Modding the Barracuda thread

[azog]

8 hours ago, Axle said:

Recently got the Pirates of Barracuda Bay and I love it! Built it first as the island then switched to the ship and I think it'll stay that way haha. But I'm wondering does anyone here have ideas for how to use just the island pieceis alone to make an alternate hideout? I'd be very interested to see!

One of the best examples I can think of is the MOD by Dorino! He posted his MOD in the pirates MOC's forum, titled "21322-Alternate Model.

 He only used the remaining parts to build that island. 

[cehnot]

The Black Seas Barracuda was my first LEGOs pirate set I received on Christmas day in 1989. My parents purchased the entire collection and it was quite an amazing series. I have followed the various threads reporting the new set and was quite fond of reading this thread each time a person added or enhanced the new set. I was going to purchase the set at the store on day 1. I held off now that this pandemic changed everything. I was delighted to see the mods people did and also enhanced the shipwreck as well. I admit I have collected many pirate and adventure themed books and historical accounts over the years. I am not a nautical enthusiast, but I knew many different parts of a galleon, Callack, Frigate, etc. The original set advertised it as a 2 mast ship and never named it a galleon ship. Its between a Brig and a Galleon. The new design inspired me to extend the length of the whole ship and I have developed a ship with 5 and 6 center hull pieces. When I look at the length of it I keep fighting with the width. There have been several great mocs made using 14 studs wide for Galleon ships over the years. Their techniques are found in the forum. I follow them on flickr and enjoy going back to their custom rigging and working mechanisms. I also love the various ways to shape the hulls on the sides to make it fatter in the center. I will do a longer galleon ship based on the current wide of the front and captains cabin portion of the ship based my modified design incorporating old brown hull stern and bow parts. I think the way I developed my new walls will be easy to modify into a wider ship, but will need some attention to correctly shaping the hull so it gets fatter in the center and shorted in the back.

As I began retooling the wider ship I began loving the silouhette more and more. The longer it got the more proportional to galleons it got, but it had to go 2 to 3 bricks taller to accommodate the overall shape and proportions seen in most of the galleon research. What I discovered during this time I could get a similar silhouette and shape if i narrowed the rear cabin and forecastle. When I did this, the ship became cleaner and less bulky. 

I still need to solve the foremast and mainmast. The rear mizzen mast is finished and will look great with a rigged setup. I plan on developing 3 sail mast for the foremast and main mast. I may develop a mizzen top sail as well, but I want to definitely do a flying jib sail and a jib sail. I think this ship will look great with all these options. I did include a spot for a spirit sail as well. I decided that since this is a medium sized galleon ship it should be built for speed. I also built an anchor based on several other past designs by fellow members in this forum.

The most notable difference in my ship compared to the set is the conversion from a merchant sailing vessel to a small-sized galleon built for war. I raised the railing everywhere. I got rid of the cones and tiles for the cargo area and made it taller to accommodate slots for cannons. This whole approach raised the entire ship out two bricks taller. This was important because I wanted to extend the forecastle and expand the cabin design. I also lined up the swooping arch curves on the cabin with the tiles that held the read and center together. 

This whole ship does separate in the same spots and the official set. You can detach the rear cabin with the mid section as well as the front bow. That was always a must in developing this set. This is actually the most recent shot I took of the design before I began work on the cabin. 
 

I added a lot of features seen on old sailing vessels like anchor swing so you don't hit the side of the ship while dropping it. The front bow was altered when I realized the shape would not work as a sailing message because it didn't cut through the water bowing out. That shape would break off if it hit something hard. I straightened it, yet also added support beams with hoses and robot arms to keep sailors from falling overboard. The forecastle is now a full interior structure as well. Forecastles were other storage spaces or sleeping quarters for sailers who kept watch. It usually contains supplies for deck crews or small hammocks. 

The one item i struggled with was the capstan. I love how they incorporated into the main mast like The Black Pearl. This was not a common place to add it since it put so much pressure on a mast and could break the mast. That is why it was such a large item in Pirates of the Caribbean. The capstan needs to be wide enough to take any pressure off the mast. It was a great development and I still love the idea, but I didn't want such a long distance from the anchors to the machine. I also may bring it back if I return to a wider deck or have both options in the ship if i do a longer normal sized galleon. The 10 stud wide decks are way too narrow for it. You can also see the technic 1x1 stud brick between the hoses and soft axles. Those are the anchor exit holes for the rope. 

The poop deck and steering deck were developed as 2 options in the larger ship. The ship was another 2 bricks taller and allowed me to have both a captains quarters and navigation room above it. Imagine lowering this deck 2 to 3 bricks and only having a room 6 bricks long in the back where they yellow area is. The room below was lowered almost 2 bricks and allowed the cabin to still have a 6 brick heigh clearing while the navigation room had about a 5 brick height. I will probably return to this version when I develop the larger vessel. You can also see how I lowered the roof/deck 1 stud. I like having the 2 plate height of black at the bottom and keeps with the entire design in the cargo access deck. It feels right wen you place a minified on the deck and is about stomach level. I redesigned the steering wheel to accommodate rigging. I have a series of technic bricks hidden all over the ship to allow for the rudder to work with the wheel if strung up. I would love to have an access hatch indeed of that arched window leading to forecastle room. I had a 3x4 window in their but I would rather use shutters or if they had shutters that fit the new window pieces instead of the grid pattern. It looks better and the hatch would fit a mini figure better. 

