Franco Clarke

Thank you for the advice, I can now see how some bars would significantly strengthen her!

Thank you for the feedback, I will try and get more light in if I do more night photographs. Also here are a few more shots of the boatshed.

Thank you for all your most kind replies, I am glad you all enjoyed the end of this little story Thank you, I think the best thing would be to dissasemble the whole lot and then redo it and try and tighten it, although I'm worried that it might come out even worse. Good call on the wheels, that will be added soon! The masts are wonky because they are just a stack of cylinders, which warp under the tension of the few taught strings, might there be a way of strengthening them?

http://www.eurobrick...howtopic=138159 l Franco Clarke l Oleon

As the sun rose into the sky, casting long shadows over the sea, the Colombe sailed towards the edge of the bay. The water was calm and the light breeze was easily captured by the Colombe's sail. The Colombe gracefully slid around the headland, and sure enough in the centre of the next bay sat a two-masted vessel. It was obviously built for speed with a slim hull and large sails. Erwin raised his telescope and observed the ship, to see the crew frantically preparing to escape. Erwin ordered the merchant ensign be lowered and the battle flag of Oleon raised. If they were to capture these criminals, it would have to be fast, since he didn't think the Colombe would be able to keep pace with their boat. However no soon as the flag had reached the top of the mast then a shot rang out from the enemy ship, and a split second later a part of the bow rails was blasted off. Erwin shouted forward 'Gunner they are obviously hostile, open fire' However the reply came back 'We're not in range yet' Erwin cursed; because this was a merchant vessel, the guns were only good for close quarters combat. The enemy gun roared again and blasted the main sail, tearing a chunk of the spar. The remains of the sail started flapping in the breeze and the Colombe began to slow down without its main sail. This attack was quickly turning into a disaster. Then Erwin remember that he had been promised additional support should the need arise. Well arise it certainly had. Erwin called to Private Collins 'Take the wheel and keep her steady.' He then dived down a hatch toward his cabin. Another shot hit the hull just in front of Erwin spraying splinters about. Erwin gritted his teeth and carried on, kicking open the door to his cabin. There on the desk was the firework which he had been given to signal his need for reinforcements. Grabbing it he plunged back toward the deck hatch, dodging the cannon ball rolling around in the corridor outside. Climbing up onto the deck he lit the fuse from the burning remains of one of the stern lanterns and it flew screaming into the sky leaving a fiery trail. Now he could but hope that the support, whatever it was, would spot the single and arrive in time to save him. The enemy vessel had now closed in and began to pound the Colombe from close range with cannon shot. At last they were in range so that they could return fire. However Erwin watched in dismay as their first shot sailed through a gap in the enemy ship's rigging and splashed harmlessly into the waters of the bay. Even worse was to follow, as the enemy's return shot landed smack on the cannon, smashing it. Erwin shouted for the crew to try and move the gun from the other side over. However the enemy fired some grape shot which scythed down the crew as they struggled to turn the cumbersome gun around. Erwin fetched out his flintlock and fired at one of the enemy sailors who fell from his perch in the crow's nest into the sea. He saw Collins get shot in the shoulder and fall over onto the deck which was awash with blood and water as the steadily worsening weather caused waves to break over the sides and through holes in the railings. Suddenly another cannon fired, hitting the rear mast of the enemy shit, causing it to crack and pitch over. Erwin looked to see an Oleon war sloop entering the battle. It fired again and smashed part of the cannon's carriage apart. That should lessen the return fire. Erwin left the wheel and heaved on their gun until it was pointing towards the sloop in order to engage its new attacker. Private Collins limped over and rolled a ball into the barrel, whilst Erwin lit the fuse. The shot flew true this time and hit the stern of the other ship, blowing the tiller apart. Then Erwin heard a cry of 'they've killed the captain' and saw the remaining crew on the enemy ship raise their hands in the air. Exhausted, and bleeding from the splinters in his face, Erwin collapsed and lapsed into darkness. I hope you all enjoyed this conclusion to this series of stories. I have especially enjoyed writing them. The enemy's ship, or The Caecilian as she will be known now she has been captured by Oleon, was a relatively simple build with some very awkward rigging. Unfortunately the rigging became very loose at the back after I managed to know the rear mast over a while back, which is annoying. I hope you like her, and I might see if I can fit some sails on perhaps.

