Concerning the Black Pearl's Unfortunate Rudder

[tchuk-norst]

I recently got the Black Pearl ship as a gift and was more than a little disappointed with the rudder. Has anyone managed to make a good rudder for this ship without having to change the entire design? Let me know, I'd like to change it.

[Sir E Fullner]

I've had a few peeks at the building instructions, and I think you could get rid of the T-piece and the Technic brick and replace it with one of those bricks with holders and a lightsaber blade, and constructing a different blade. That might work. If not, well there are other experts here you could ask. If they reply...

[Foremast Jack]

I recently got the Black Pearl ship as a gift and was more than a little disappointed with the rudder. Has anyone managed to make a good rudder for this ship without having to change the entire design? Let me know, I'd like to change it.

Could you maybe describe how it's designed for those of us that don't own the Pearl?

[Captain Blackbeard]

@ Foremast Jack

I agree. What is the problem? Oh, great name, Jack

[Foremast Jack]

@ Foremast Jack

I agree. What is the problem? Oh, great name, Jack

Thanks!

[sok117]

Hey! I'm not a very experienced ship builder but here is a

PDF instructions of the Balc Pearl

to help others see the problem. I agree, that rudder looks pretty pitifull, good luck!

[Foremast Jack]

Hey! I'm not a very experienced ship builder but here is a

PDF instructions of the Balc Pearl

to help others see the problem. I agree, that rudder looks pretty pitifull, good luck!

Wow! That's one sorry excuse for a rudder. Strikes me a pure laziness.

As far as making something that looks better there's not much room to work with since you've only got a 2x2 space, but you could add something with a little more thickness to it, if that would suit you. Unfortunately I don't think there's much you can do working within the confines they provide (since most of the the rudder is supposed to be submerged). Unless you're looking to substantially change the stern, I think you're stuck.

[Sebeus I]

That is an unfortunate rudder, I don't have the set but those building instructions say enough.

Because fo the arched bricks there's not a lot of space to make big modifications, unless you redesign a big part of the stern like Foremast Jack said.

The easies solution could be switching the flag by a brickbuild rudder, pretty much the same one of the old pirate ships.

You won't be able to pose it at a great angle though.

(just make a shorter one)

[Napoleon53]

PDF instructions of the Balc Pearl

Wow, dude, I clicked that, and my computer almost exploded. Took about 30 minutes to get it working again.

[AndyC]

There's not really much space to do anything without some major reworking of the stern. The best I could do was to bulk it up a bit to look more like traditional Lego ship rudders something a bit like this:

It's not much better than the flag design though, to be honest.

[Siegfried]

Yeah, it's pretty bad. But it's not that hard to improve... just remember that most of it is below the waterline!

Wow, dude, I clicked that, and my computer almost exploded. Took about 30 minutes to get it working again.

I suggest a new computer or better browser...

(just make a shorter one)

Pneumatic? I'll have to look that up!

[Appswasere]

Man what the hell is that, you would think TLG would be improving all aspects of their ships not cutting corners like that. I mean they have only been making them for 20+ years, I bought this set a while ago but haven't opened it yet so thanks for the heads up

[______]

Screw the rudder, the whole damn ship needs modding!

[Appswasere]

I salvaged my Black skull (skulls eye schooner) the other day to clean 17 years worth of dust off it and find out what I need to get to make it complete again, anyway I completly forgot how much effort went in to the rudder, with it actually being controled by the steering wheel. I'm not too sure about the other ships from that period but the modern ones really leave a lot to be desired (especially the black pearl of course)

[Cousarmy0001]

Wow! I've built rowboats with better rudders than that!

This is yet one more way that I'm not impressed with the Black Pearl set. They should have hired Greenhair or Croissant to design the thing.

I'd say a brick build rudder as well, similar to the ones on the old sets. You could also try replacing the Technic 1x2 and T with a 1x2 brick with a horizontal holder, and then attaching a 1x2 plate with stick. You can then attach more to the 1x2 plate to make the rudder longer. If my explanation makes no sense, check out the rudder for the merchant ship that came with the Imperial Trading Post from the mid 90s. It's essentially that, but with pieces added to the end to make it bigger.