Earlier in the design I had windows for the cabin. Though I like the idea, I scrapped them so I could have book shelves in the cabin. 

The cabin door swap. the frame i made will easily fit the new door. I like the old style doors. They work really well for saying ships. Plus, the fact they swing almost 170 degrees helps because you can keep the door completely open if you want. 

I placed all the items inside the cabin from the set. The desk is too large for the room and I got rid of the windows next to the door. I added cabinets on the sides of the room instead of tiny end tables I originally developed to fit under the windows. I kept the chair and bed. I redesigned the side desk into a drawer. 

You can see how the capstan connects to the next level like most ships with a deck. The technic connector in the gun deck level is the same height as the technic bricks leading to the anchor hole. Those exit between the soft  yellow axles in the front. When the side wall is removed you can see the technic pin sticking out on the rear cabin section showing how it splits or a modular system. The modified 1x1 headlights are grouped together on the top deck and can be removed giving access to the below deck like a real cargo bay. I think i may look into the option it just resting g on top with plate rails holing it in place instead of the plates with studs. I drew a red line to indicate the path of the cords. I am using technic bricks, a modified brick with 1 stud in the wheel fully system since it has a hollow core. The cord runs parallel with the pole and splits again. I thinks a simple system that will work when tied to the wheel. The cargo grates have been redesigned since this photo was taken. They now use plate rails to hold them in place and can be lifted up. The top deck uses 2 square shaped grates to create the 4x8 cargo access area. I currently used those raised jumpers as placeholders for the cannons, but likely will be removed in the final ship design. As much as I love the spring-loaded cannons I may use the brick-built cannons everywhere. 

As you can see, when I made the deck walls higher using 3 stud height slopes the whole ship feels wider than it was. The slopes create a 10 stud wide interior not he main deck and the front profile looks so much more like a spanish galleon how it bows out n the sides and curves back to a narrow top.

I prefer the shape of the front profile here. It curves into the deck. I like this shape. 

What I found was the natural shape i was making by using the stern hull screwed up the back when the cabin was wider. As much as I love the symmetry happening with the pattern above the windows I felt that I needed to narrow the shape. I think using the wedge plates on the sides to simulate what the original slop and inverted slope accomplished helped out a bit. My favorite part was using the wedge  43720 and 43721 to swoop back into the straight rear design. This shape really flows better in my opinion. 

 

The forecastle room is short. Every photo i found of cutaway models for this indicated it was never more than 2/3 the height of normal rooms unless you are in a man of war ship. They craw not the space so I figured it would work just fine for this small galleon ship. I have added gun ports in the forecastle since this render was made. The more I look at ship photos i see a lot of them have this in the front. 

Some of these photos were taken at earlier stages of the final design. The next photo showcases how i converted the merchant ship into a 28-gun galleon. 14 on the top deck. 2 in the rear on the gun deck, and 12 large spring-loaded cannons. Some of the cannons block the stairs so i made the last two steps removable from the rest. The forecastle stairs could be replaced with a ladder instead i suppose. The other idea was to keep the last step going to the wheel level a regular 1x3 plate instead of a wedge plate. This would keep the cannons from hitting the stairs or the idea we need to remove the steps. Either way. Its a work in progress. The additional ports under the stairs leading to the captains quarters were also added. I do have room to add 2 rear cannons next to the rudder. The room would need to have a raised floor for them but it is possible. 

My Question:
Should I shift the center are with the white out 1 half stud or leave it alone? The photo uses some cheese slopes in the black bar area. This helps the curve out a bit. In order to make this work I will need to completely redesign the deck to be 11 studs wide in the center. The other option is to do a gradual shift with a half stud and then move to a full stud wider. I do not want to shift too far away from the original design. I am just trying to keep stuff together. 
 

 

Edited May 12, 2020 by cehnot

[Captain Becker]

That`s some seriously beefed up Barracuda, and an awesome at that! I like the idea of the forecastle to atleast seem "usable", although you really couldnt use that cannon there realisticly.speaking.

Regarding to your question, you could always try it I suppose, but I dont see the need for it honestly, but give it a shot and see if you like it, this looks intimitating regardless!

 

[Alazon]

Finally managed to replace some colours on my bay: yellow is now dark red, the white accents have been replaced with tan, and the figurehead is pearl gold (probably being scrubbed daily by the pirates). Also I added some darker leafs, the torn sails are still my paper prototypes from these cloth ones, and I added a few animals, but that is still work in progress.