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=138129&hl= l Franco Clarke l Oleon

Thank you I am glad that you enjoyed it! The next part is here now: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=138129

Erwin stood aboard the deck of the Colombe, lazily watching the view. He had prepared the crew so they would be ready to leave the bay in 5 minutes, so that as soon as they received the instructions, they would be able to act upon them. However despite having waited 5 days, he had received no more word from the agent. Perhaps he had missed the signal and the agent had failed their mission due to the lack of assistance? Or perhaps the agent had successfully retrieved the document on their own, and he was destined to wait for the rest of time for a signal that would never come. His thoughts were interrupted by a thump as an arrow buried itself in the deck between his feet. Erwin jumped up and away from the still quivering arrow. He looked in the direction from which it must of been shot, but he couldn't see the archer anywhere among the forest of masts. He turned his attention back to the arrow which had a scrap of paper tied around it. He picked the paper up and unrolled it, to see a map of the coast near Londa bay. A certain boatshed had been circled and beside it was scrawled '4.30am be there' The Colombe sat at anchor in the waters a little way from the boat shed as the note had requested. Erwin watched the entrance to the building which was bathed in orange light from a torch or something inside of it. Then a dinghy appeared and paddled towards the shed. There were three silhouettes in the dark vessel, one rowing and two sitting in the rear. The little boat nosed toward the entrance of the boatshed and then disappeared inside. 10 minutes elapsed, and then the dinghy left the shed, however this time there were only two people in it. Once the dinghy had rounded a headland and passed out of sight Erwin lowered his telescope. He signalled to the crew which had been patiently waiting. 'Quickly, lower the boat, we need to investigate that shed, the rest of you get the Colombe ready for action' They paddled across the bay and into the shed, which was lit by the light from a burning torch. The sad prow of a rotted boat stuck out from the water, and the entire shed looked derelict as if it hadn't been used in years. Erwin stepped out of the boat onto the decking inside the building. Next to a barrel lay an overturned chair with a coil of rope tangled around it. Atop the barrel was a note which Erwin picked up and opened. 'I am sorry that I could not tell you in person but having retrieved the document, I felt it wise to return it to Oleon before anyone else tries to steal it. With the document secured, our job here is almost done. However, those which did seek to rob it are still at large. Having left me here, they made off with what they think is the document to their ship, which is anchored in the next bay. I trust you will be able to deal with them. You may also like to know that this barrel contains a bomb, which is probably about to go off.' Erwin threw the note aside and yanked the lid off the barrel. Sure enough there was a smouldering fuse and enough bags of gunpowder to blow the boatshed out of existence. With no time to do anything fancy, Erwin kicked the barrel into the water. It sank into the murky depths, and the fuse was extinguished. Erwin turned back to the dinghy where the rest of the crew were looking at him with a mix of slightly confused expressions. 'Did you take a disliking to that barrel sir?' asked Collins. Erwin nodded and replied 'it was shoddy workmanship, not fit for purpose. Now enough about the barrel, let's get back to the Colombe, we have some thieves to catch!' Once again I attempted to do some night-time photographs. I think they were slightly better than the last ones, any opinions would be greatly appreciated! The boatshed was great fun to build since I actually did it from the roof down. The roof could use a little work perhaps? I hope you liked the story and the final part should be out tomorrow.

Another beautifully sculpted ship, I think that the colour scheme works really well together!

The Colombe sat bobbing in Londa Bay, among the other merchantman. Dotted amongst the merchant ships were a healthy amount of Corrington Warships. Following the mysterious explosion of an Oleon ship, Corrington had greatly increased security. Erwin stood on deck watching the view. He had sent the rest of the crew ashore so they could relax after the voyage, although they'd have to be ready to act whenever the King's agent required their assistance. He wondered how he'd know who the agent was, from what he'd heard they were impossible to distinguish, unless they revealed themselves. Suddenly Erwin felt a cool blade on his neck and a featureless voice said 'If you want to live Erwin, stand very still' Erwin froze, but the voice continued to speak' 'I am the agent who you have been sent to assist, but it is essential that my identity remains secret, so we will not be able to talk face to face' The blade withdrew from his neck and everything went silent. The voice spoke again, this time more faintly as if from a slight distance. 'I will contact you when your assistance is required, be ready' Erwin stood still for another five minutes of silence, waiting to see if the agent would speak again, but they didn't. He turned around and the deck was deserted. Erwin shivered, despite the glaring sunlight. Whoever that agent was, he was more than capable of recovering that document, and Erwin wondered why he had even bothered coming. This is just a short filler story so that part 3 doesn't end up being too long.

Thank you for all your kind comments, they are much appreciated! I am glad that you all like it! Thank you, I'm glad you don't mind me borrowing your design! Thank you for the advise. I will try to break up the decks a little, and for later lateen rigged ships I will give them larger sails!

