ESL - CF - B: A King's Gift (colonial schooner)

[kabel]

... somewhere along the coast of Eslandola. An Oleander top sail schooner has anchored just outside a secret cove so far away from the capital that no one would expect it to be a secret meeting point for Oleander and Eslandolan diplomats. Here they meet whenever something needs to be done or discussed far from the public eye.

Today was a more than just a meeting though. A crew of Oleandor elite sailors has brought the "Le Salamandre" to Eslandola as a gift from King Philip to King Fernando. This is to make sure, King Fernando publicly renounces his claim to the Oleander throne ... This was quite a price that was to be paid but if things became known, King Philip could always pretent that the ship was a generous gift to Fernando as part of coronation festivities.

The two diplomats greet each other but, as the deal has been seeled before, there is no reason to talk much. The big grin on the face of the Eslandolans tells quite a story though ...

The Oleanders however, do not seem to be too excited about what it is happening. But they now it might save the two countries from going to war with each other

As the Oleander flag is taken down, some of the sailors are cramping the fists in their pockets. How could the crown give away such a swift and elegant vessel? But, who were they to question what King Philip was doing. Hopefully Fernando would now take the bribe gift and cease harassing their country.

The thing was tough, Fernando's diplomats had brokered out the deal without Fernando's knowledge. Would it be that easy to pacify him ... ?

bye bye Le Salamandre - La Salamandra, may you sail safely!

OOC: Okay, I've been building on this for quite a while already, but this was the perfect occasion to finally prent the "La Salamandra (Le Salamandre)" to the public. The original plan was to build the best ship that could possibly done on the small prefabs. Hope I at least accomplished half of that ...

[Capn Frank]

Good use of the white hull. I see you've removed the blue and replaced it with black. The modification looks really good.

Great vessel and story, even if I question its accuracy.

Everything is very well made, including the rigging, sails, and side walls. Keep it up Kabel.

[Garmadon]

Superb ship, kabel, wonderful work with the curve you managed there, and the colors and clean deck are really awesome! Great parts usage with the cannon, and the hatch is a technique that I've seen in a few places, but it still looks just as excellent as the first time! Great job with the rigging as well, and really intriguing story - looking forward to where this leads, and what the king's reaction will be when he finds out!

[TitusV]

Quite a while? I saw you working on it on BMA! You explained SNOT-work to me using the entree to the storage!

But I still really like her, she has the sweet elegant curve I love in your ship.

[Kolonialbeamter]

He is a gracious King, our beloved Philip I

What a lovely ship, kabel. Great shape and choice of colors. She was quite worth the wait

Sell it to the Eslandolian public as you like, just don't mention Fernando's intended buildup of a Royal Eslandolan Navy under his own direct control to eventually oppose the trading companies' ambitions with military means. So, better shhhh!

Good hunting!

EDIT: Her intended classification however, to me she looks rather like a class 3 than a class 4

EDIT II: Why don't you publicly decide on a new name to cover her Oleander origin?

[Capt Wolf]

Beautiful ship, and a great story! I particularly like the detail of lowering the Oleander flag.

[Kai NRG]

Very nice vessel kabel, the yellow is really eye-catching! I like how you used tan instead of brown for wood as well.

Intriguing story too!

[Captain Braunsfeld]

Fantastic ship, Kabel. The rigging has worked out well.

I think I have seen an early stage of this - and now it has blossomed to full beauty.

"Brick on" as they say

[blackdeathgr]

An excellent ship with nice color alterations. The only thing i would improve is the short masts imo. Other than that we are giving you one of our best ships in the colonies.

Blast you diplomats...! Now off to pacify my angry sailors... TO THE SPIN OF FATE MY BOYS! TO THE SPIN OF FATE TO DRINK OUR SORROWS...

[kabel]

Great (...) story, even if I question its accuracy.

why would you do that? It's all clearly shown in the paintings ...

and the hatch is a technique that I've seen in a few places, but it still looks just as excellent as the first time!

I humbly acknoledge that the credits for this have to go to Kolonialbeamter as you might find out in the wip thread

Quite a while? I saw you working on it on BMA!

well, since I'm neither a high school nor a college student I actually have a job that I need to take care of

Her intended classification however, to me she looks rather like a class 3 than a class 4

hm, I'm not sure why you tend to underrate your ships, but in the respective description it says that schooners and brigs are class 4. Now since this is a two masted schooner I thought it might fit in class 4. Let's have SKA decide ...

Beautiful ship, and a great story! I particularly like the detail of lowering the Oleander flag.

haha, it's an uplifting scene, isn't it?

I like how you used tan instead of brown for wood as well.

you can actually see tan in a lot of ships from that period. The only thing that might be a little odd here is the usage of yellow on the inside instead of red. But I havn't found a good solution of how to make it yellow on the outside and red on the inside.