[Brickander Brickumnus]

Spoiler

4 hours ago, cehnot said:

The Black Seas Barracuda was my first LEGOs pirate set I received on Christmas day in 1989. My parents purchased the entire collection and it was quite an amazing series. I have followed the various threads reporting the new set and was quite fond of reading this thread each time a person added or enhanced the new set. I was going to purchase the set at the store on day 1. I held off now that this pandemic changed everything. I was delighted to see the mods people did and also enhanced the shipwreck as well. I admit I have collected many pirate and adventure themed books and historical accounts over the years. I am not a nautical enthusiast, but I knew many different parts of a galleon, Carrack, Frigate, etc. The original set advertised it as a 2 mast ship and never named it a galleon ship. Its between a Brig and a Galleon. The new design inspired me to extend the length of the whole ship and I have developed a ship with 5 and 6 center hull pieces. When I look at the length of it I keep fighting with the width. There have been several great mocs made using 14 studs wide for Galleon ships over the years. Their techniques are found in the forum. I follow them on Flickr and enjoy going back to their custom rigging and working mechanisms. I also love the various ways to shape the hulls on the sides to make it fatter in the center. I will do a longer galleon ship based on the current wide of the front and captains cabin portion of the ship based my modified design incorporating old brown hull stern and bow parts. I think the way I developed my new walls will be easy to modify into a wider ship, but will need some attention to correctly shaping the hull so it gets fatter in the center and shorted in the back.

As I began retooling the wider ship I began loving the silhouette more and more. The longer it got the more proportional to galleons it got, but it had to go 2 to 3 bricks taller to accommodate the overall shape and proportions seen in most of the galleon research. What I discovered during this time I could get a similar silhouette and shape if i narrowed the rear cabin and forecastle. When I did this, the ship became cleaner and less bulky. 

I still need to solve the foremast and mainmast. The rear mizzen mast is finished and will look great with a rigged setup. I plan on developing 3 sail mast for the foremast and main mast. I may develop a mizzen top sail as well, but I want to definitely do a flying jib sail and a jib sail. I think this ship will look great with all these options. I did include a spot for a spirit sail as well. I decided that since this is a medium sized galleon ship it should be built for speed. I also built an anchor based on several other past designs by fellow members in this forum.

The most notable difference in my ship compared to the set is the conversion from a merchant sailing vessel to a small-sized galleon built for war. I raised the railing everywhere. I got rid of the cones and tiles for the cargo area and made it taller to accommodate slots for cannons. This whole approach raised the entire ship out two bricks taller. This was important because I wanted to extend the forecastle and expand the cabin design. I also lined up the swooping arch curves on the cabin with the tiles that held the read and center together. 

This whole ship does separate in the same spots and the official set. You can detach the rear cabin with the mid section as well as the front bow. That was always a must in developing this set. This is actually the most recent shot I took of the design before I began work on the cabin. 
 

I added a lot of features seen on old sailing vessels like anchor swing so you don't hit the side of the ship while dropping it. The front bow was altered when I realized the shape would not work as a sailing message because it didn't cut through the water bowing out. That shape would break off if it hit something hard. I straightened it, yet also added support beams with hoses and robot arms to keep sailors from falling overboard. The forecastle is now a full interior structure as well. Forecastles were other storage spaces or sleeping quarters for sailers who kept watch. It usually contains supplies for deck crews or small hammocks. 

The one item i struggled with was the capstan. I love how they incorporated into the main mast like The Black Pearl. This was not a common place to add it since it put so much pressure on a mast and could break the mast. That is why it was such a large item in Pirates of the Caribbean. The capstan needs to be wide enough to take any pressure off the mast. It was a great development and I still love the idea, but I didn't want such a long distance from the anchors to the machine. I also may bring it back if I return to a wider deck or have both options in the ship if i do a longer normal sized galleon. The 10 stud wide decks are way too narrow for it. You can also see the technic 1x1 stud brick between the hoses and soft axles. Those are the anchor exit holes for the rope. 

The poop deck and steering deck were developed as 2 options in the larger ship. The ship was another 2 bricks taller and allowed me to have both a captains quarters and navigation room above it. Imagine lowering this deck 2 to 3 bricks and only having a room 6 bricks long in the back where they yellow area is. The room below was lowered almost 2 bricks and allowed the cabin to still have a 6 brick heigh clearing while the navigation room had about a 5 brick height. I will probably return to this version when I develop the larger vessel. You can also see how I lowered the roof/deck 1 stud. I like having the 2 plate height of black at the bottom and keeps with the entire design in the cargo access deck. It feels right wen you place a minified on the deck and is about stomach level. I redesigned the steering wheel to accommodate rigging. I have a series of technic bricks hidden all over the ship to allow for the rudder to work with the wheel if strung up. I would love to have an access hatch indeed of that arched window leading to forecastle room. I had a 3x4 window in their but I would rather use shutters or if they had shutters that fit the new window pieces instead of the grid pattern. It looks better and the hatch would fit a mini figure better. 

Earlier in the design I had windows for the cabin. Though I like the idea, I scrapped them so I could have book shelves in the cabin. 