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=137699 | Franco Clarke | Oleon

Following the botched attempt at finding the Fountain of Youth the Vif had finally made it back to Breshaun for resupply. Erwin stood reading the latest issue of the Breshaun Daily, whilst the rest of the crew loaded supplies and ammunition onto the Vif. Erwin smiled reading an article detailing how the mob of would-be Fountain hunters had finally caught up with Father Tholeau and taught a lesson he was unlikely to forget in a hurry! Having finished the newspaper, Erwin looked up, to see the master in charge of No.1 Admiralty dock approaching him. He saluted and handed Erwin a sealed letter. 'This was left in for you by the Governor's messenger' the man said 'he told me that it was of the utmost importance and to be read only by you' Erwin nodded, and intrigued turned over the letter and broke the seal. That wasn't the seal of the Governor, but the seal of the Royal Palace. Erwin's heartbeat quickened. He hoped this wasn't going to be a punishment for his failure at the battle of the Terrabank. He opened the letter, and quickly read it. 'Dear Captain Clarke, Recently one of our warships sank in mysterious circumstances whilst anchored in Londa Bay. Usually this would just be treated as an accident, but due to the fact that the ship was carrying an important document at the time of its destruction we believe that it may not be the accident that it at first appears to be. This document must be recovered by all means. You will be issued with an armed merchantman and will be dispatched to Londa Bay in the disguise of a merchant to provide assistance for one of the King's Agents who is already there. The agent will contact you in his own time; all you need do is wait for instruction. We will be sending a further flotilla of warships to provide greater force if it is so required. I must reiterate that the retrieval of this document is of the utmost importance, and its loss would hurt Oleon significantly. Now proceed with your crew to dock 76, where your vessel will be waiting, ready to leave at once for Londa Bay. Once you have read this letter destroy it at once' Erwin looked up to the master who was still waiting patiently. 'My crew and I will need immediate transport to the shore, Governor's orders' said Erwin 'also the Vif will probably need moving so it doesn't clog up this dock' The master nodded and pointed at a dinghy tied up to the side of the dock. 'It seems that the Governor has already anticipated this, there is a boat which should suffice and a replacement crew is in transit as we speak' The master then turned and went over to a pile of stores to check which ship they were destined for, whilst Erwin hailed his crew. A few hours later Erwin stood at the helm of the Merchantman, named the Colombe. He felt uncomfortable in the civilian clothes he had found left for him in his cabin, but he was happy to have a mission to distract his mind. The Colombe was heavily inspired by the Torino by Dukesc, once I saw his ship, I had to make one of my own, I hope you don't mind me copying your design! The colour scheme was inspired by that of the Imperial trading post ship, which is one of my favourite designs from Lego.

A very nice sensibly laid out fort, I especially like the wooden decking and the hiding crab!

Thank you I'm pleased you liked my boat! Thanks, The white looks slightly better in person and it helps the ship fit in with my other Oleon warships.

Thank all very much, I'm glad you liked the build! The second photo was especially awkward, getting the ship to sit up out of the water!

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=136496&hl= | Franco Clarke |Oleon

A new ship for the Oleon navy sails out of the shipyards! This is Stingray a 2 gunned sloop (I think) with a crew of around 10 men. Here she is under way alongside the Vif. This ship was built as a counterbalance to the imperial flagship, hence the same number of guns and the same sail plan. However, the design is quite different, without such a high stern. A shot into the gun deck. The setup of being able to fit two cannons each side but only 2 in total seems a little odd, did this happen on real ships? I hope you like my ship, I think it is the largest one I've completed so far.

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=136444&hl= | Franco Clarke | Oleon

