there is no wind blowing into the sails. How does this work in real life? No hobby sailors among us? I suppose you must steer a ship with sails into the wind so that it blows into the sails.

Keep in mind that hobby sailing is something completely different entirely. Where as most modern recreational vessels nowadays make use of a so called bermuda rig, the vessels we aim to build in Lego are square rigged.

Errorist has a good book on the subject called 'Naval Tactics in the Age of Sail - Evolution of Fighting Tactics'. The very first chapter concerning square rigged vessels at sea states that: "At no time could he (the admiral or captain) make use of more than five-eights of the sea around him, and when a calm prevailed he could not move his ships at all. [...] the remaining three-eights of the sea (situated in a triangle in fornt of the ship with the top corner located in the bow) were barred to him since his ship(s) could not sail directly into the wind. When close hauled (as close to the wind as possible) his ship could not keep closer than six points of the compass on either the starboard or port tack. Hence progress into the wind could only be achieved by tacking across from one side to the other."

In Dutch this is called 'oploeven' I believe.

Let's also not forget that the ideal square rigged wind would come slightly from the side and from behind. In Dutch that'd be called ruime wind.

In spite of that little fragment, it also depends plain and simple on how you want to depict you ship. And all in all, this may be too complicated for just Lego after all.

Edited June 24, 2008 by Hairy Ruben

[Capn Frank]

Errorist has a good book on the subject called 'Naval Tactics in the Age of Sail - Evolution of Fighting Tactics'.

What's the title and author of the Book.

It sounds very interesting if someone wanted to make some Pirate Gaming rules.

[Demon Officer]

In periods of calm it won't matter, just make sure you rig awnings to shade the crew (its good for moral). Now the prevaling wind for my harbor town (no pics posted yet) is from the sea which makes leaving the harbor a bit tricky but most of the captains are experienced. But then again its not big enough for a full size sailing ship such as the Black Seas Barracuda, just smaller coastal trading vessels to anchor in the immediate harbor.

[Capn Frank]

Now the prevaling wind for my harbor town (no pics posted yet) is from the sea which makes leaving the harbor a bit tricky

Feel free to post a progress thread.

Otherwise i look forward to seeing pics of you harbor town.

[Opproperaar]

What's the title and author of the Book.

It sounds very interesting if someone wanted to make some Pirate Gaming rules.

'Naval Warfare in the Age of Sail - The Evolution of Fighting Tactics 1650-1815' by Brian Tunstall and edited by Dr. Nicolas Tracy (English Edition) Printed and bound in Spain by Bookprint, S.L., Barcelona (and if you'd like to know it's a comprehensive 270 small lettered pages )

One of the books I intend to read. But then again, I also 'intend' to read All Lord of the Rings and Lord of the Rings related books this holiday so I probably won't yet get round to doing it

Edited June 28, 2008 by Hairy Ruben

[lego.ryan]

I picked whichever way the wind blows.

And I usually make the wind blow so that my flags will fly sideways or at an angle.

[Shoc]

I picked whichever way the wind blows.

And I usually make the wind blow so that my flags will fly sideways or at an angle.

I am the same, I don't usually have them facing forwards.

:skull:

[Norrington]

Whichever way the wind is blowing.

[Wes]

For general purposes I keep the flags blowing towards the front, since the wind should be coming from behind the ship. However, during Evil Stevie's Pirate Game, I tend to rotate the flags to face the same direction as the game wind, for the visual effect and to keep track of the game wind more easily.

The only times I have my flags face aft are when the ship is anchored, or if it's a hanging flag. There might also be exceptions for fore-and-aft ships that sail mostly into the wind.

The picture below is the exception rather than the rule:

Basically all of my other ships have forward facing sails.

Edited July 29, 2008 by Wes

[¹²³←]

I thought it fitted in here.

Oh well I always have the flags backwards or else the ship can't sail the right way.

Edited August 30, 2008 by ¹²³←

[Admiral Bejaune]

The flags fly the way the wind is blowing.

[Zorro]

The flags fly the way the wind is blowing.

Thanks for "lifting" it!

NOT in the BERMUDA triangle... or on my MOCS!(one to the left, one to the right and one that hangs still... ) at least UNTILL NOW!

[Legoking]

Why backwards of course. I usually have my ships going forward because it seems kinda hard to go backwards without your ship spinning out.

Same with me.

[Voodoo Hand]

well... overall they fly forwards, but I do keep track of gravity and where the wind is coming from.

[the_lego_dude]

Why backwards of course. I usually have my ships going forward because it seems kinda hard to go backwards without your ship spinning out.

They would fly forward realistically, because if the wind is blowing into your sail from behind it would be pushing the flag forward.

[CPT. Jr]

Realisticly speaking the flags would blow with the wind, or in general twoards the front of the ship, on square riggeds ships, but on schooners, anything can happen.

[Lt. de Martinet]

My flags fly in a strict south-southwest orientation. That's just the way I am...