The cabin door swap. the frame i made will easily fit the new door. I like the old style doors. They work really well for saying ships. Plus, the fact they swing almost 170 degrees helps because you can keep the door completely open if you want. 

I placed all the items inside the cabin from the set. The desk is too large for the room and I got rid of the windows next to the door. I added cabinets on the sides of the room instead of tiny end tables I originally developed to fit under the windows. I kept the chair and bed. I redesigned the side desk into a drawer. 

You can see how the capstan connects to the next level like most ships with a deck. The technic connector in the gun deck level is the same height as the technic bricks leading to the anchor hole. Those exit between the soft  yellow axles in the front. When the side wall is removed you can see the technic pin sticking out on the rear cabin section showing how it splits or a modular system. The modified 1x1 headlights are grouped together on the top deck and can be removed giving access to the below deck like a real cargo bay. I think i may look into the option it just resting g on top with plate rails holing it in place instead of the plates with studs. I drew a red line to indicate the path of the cords. I am using technic bricks, a modified brick with 1 stud in the wheel fully system since it has a hollow core. The cord runs parallel with the pole and splits again. I thinks a simple system that will work when tied to the wheel. The cargo grates have been redesigned since this photo was taken. They now use plate rails to hold them in place and can be lifted up. The top deck uses 2 square shaped grates to create the 4x8 cargo access area. I currently used those raised jumpers as placeholders for the cannons, but likely will be removed in the final ship design. As much as I love the spring-loaded cannons I may use the brick-built cannons everywhere. 

As you can see, when I made the deck walls higher using 3 stud height slopes the whole ship feels wider than it was. The slopes create a 10 stud wide interior not he main deck and the front profile looks so much more like a spanish galleon how it bows out n the sides and curves back to a narrow top.

I prefer the shape of the front profile here. It curves into the deck. I like this shape. 

What I found was the natural shape i was making by using the stern hull screwed up the back when the cabin was wider. As much as I love the symmetry happening with the pattern above the windows I felt that I needed to narrow the shape. I think using the wedge plates on the sides to simulate what the original slop and inverted slope accomplished helped out a bit. My favorite part was using the wedge  43720 and 43721 to swoop back into the straight rear design. This shape really flows better in my opinion. 

 

The forecastle room is short. Every photo i found of cutaway models for this indicated it was never more than 2/3 the height of normal rooms unless you are in a man of war ship. They craw not the space so I figured it would work just fine for this small galleon ship. I have added gun ports in the forecastle since this render was made. The more I look at ship photos i see a lot of them have this in the front. 

Some of these photos were taken at earlier stages of the final design. The next photo showcases how i converted the merchant ship into a 28-gun galleon. 14 on the top deck. 2 in the rear on the gun deck, and 12 large spring-loaded cannons. Some of the cannons block the stairs so i made the last two steps removable from the rest. The forecastle stairs could be replaced with a ladder instead i suppose. The other idea was to keep the last step going to the wheel level a regular 1x3 plate instead of a wedge plate. This would keep the cannons from hitting the stairs or the idea we need to remove the steps. Either way. Its a work in progress. The additional ports under the stairs leading to the captains quarters were also added. I do have room to add 2 rear cannons next to the rudder. The room would need to have a raised floor for them but it is possible. 

My Question:
Should I shift the center are with the white out 1 half stud or leave it alone? The photo uses some cheese slopes in the black bar area. This helps the curve out a bit. In order to make this work I will need to completely redesign the deck to be 11 studs wide in the center. The other option is to do a gradual shift with a half stud and then move to a full stud wider. I do not want to shift too far away from the original design. I am just trying to keep stuff together. 
 

 

This is absolutely amazing! 

Do you plan on sharing your MOD file here?

 

4 hours ago, cehnot said:

My Question:
Should I shift the center are with the white out 1 half stud or leave it alone? The photo uses some cheese slopes in the black bar area. This helps the curve out a bit. In order to make this work I will need to completely redesign the deck to be 11 studs wide in the center. The other option is to do a gradual shift with a half stud and then move to a full stud wider. I do not want to shift too far away from the original design. I am just trying to keep stuff together. 

Can you post a wider picture so we can clearly see how this change looks when we view the whole ship?

It will help us to make a better judgement

Edited May 12, 2020 by Brickander Brickumnus

[ClassicLook]

6 hours ago, Alazon said:

Finally managed to replace some colours on my bay: yellow is now dark red, the white accents have been replaced with tan, and the figurehead is pearl gold (probably being scrubbed daily by the pirates). Also I added some darker leafs, the torn sails are still my paper prototypes from these cloth ones, and I added a few animals, but that is still work in progress.

Now that looks like a real shipwreck! I like you colour mods and sails! I think I'm going to do something similar to this.