HMS Flea lay, overshadowed and dwarfed by the larger warship it was tied too. Around patrolled a host of small ships, ensuring the flagship was secure. A small figure climbed off the deck of HMS Flea and up the ladder that was fixed to the side of the larger ship. He reached the top, saluted and then made his way towards the stern. There sat the Admiral sitting a neatly laid table, having his afternoon tea. The captain arrived and stood sharply to attention, and waited whilst the Admiral finished the small cake which he was eating. 'Captain I would like to congratulate you on your most successful execution of my instructions' the Admiral commented. 'I hear that catches are up six times what they were 6 months ago.' 'Yes Lord, the privateers have increased our success rate' replied the captain 'however we do have a slight problem' The Admiral looked out at where the vessel which had accompanied HMS flea was sitting further out. 'Do tell, what might this issue be?' 'Well you see, sir, a certain pirate, who calls himself Nightheart has claimed we should pay him double for the Oleon warship we sunk' said the captain, in a cautious voice. The Admiral's face remained calm and unreadable as he said 'I don't suppose that Nightheart's ship is the one which arrived with you today?' 'It is indeed one and the same sir' replied the captain. The Admiral leant forward and picked up a cup of tea and began sipping it whilst inspecting Nightheart's ship further. After a minute of silence he signalled to an officer who had been standing silently to attention for the entire conversation near the mast. 'Gunner, prepare the starboard batteries, you may fire when ready' The ship echoed with the rumble of gun carriages rolling over polished wooden decks, and the rhythmic bangs as the cannon flaps swung open. The deck throbbed as the guns fired and the Admiral watched the ripples in his tea. Nightheart woke up on a sandy beach surrounded by the debris and wreckage which had once made up the Dark Wolf. He lay thinking about what had lead him to get into this situation. The last thing he could remember was clinging to a plank whilst the Dark Wolf's prow slipped beneath the waves. That was the last time he worked for Corrington, he had helped them and then they stabbed him in the back. He slowly stood up and wandered down the beach past barrels and scraps of sails. He came across the corpse of his first mate which had already attracted a host of birds. Wearily he picked the body up waded into the sea and lay it down, hoping that the tide might pull it away from the hungry birds. Then he noticed something bobbing in the water. It was his bicorn hat. He fished it out of the swell and placed it upon his head, and then headed up the beach to where a small path pierced the undergrowth. He began the journey back to civilisation and he began planning his revenge on Corrington. I've had this jungle scene lying around for a while now, and I finally found a suitable use for it. Mostly an experiment in terrain and undergrowth, I hope you like it! Also these pictures didn't seem to come out very well, I'll see what I can do for the next set.

Thank you all I'm glad that you liked the slightly less serious take on the challenge!

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=135773&hl= another category A

The crew of the Vif progressed through the jungle, following the priest's map. Their journey was slowed by the cannon and its heavy carriage, and despite the ship that had been lying on the beach, they found the isle to be deserted, apart from a multitude of creatures. These creatures filled the air with their calls and screams, ensuring that the journey was not a quiet one. Private Collins pointed to the map 'Apparently the fountain is at the peak of a rock outcrop about here' Erwin shrugged 'I guess that puts us near our destination, hopefully we'll be able to finish this search soon' Their conversation was interrupted by a crack of a flintlock pistol, followed by shouts and the sounds of swords clashing. They ran towards the source of the sound, and as the forest thinned, they realised they had run straight into a battle. To their right a few groups fought amongst each other whilst simultaneous attempting to scale the outcrop with some rickety looking ladders. A pirate with a head of thick matted hair made it to the top but was quickly felled by accurate musket fire from a group of Corrington soldiers. 'Why does everyone around here use fighting to settle their differences?' said Erwin, 'it is indeed a miserable existence' Private Collins replied 'Well it was your idea to bring the cannon...' Suddenly they were charged by a tribe of islanders who had brought along a statue on a litter and what appeared to be a tame crocodile. 'I wonder where they got a copy of the priest's journal? ' pondered Collins. 'Interesting question, although they don't seem in the mood for an interview' replied Erwin 'Gunner load the cannon with grape shot just persuade them to withdraw we don't want to cause too much damage' The gun roared and the shot lacerated the undergrowth, and the islanders broke off their charge. The fighting continued in this manner for the next half hour as more and more explorers turned up, with no-one seeming to gain the upper hand. Then all at once the fighting died petered out, for someone had reached the summit and was waving a white flagged. Across the battlefield weapons were lowered and faces turned up to look at the man holding the flag. 'I found this note here at the top, it's from the priest' shouted down the man brandishing a scrap of paper 'it says You fell for my trick, there is no Fountain of Youth, although I hope you have had a most enjoyable search for it! I would like to thank you for allowing me to become the best selling printer ever!' 'And that's all it says ' finished the man with the flag. There was a rumble of rage through the mass of gathered people, until a voice shouted 'Let's go and find this priest and teach him a lesson!' There was a resounding cheer and people started gathering together to make their way back to the shore. Erwin looked at his crew who were unscathed except for Collins who had been grazed by a pistol shot. 'I think we have all had enough wind goose chases for one month, let's go home' Perhaps a slightly different take on the fountain of youth, as I wanted to try something slightly different to the more usual cave type interpretation. I had great fun posing all the figures around the base and adding greenery all around.

Thanks I'm glad you liked the sand around the bow! Well I guess if something as valuable as eternal youth is on the line, it would be careless to land your ship slowly

Wow what a truly stunning ship, despite the mix of colours it has come out wonderfully.