I think I have seen an early stage of this - and now it has blossomed to full beauty.

thanks for following me on this project!

The only thing i would improve is the short masts imo.

I originally had longer masts, but they looked kinda odd without the rigging. Now that the rigging is done however, I think I would have to agree with you. But, there is not way I will redo the rigging, no way!

[Legostone]

EDIT: Her intended classification however, to me she looks rather like a class 3 than a class 4

hm, I'm not sure why you tend to underrate your ships, but in the respective description it says that schooners and brigs are class 4. Now since this is a two masted schooner I thought it might fit in class 4. Let's have SKA decide ...

I think you should sent it to the Naval Licensing Court instead! But I think it should work well as a class 3F or 4T1; I don't see it as a War ship though. I must agree that most of Kolonialbeamters ships could easily pass for a few classes higher than they currently are...

Okay, now to the comment:

Good looking small Schooner, maybe a little short masts, but with that rigging that is excusable. I think everyone who has gone through the effort of doing string rigging on a ship knows how long it takes to do or, even worse, redo. I would say the sides are a little bit to high if I wouldn't have my own ship of this size one which they go even higher:P Those swivel guns though - I like them and don't like them at the same time; I think the problem with them is the colour difference, but as they can't be build in one colour I'll just go with I like them;)

[kabel]

@Legostone: as weird as it may sound, but I actually based her on the USS Hannah, the first ship of the US Navy! So let's see what the court decides!

As for the masts, I've just taken a new look, I think I can extend them without destroying the rigging ... that svivel guns are coming in two colors is absolutely annoying, I know. The thing is that I didn't want to make them entirely light bley as they wouldn't look metallic that way at all.

[kurigan]

I’ve got to comment on this in two different lights.

One the MOC: this came out rather well. I feel as though you could have given her rig a bit more attentions, but overall she’s pleasing. It’s challenging to make small ships all fit together well and think you did that here.

Two, the story: I don’t understand. The king is expected to sell his entire nation for a single, tiny marble head? Why she’s barely a sloop, a revenue cutter more like. I’d think even the worst country would be worth at least a few line-of-battle. If it’s schooners you want, King Fernando, I can get you a bunch; and at a bargain price, when compared to that! :D

[iammac]

I have really enjoyed following this project. I love this build!

[Mpyromaxos]

Nice ship! with beautiful colours!

[kabel]

Two, the story: I don’t understand.

Thanks for praising her. It means a lot to me coming from an expert such as you! As for story, sometimes there's nothing to understand about it, it was just a fun way to present a ship, nothing more nothing less ...

I have really enjoyed following this project. I love this build!

Thanks for the dedication man, glad you like her!

Nice ship! with beautiful colours!

well, to be honest, I didn't come up with colors myself, here's what I used as a reference:

[Bregir]

Great looking schooner, Kabel! And thanks for showing us the inspiration - I think you have done really well in recreating the original with a lot of great detail.

The general curvature of the hull and that brilliantly executed tumblehome is some of the best I have ever seen. All the different details on deck are great too. I really like the rigging, but would agree that taller topmasts would fit her well. I really like the tan with black stipes for masts, and the fact that the masts are actually divided in lower and upper masts is something we haven't seen much in BoBS yet, and I really like this added realism. The swivels are nice too - one of the better designs we have seen so far. I am loving the idea of using window frames as gunports, and those main and forechains are the best I have seen so far.

As to the story: For me it makes perfect sense:

King Fernando-Augusto claimed the Olean throne as no successor had made his name public. Then an heir with a stronger claim shows up, and to 1) give Fernando a way out, and 2) to show good will towards Eslandola, a (rather glorious, I should say) present is given to Fernando in the hope that he will not presss a claim that is less legitimate, and can only lead to war. You are to consider that his claim is not that strong, and he is unlikely to get any support from the Olean populace. It will be a hard claim to press, and with questionable benefits.

A rather elegant solution, I would say.

[kabel]

I suppose I could still extend the topmasts without undoing too much of the rigging. I just need a more stable construction for it ...

[Captain Green Hair]

Great looking schooner! The colour scheme is great and the lines are flowing nicely. I also like the use of windows in the gunports.

I do agree that higher topsails would look nice, the masts look a bit too thick now. It might also be nice to make the entire mast thinner if you keep it at this height.

[Captain Dee]

Beautiful schooner! Those lines are fantastic and the black on white hull goes really well with the yellow and blue. The rigging looks nice; perhaps the upper masts look short due to the thickness of the lower parts, which almost look too big on the narrow hull. But overall she's a beauty, and the story is an interesting twist on The Situation. Good work.