[ClassicLook]

14 hours ago, cehnot said:

The Black Seas Barracuda was my first LEGOs pirate set I received on Christmas day in 1989. My parents purchased the entire collection and it was quite an amazing series. I have followed the various threads reporting the new set and was quite fond of reading this thread each time a person added or enhanced the new set. I was going to purchase the set at the store on day 1. I held off now that this pandemic changed everything. I was delighted to see the mods people did and also enhanced the shipwreck as well. I admit I have collected many pirate and adventure themed books and historical accounts over the years. I am not a nautical enthusiast, but I knew many different parts of a galleon, Callack, Frigate, etc. The original set advertised it as a 2 mast ship and never named it a galleon ship. Its between a Brig and a Galleon. The new design inspired me to extend the length of the whole ship and I have developed a ship with 5 and 6 center hull pieces. When I look at the length of it I keep fighting with the width. There have been several great mocs made using 14 studs wide for Galleon ships over the years. Their techniques are found in the forum. I follow them on flickr and enjoy going back to their custom rigging and working mechanisms. I also love the various ways to shape the hulls on the sides to make it fatter in the center. I will do a longer galleon ship based on the current wide of the front and captains cabin portion of the ship based my modified design incorporating old brown hull stern and bow parts. I think the way I developed my new walls will be easy to modify into a wider ship, but will need some attention to correctly shaping the hull so it gets fatter in the center and shorted in the back.
As I began retooling the wider ship I began loving the silouhette more and more. The longer it got the more proportional to galleons it got, but it had to go 2 to 3 bricks taller to accommodate the overall shape and proportions seen in most of the galleon research. What I discovered during this time I could get a similar silhouette and shape if i narrowed the rear cabin and forecastle. When I did this, the ship became cleaner and less bulky. 
I still need to solve the foremast and mainmast. The rear mizzen mast is finished and will look great with a rigged setup. I plan on developing 3 sail mast for the foremast and main mast. I may develop a mizzen top sail as well, but I want to definitely do a flying jib sail and a jib sail. I think this ship will look great with all these options. I did include a spot for a spirit sail as well. I decided that since this is a medium sized galleon ship it should be built for speed. I also built an anchor based on several other past designs by fellow members in this forum.

The most notable difference in my ship compared to the set is the conversion from a merchant sailing vessel to a small-sized galleon built for war. I raised the railing everywhere. I got rid of the cones and tiles for the cargo area and made it taller to accommodate slots for cannons. This whole approach raised the entire ship out two bricks taller. This was important because I wanted to extend the forecastle and expand the cabin design. I also lined up the swooping arch curves on the cabin with the tiles that held the read and center together. 
This whole ship does separate in the same spots and the official set. You can detach the rear cabin with the mid section as well as the front bow. That was always a must in developing this set. This is actually the most recent shot I took of the design before I began work on the cabin. 

I added a lot of features seen on old sailing vessels like anchor swing so you don't hit the side of the ship while dropping it. The front bow was altered when I realized the shape would not work as a sailing message because it didn't cut through the water bowing out. That shape would break off if it hit something hard. I straightened it, yet also added support beams with hoses and robot arms to keep sailors from falling overboard. The forecastle is now a full interior structure as well. Forecastles were other storage spaces or sleeping quarters for sailers who kept watch. It usually contains supplies for deck crews or small hammocks. 

The one item i struggled with was the capstan. I love how they incorporated into the main mast like The Black Pearl. This was not a common place to add it since it put so much pressure on a mast and could break the mast. That is why it was such a large item in Pirates of the Caribbean. The capstan needs to be wide enough to take any pressure off the mast. It was a great development and I still love the idea, but I didn't want such a long distance from the anchors to the machine. I also may bring it back if I return to a wider deck or have both options in the ship if i do a longer normal sized galleon. The 10 stud wide decks are way too narrow for it. You can also see the technic 1x1 stud brick between the hoses and soft axles. Those are the anchor exit holes for the rope. 

The poop deck and steering deck were developed as 2 options in the larger ship. The ship was another 2 bricks taller and allowed me to have both a captains quarters and navigation room above it. Imagine lowering this deck 2 to 3 bricks and only having a room 6 bricks long in the back where they yellow area is. The room below was lowered almost 2 bricks and allowed the cabin to still have a 6 brick heigh clearing while the navigation room had about a 5 brick height. I will probably return to this version when I develop the larger vessel. You can also see how I lowered the roof/deck 1 stud. I like having the 2 plate height of black at the bottom and keeps with the entire design in the cargo access deck. It feels right wen you place a minified on the deck and is about stomach level. I redesigned the steering wheel to accommodate rigging. I have a series of technic bricks hidden all over the ship to allow for the rudder to work with the wheel if strung up. I would love to have an access hatch indeed of that arched window leading to forecastle room. I had a 3x4 window in their but I would rather use shutters or if they had shutters that fit the new window pieces instead of the grid pattern. It looks better and the hatch would fit a mini figure better. 

Earlier in the design I had windows for the cabin. Though I like the idea, I scrapped them so I could have book shelves in the cabin. 

The cabin door swap. the frame i made will easily fit the new door. I like the old style doors. They work really well for saying ships. Plus, the fact they swing almost 170 degrees helps because you can keep the door completely open if you want. 

