[OL-FB] Class 8 warship - l'Etalon

[Bodi]

Succumbing to heavy load, the ramp squeaks and groans, with a exclamation of joy, another tall ship was launched. It was a two-decker warship, pierced with two rows of gunports on each sides. The ensign of la Royale flying proudly in the wind.

Its stern was richely ornated, reflecting the might and wealth of the Kingdom of Light.

On the quarter, commandant la Gaufre kept an eye on his men, as they maneuver to the channel.

Weighing anchor, the capstan is functional.

Where's the helm?

The helm is placed under the quarter deck, the roof is openable to access it. I placed it here because I used the Protecteur (a French third rater) as reference, it was tricky to find a right spot for the helm, since it's invisible from the exterior, I could assume that it's covered by the quarterdeck on the real ship.

Two marines mounting guard in front of the quarterdeck, no one shall pass without authorisation.

Fighting tops.

Has he spotted an enemy ship?

Vive le Roi!

[Corweena]

Regardless of my opinion of the Oleananders, there is no denying they can build a beautiful ship! 

[Ross Fisher]

So strange having the helm below deck. Could you give them some larger windows so that they could at least see forward?

[Bodi]

4 hours ago, Corweena said:

Regardless of my opinion of the Oleananders, there is no denying they can build a beautiful ship! 

Thanks for the positive comment, and I'm curious about your opinions of Oleanders.

4 minutes ago, Ross Fisher said:

So strange having the helm below deck. Could you give them some larger windows so that they could at least see forward?

I guess they had to rely on oral commands from the lookout to steer. 

[Thomas Waagenaar]

She looks beautiful!

 

Would be a honour to sail besides her for any ship that comes across.

 

Love how you used SNOT to make the deck smooth, rather than plates.

[Captain Genaro]

It looks like your ship yards are hard at work again, Bodi. I have no idea how you find the time to keep building these great ships, but you certainly are not sacrificing quality to get it done. Clever technique to have open gunports along the upper deck.

18 hours ago, Bodi said:

I placed it here because I used the Protecteur (a French third rater) as reference, it was tricky to find a right spot for the helm, since it's invisible from the exterior, I could assume that it's covered by the quarterdeck on the real ship.

The upper deck at the rear is the poop deck. The helm is still on the quarterdeck. Most ships of the line with a poop deck placed the helm underneath, but not completely enclosed (HMS Victory is a good example). I'm sure there are a number of explanations as to why this is, but my understanding is 1) it keeps the helm on the quarterdeck and 2) it provides the helmsmen with some protection from enemy fire (I'm not sure if there were any design reasons related to making the ship too top heavy or issues with having the steering equipment running through the great cabin). And while it might impede the helmsmen's view, there would be an officer present to give orders (contrary to many films the helmsman would not decide how to steer the ship). 

Edited May 24, 2020 by Captain Genaro

[Fraunces]

Another beauty from you! I like everything about it , only, as  RossFisher pointed out: it is weird to see the helm below a deck..

1 hour ago, Captain Genaro said:

The upper deck at the rear is the poop deck. The helm is still on the quarterdeck. Most ships of the line with a poop deck placed the helm underneath, but not completely enclosed (HMS Victory is a good example). I'm sure there are a number of explanations as to why this is, but my understanding is 1) it keeps the helm on the quarterdeck and 2) it provides the helmsmen with some protection from enemy fire (I'm not sure if there were any design reasons related to making the ship too top heavy or issues with having the steering equipment running through the great cabin). And while it might impede the helmsmen's view, there would be an officer present to give orders (contrary to many films the helmsman would not decide how to steer the ship). 

This seems valid.. I guess it does make sense this way.

[Sir Kingston]

Definitely a beautiful ship! It’s nice to see variations in design, for example the enclosed helm, which is a nice touch. My personal opinion is that the helm would be enclosed to shield the helmsmen from rough weather. Certainly better than being blown around on the quarterdeck during a tempest!

[Bodi]

14 hours ago, Thomas Waagenaar said:

Love how you used SNOT to make the deck smooth, rather than plates.

Glad you like it, Thomas.

The other advantage with snotted bricks is they are much easier to detach than tiles, they have the tendency to break even when I remove them with a separator.

6 hours ago, Captain Genaro said:

It looks like your ship yards are hard at work again, Bodi. I have no idea how you find the time to keep building these great ships, but you certainly are not sacrificing quality to get it done. Clever technique to have open gunports along the upper deck.

This everlasting home quarantine certainly helped. I'm also satisfied with the result of the upper gunports, I tried different combinations to have a decent representation of these gunports, as the upper ones were smaller than the lower ones. Using Windows frames is a good solution, as captain Greenhair did with his magnificient Fleuron, but I don't have that much red windows, so instead, I had to build the entire deck with snotted plates and using red fences to represent gunports.

7 hours ago, Captain Genaro said:

The upper deck at the rear is the poop deck...

Thank you for the correct terminology, the helm was a result of compromise, playability was sacrificed in place of aesthetic, otherwise, you'll see a blocky box structure on the top of the stern.

5 hours ago, Fraunces said:

Another beauty from you! I like everything about it

Thank you Fraunces, glad you like it.

[Bodi]

5 hours ago, Sir Kingston said:

Definitely a beautiful ship! It’s nice to see variations in design, for example the enclosed helm, which is a nice touch. My personal opinion is that the helm would be enclosed to shield the helmsmen from rough weather. Certainly better than being blown around on the quarterdeck during a tempest!

Thank you Sir Kingston, as said above, I failed to find a better solution for the helm, but I'm sure it should no longer be a problem at a larger scale, with the helm placed underneath the poop deck, sheltered from tempests, I wonder if this configuration could provide certain degree of protection during naval engagement.

[blackdeathgr]

[Keymonus]

Beautiful ship, full of lovely details, and with some original touches (such as the position of the helm wheel, as other mentioned). The rigging is simply great, as well as the front curves. Hope to see it chasing our enemies soon!

[Professor Thaum]

On 5/24/2020 at 1:46 AM, Bodi said:

Two marines mounting guard in front of the quarterdeck, no one shall pass without authorisation.

With SW blasters... trepassers won't show off !

 

Nice and beautiful ship... some details are worth it, some others made me laugh

[Bodi]

blackdeathgr, Keymonus, Professor Thaum, thanks guys, glad you like my ship.

@Professor Thaum ce sont pas des blasters, le gars a gauche a une mitrailleuse Lewis, l'autre a droite a une mitraillette PPSH.

[Professor Thaum]

OK, ça va être Stalingrad si quelqu'un essaye de passer les sentinelles

Les intrus ne feront quand même pas les malins !

 

[Mister Phes]

Very beautiful ship indeed!

Posted in the Classic Pirates Facebook Group.

[Bodi]

8 hours ago, Mister Phes said:

Very beautiful ship indeed!

Posted in the Classic Pirates Facebook Group.

Thank you Mister Phes, appreciate it.