I placed all the items inside the cabin from the set. The desk is too large for the room and I got rid of the windows next to the door. I added cabinets on the sides of the room instead of tiny end tables I originally developed to fit under the windows. I kept the chair and bed. I redesigned the side desk into a drawer. 

You can see how the capstan connects to the next level like most ships with a deck. The technic connector in the gun deck level is the same height as the technic bricks leading to the anchor hole. Those exit between the soft  yellow axles in the front. When the side wall is removed you can see the technic pin sticking out on the rear cabin section showing how it splits or a modular system. The modified 1x1 headlights are grouped together on the top deck and can be removed giving access to the below deck like a real cargo bay. I think i may look into the option it just resting g on top with plate rails holing it in place instead of the plates with studs. I drew a red line to indicate the path of the cords. I am using technic bricks, a modified brick with 1 stud in the wheel fully system since it has a hollow core. The cord runs parallel with the pole and splits again. I thinks a simple system that will work when tied to the wheel. The cargo grates have been redesigned since this photo was taken. They now use plate rails to hold them in place and can be lifted up. The top deck uses 2 square shaped grates to create the 4x8 cargo access area. I currently used those raised jumpers as placeholders for the cannons, but likely will be removed in the final ship design. As much as I love the spring-loaded cannons I may use the brick-built cannons everywhere. 

As you can see, when I made the deck walls higher using 3 stud height slopes the whole ship feels wider than it was. The slopes create a 10 stud wide interior not he main deck and the front profile looks so much more like a spanish galleon how it bows out n the sides and curves back to a narrow top.

I prefer the shape of the front profile here. It curves into the deck. I like this shape. 

What I found was the natural shape i was making by using the stern hull screwed up the back when the cabin was wider. As much as I love the symmetry happening with the pattern above the windows I felt that I needed to narrow the shape. I think using the wedge plates on the sides to simulate what the original slop and inverted slope accomplished helped out a bit. My favorite part was using the wedge  43720 and 43721 to swoop back into the straight rear design. This shape really flows better in my opinion. 

The forecastle room is short. Every photo i found of cutaway models for this indicated it was never more than 2/3 the height of normal rooms unless you are in a man of war ship. They craw not the space so I figured it would work just fine for this small galleon ship. I have added gun ports in the forecastle since this render was made. The more I look at ship photos i see a lot of them have this in the front. 

Some of these photos were taken at earlier stages of the final design. The next photo showcases how i converted the merchant ship into a 28-gun galleon. 14 on the top deck. 2 in the rear on the gun deck, and 12 large spring-loaded cannons. Some of the cannons block the stairs so i made the last two steps removable from the rest. The forecastle stairs could be replaced with a ladder instead i suppose. The other idea was to keep the last step going to the wheel level a regular 1x3 plate instead of a wedge plate. This would keep the cannons from hitting the stairs or the idea we need to remove the steps. Either way. Its a work in progress. The additional ports under the stairs leading to the captains quarters were also added. I do have room to add 2 rear cannons next to the rudder. The room would need to have a raised floor for them but it is possible.

I've just read your post. You've raised the Black Seas Barracuda to a higher level. You've created a beautiful ship based on your knowledge and research about sailing ships. Although I love the curves of the official ship, it lacks of many practical and fighting functions, what you've already solved here. I hope we'll learn a lot of from you.

Edited May 12, 2020 by ClassicLook

[cehnot]

13 hours ago, Brickander Brickumnus said:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Do you plan on sharing your MOD file here?

 

Can you post a wider picture so we can clearly see how this change looks when we view the whole ship?

It will help us to make a better judgement

Before I answer these questions I will say that I do plan on offering a smaller design closer to the official model. I have various stages of the rear and front design I could quickly modify to match the official set center section. The bow and stern boat hulls are about 1 stud taller than the set. The issue would be converting it to a merchant ship like the official set. The narrower bode shapes I designed work well with my galleon center where the cones are replaced with slopes. The cabin section is the same length as the set, I just extended the roof to have a covered doorway. Returning to the same length would remove the Missen mast, move the wheel back to its original place and modify the roof to have an access panel for the cord to thread down into the cabin floor. I would probably place the entire wheel over the Missen area and use the hollow pole holes as the access point for the cord to run to the rudder room. Super easy, most effective idea and can be easily covered up as a book shelf or justified as a support beam. 

1. I do plan on offering the MOD file like all my designs. I can no longer do them on the Stud.io gallery. If I did instructions I would charge money for the files, but like all my past designs I will offer the file for free to download and build at your discretion once I finish the masts. I will likely offer 2 ships in the file: One with official LEGO set mast designs and a ship with the proper rigging to fit those masts; and the other file will be my final design prepped for rigging. 
2. I added 2 photos below. The half stud edges seem to be my biggest issue at the tile rail level. The shape of the half stud, to full stud doesn't bother me with those vertical black rails between each 4 stud wide walls. They seem to break up the stair step approach on the side of the ship. You only really notice the issue at the top where the tiles line up. The widest shape inside the boat is 12 studs across on the deck. That matches up to the 12 studs wide deck on the official set. What I like about my ship cabin and poop deck is how slender it feels. The cargo access area was shortened by 1 stud since the deck width changes. I am not sure how I would cover the main mast pole spot, maybe use brackets and plates so it gets closer to 2x2 instead of the current 2x3. The other minor fix i would need to solve is the stairs leading up to the wheel deck. One of the wedge places has a half stud gap on the wall side. I think the easiest solution would fill the gap with a bracket or use a modified brick and have a tile wedged there somehow. Its not a major concern. 

5 hours ago, ClassicLook said:

I've just read your post. You've raised the Black Seas Barracuda to a higher level. You've created a beautiful ship based on your knowledge and research about sailing ships. Although I love the curves of the official ship, it lacks of many practical and fighting functions, what you've already solved here. I hope we'll learn a lot of from you.

When I release my file I suggest stripping off parts or sections to help your mods. I think designing a new floor with cargo bay areas will help. Ian currently designing a smaller 3 center hull section option for the ship i did so you may easily swap out the entire section and go from there. I am trying to develop it within the same basic placement as the official set. I may also just do a simple deck floor and cargo bay file to swap with your official set to make that easier too. So basically, maybe what I will do is offer a file with the roof conversion for the wheel and a deck option with a removable cargo bay area so you can do simple mods that are easy to use. I may toss in a simple conversion for the front anchor idea. Im not trying to replace the set. I am designing a set for myself, and making conversion kits for people who want to just modify the set. 

[Mencot]

"MOCYOURBRICKs" has shared a cool modification on the set on his Youtube channel.

That is if you have time for watching an half hour video... I just speed clicked it to the end to see the finished model.

[Captain Becker]

Mencot: Oof! I was about to post this here when I got back from work. But I see you beat me to it ? I watched the whole video at this morning and must say, I envy that he had the courage to spend 400 euros/dollars that he certanly isnt getting back from that video.... I didnt dare to buy two, mostly as I wanted that many as possible could get at least one of these. Great mod and will certanly be ”borrowing” that crane idea.

Captain Becker

[Mencot]

15 minutes ago, Captain Becker said:

Mencot: Oof! I was about to post this here when I got back from work. But I see you beat me to it ? I watched the whole video at this morning and must say, I envy that he had the courage to spend 400 euros/dollars that he certanly isnt getting back from that video.... I didnt dare to buy two, mostly as I wanted that many as possible could get at least one of these. Great mod and will certanly be ”borrowing” that crane idea.

Captain Becker

Sorry about that.

But he has some really great executions on the mod. I am also going to "borrow" some of them and mod something extra to the set with extra parts we bought of Bricklink.

[ARC-trooper Jakes]

On 4/1/2020 at 9:21 PM, Robin_IV said:

I built a little ocean around the Set. I hope you like it.

Set model from @Elusys Ra Arwal.

Besides all the stuff everyone else has already said, I really like what you did with the brick built sails! I actually went ahead and folded the cloth sails on my own copy - I still regret it. 

I don't suppose you could share a Bricklink partslist for the parts needed to brickbuild the sails, please?

Much appreciated and brilliant work. 

 

From what I can make out myself:

• 4x 3943b in white
• 4x 6233 in white
• 6x 6233 in red (does not appear to exist in regular red)
• 1x 98100 in white
• 3x 98100 in red.

But what of the rest, and how did you attach them?

Edited May 15, 2020 by ARC-trooper Jakes

[Elusys Ra Arwal]

@ARC-trooper Jakes I created the studio model before the set was published on april 1st (the base is made by @Robin_IV) and I made the sails that way just to have the look of the folded sails, but they're not meant to be really attached to the yards, in fact they clash with them. You could build them using those pieces and inserting axles inside to hold them together. If you want I can make a model in studio for you so you can use it. For attaching said brick-sails to the yards instead, one should find the right way to do it, though I am sure that would become too much heavy for the yard itself, even if one can find a solution to keep them attached and properly balanced.

[ClassicLook]

On 5/11/2020 at 1:20 PM, Axle said:

Recently got the Pirates of Barracuda Bay and I love it! Built it first as the island then switched to the ship and I think it'll stay that way haha. But I'm wondering does anyone here have ideas for how to use just the island pieces alone to make an alternate hideout? I'd be very interested to see!

I’ve just found this MOD at a hungarian forum. The island is combined with the Old fishing store set. Brilliant!

350493E1-02AC-4AD8-BC0B-E207FBE02A8A by Gyula Herr, on Flickr

[Robin_IV]

On 5/15/2020 at 3:16 PM, ARC-trooper Jakes said:

Besides all the stuff everyone else has already said, I really like what you did with the brick built sails!

You could use these sails. But I don't know if they are the correct size. But you can of course use several side by side for one mast. 

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=32652&name=Cloth Sail Tattered Long with 4 Round Holes and 6 Ripped Holes&category=[Cloth]#T=C&C=69

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=32653&name=Cloth Sail Tattered Short with 2 Round Holes and 5 Ripped Holes&category=[Cloth]#T=C&C=69

[chris592]

slight modification, and similar to an earlier post in this thread.  I took apart the interior of the ship and used tiles from the island (and my own collection) to make a gun deck, just fairly basic, kept as much interior detail as possible.  The ship looks better with the gun ports opened and some cannon poking out.  Surprised that in the instruction there wasn't some steps in place if you wanted to add the cannon, although to be fair its a rather simple modification.

 

 

[ARC-trooper Jakes]

On 5/15/2020 at 4:03 PM, Elusys Ra Arwal said:

If you want I can make a model in studio for you

It is very kind of you, but please do not go through the trouble  Knowing that what we see here is a dummy-design to simply stand-in for the cloth, I will give it a go myself eventually. It would have to be a different design though, since item 6233 does not appear to be available in regular red. For now it will suffice to repeat the previous compliment: Great job on the brick-built folded sails!

I almost exclusively bought the set for the ship-configuration, not so much for the island. What remains of the island, I am giving a huge overhaul. Will post on this thread when it's ready. I think it is turning out quite share-worthy.

 

Thanks.

[ARC-trooper Jakes]

20 hours ago, Robin_IV said:

You could use these sails. But I don't know if they are the correct size. But you can of course use several side by side for one mast. 

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=32652&name=Cloth Sail Tattered Long with 4 Round Holes and 6 Ripped Holes&category=[Cloth]#T=C&C=69

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=32653&name=Cloth Sail Tattered Short with 2 Round Holes and 5 Ripped Holes&category=[Cloth]#T=C&C=69

That is a pretty good solution. I believe the Silent Mary-sails are too small, but as you say - multiple sails side by side here and there 

[Alazon]

7 hours ago, ARC-trooper Jakes said:

That is a pretty good solution. I believe the Silent Mary-sails are too small, but as you say - multiple sails side by side here and there 

Don't really want to blow my own horn, but make sure to check out these cloth sails OKBrickworks has produced from my digital drafts. It's Silent Mary-style sails both in the colours and the size of the new BSB!

[Jasseji]

On 5/15/2020 at 6:56 AM, Mencot said:

"MOCYOURBRICKs" has shared a cool modification on the set on his Youtube channel.

That is if you have time for watching an half hour video... I just speed clicked it to the end to see the finished model.

This Mod rocks, sadly it's very hard to even get a second set (i do have one and hope when the 3-in-1 comes out, the Inn will be somehow combinable with the leftover island)

 

 

[Sauerteig]

Hey everybody,

 

First, I am not a hardcore Lego enthusiast. I bought Brick Bounty a few years ago but held off on the other sets because they left me pretty nonplussed.  I have the Prison Island and the Arctic research center in bags in the closet. Anyway, when the Pirate Bay Ideas set out, I bought two and was fortunate enough to have my order fulfilled, albeit with some delays.

I have finished building the ship sands the mod and am looking to mod the island, which leaves a bit to be desired when the ship is built as a stand alone. I am considering getting the cooing 3-1 creator set and use the tavern as a stand in structure, but the pics look pretty basic.  Earlier posts indicate that the original piaret bay has been reverse engineered. Would love to be filled in on how to do that. Finally, does anyone know what parts are need to bould a crane as someone else has done. Thanks.

[Mencot]

On ‎5‎/‎20‎/‎2020 at 7:00 PM, Jasseji said:

i do have one and hope when the 3-in-1 comes out, the Inn will be somehow combinable with the leftover island)

Maybe with some modding it will.

 

6 hours ago, Sauerteig said:

Finally, does anyone know what parts are need to bould a crane as someone else has done. Thanks.

If you have two sets of the Bay then in the "Moc my Bricks" youtube video that was posted here a few posts up, has a crane build. Around 8:50 into the video you can see how he builds it.

[cehnot]

Final Masts ready for rigging. I am looking forward to purchasing the set when it they restock it. The masts are no higher than the original set. I only placed the main yard and fore yard lower to allow string to hold up the bottom sails. I think i may do my own custom sails and try to dye or color them with red stripes. What do you guys think?

[Sauerteig]

9 hours ago, Mencot said:

Maybe with some modding it will.

 

If you have two sets of the Bay then in the "Moc my Bricks" youtube video that was posted here a few posts up, has a crane build. Around 8:50 into the video you can see how he builds it.

I have a second set, but that is in the vault for resale..... I will check it out and get the parts from another souce.

[Mencot]

3 hours ago, Sauerteig said:

I have a second set, but that is in the vault for resale..

Ah, I understand. That is reasonable to keep in store for the future to resell.

 

Altough right now, at that price the Barracuda bay is at, it is a great price per part set and it may be that I will get a second copy later on just for the parts because I ordered parts from Bricklink from 3 different sellers and I don´t know but feels like that the price for parts on Bricklink has gone up since I last time bought parts a few years ago. Or am I wrong?