Dreamweb

I always like to look at upgrades of the good old Caribbean Clipper, since I always thought the set was too small compared to its pirate counterpart. Those guys needed more firepower! I've checked out your Instagram but can't see any more pictures of the ship yet. Anyway, I like it that you've added a full main deck above the cannons. I was really missing that in the original CC. Same with a captain's cabin with a DOOR. I always thought it was unfair that Redbeard had a cabin with double doors and Broadside had NOTHING. With its more menacing size, your ship could engage the Black Seas Barracuda in a fair fight! Now on to the things which I think could be improved. The sterncastle is too wide and too large. Plus it's too cubical in shape, with too many right angles. And the back wall behind the helmsman is two studs deep, making it too thick - one stud should be enough. The bow part on the other hand looks too similar to the Barracuda Bay ship. The railing and the windows are almost identical. Only that ship had those yellow flexible thingies that gradually widened the bow. Yours does not, and therefore looks too blocky. Actually your ship begins with two vertical walls - one below the figurehead, and one behind it. She definitely needs more inclined surfaces, parts there wedge out instead of abrupt edges. This still looks good and like I mentioned earlier, bluecoats always deserved a better ship! With some more work you could turn her into a real beauty which would put shame on the real Caribbean Clipper.

If you used enough of those round dishes, I think it would be sturdy enough. Anyway, it's your call! Looking forward to seeing the updated version.

This is a very good entry! The place looks vey busy and there's a lot going on in here. The sandy parts with palm trees on both ends are a clever idea as they provide a kind of closure to the whole thing, plus they give the tropical vibe which the classic Pirate sets are famous for. The roofs are well done and I for one really like the gold mixed with dark red. It was a good idea to end it with a wooden pier at the seaward side. Makes you wonder what this would look like with some ships docked. All the buildings match each other nicely, and the weathered look of the walls is a nice touch which was accomplished in a very satisfactory way. I see you've used a mix of bluecoat and redcoat soldiers under the same flag. While some people may question this, I see no problem with this. They may represent sailors and soldiers (ground troops) of the same nation, who obviously would meet in a harbour like this. The bluecoats may have arrived here on a ship. About things which could be improved, I think you should definitely provide pictures of the inside of those buildings! We have an inn here, which looks like the beginning of an interesting story, yet we cannot see what's inside - is there a barkeep inside? Any bottles or food? Right now we only know it's an inn because of the sign. Same applies to other buildings. And while we're at it, apart from the bar owner, a civilian or two would be useful - a trading outpost needs merchants. One more thing, since this is not a remake of an older set, this means you are proposing a new set. Surely the hanging skeleton, while a bold and a generally good idea in and of itself, would never be used in a LEGO set. LEGO obviously uses skeletons in their sets, just not like this! Anyway, this is an awesome model and I can imagine several different stories to be told with this set alone - and dozens more with some ships visiting the place!

But you could put red and white strips in the same plane, instead of red over white. And then connect them from the bottom, preferably with these in trans clear: The result would actually be a bit thinner than your current sails

Oh yes, those are very nostalgic to me. The original raft was my first Pirate set, and some time later I also got the island (for birthday if I'm not mistaken). It was a good idea to merge those sets together as they complement each other nicely. The raft is a great update with clever use of new colours which were unavailable back then. The trapezoidal flags/sails are a good choice, as they are the thing that makes a difference at first glance compared to the old set. The oar as a rudder is a nice addition. I like the big shark as it looks much more menacing compared to the traditional one. The flag on the mast makes much more sense, considering in the original set it was weirdly placed on the musket. The barrel and the bucket are both important additions and significant improvements - those guys have to eat and drink something! The island is cleverly updated and the plants actually look better in your version, even though the old palm tree trunk was more versatile. But the best update is the fact that you made the island raised, in contrast to the old set where is was just a print and therefore looked quite unsafe - a larger wave could flood these guys! Also the original island was too small, and you made the right choice to make it bigger. And tan looks much better as sand in this situation. What I would improve here is that I would merge those two sets even more. What I mean by this is, I would add more water around the island, or preferably on one side of it, for the raft to sail in & for the shark to swim in. Right now the raft and the island are two separate pieces. A bit more water would actually turn this into one set. Also, I would add a back wall to the treasure chest hideout. I know the original set did not have one, so this is definitely a place for improvement; after all, it would not be much of a hideout if it could be easily accessed and seen from the back. Apart from those minor issues, I really like what you have done to those two absolute classics. It has the style of newer sets (2009, 2015) but pays tribute to the first wave. Well done!

This looks too much like the original. The sails work with the hull, but you should consider making the ship more customised. It's a good thing that you have added a full deck above the cannons, and you should go further from here. I would start with modifying the sterncastle even more. I would actually try to make it lower, not higher like you did. Your railing at the back is a bit too high for my personal taste. I would also try to flatten the forecastle a bit. This would be more fitting to the smaller overall size of the ship compared to larger sets. Another thing which I would do as an improvement over the original Creator set and a step towards further customisation, is to remove the nougat flexible ropes on both sides of the masts and replace them with proper ratlines as seen in classic Pirate ships. That would make it much more realistic and practical for the pirate crew, providing a proper way for them to climb the masts. Don't get me wrong, I like the Creator set (still have it assembled in my collection) and I like your take on it, but I would advise making it stand out more compered to the original thing. The sails are a very good beginning!

It's true I didn't recognise the set at first, you've really boosted the size and the piece count here! But I really do like the outcome. Now it looks like a real camp and not simply a piece of rock or whatever the original was meant to represent. The white and red 'roof' is a really nice touch, and so is the lantern. It's great that the walls are not perpendicular to each other. I like the ornamentation above the windows, and the 'battle damage' makes the scene more dynamic. Actually it makes you think that this is a part of a larger fortress or something which got destroyed by the enemy. I would move the barrel inside the building and make the bonfire less regularly shaped, or maybe add some burnt wood around it. And I think it would be a good idea to use tan tiles instead of plates for just the part where those guys sleep, as the sand would be flat due to their weight. Other than that, it is a nice little build.

True, but tiles with angled edges would look good even if they did not exactly match the shape of the sail edge. Or alternatively you could try to modify the shape of the whole sail a bit.

I don't think that the piece count is really a problem in the remake category. After all, doesn't the new Eldorado Fortress have a lot more parts than the 1989 original set?

I've seen the old version and the new one is definitely an improvement. This small set was quite strange to begin with, although a great army builder. I know the tan plates are just background, but you should consider making a proper (small) baseplate for the gun cart. That would make it an even bigger improvement over the old set. Tan is good as it represents sand, so I would add some terrain, nothing big, a small hill perhaps. Plus some plants here and there. Maybe make the base less regular, not two identical plates but more like a random pile of sand. That would actually turn this into a real set, as 1970 was just a parts pack with very little actual structure.

Well, this is quite an upgrade of the classic set, but nonetheless it's recognisable and the source of inspiration is clear to me. I would add some plantlife to it. I know the original did not have any, but that's what remakes are for. A palm tree or some bushes would fill the empty areas at the back, on the tan-coloured ground. Also, while the set did not have a cannon, I would consider putting at least one here. This is because your building is much larger than the original and therefore needs to be more armed. I like it very much that you've made the roof wider and turned the arch thing connecting both buildings into an actual bridge. The stairs are a great addition too. This adds plenty of playability to the whole thing and makes all parts of it accessible to the soldiers with no need to climb the walls. The upgraded tan sand is much more realistic than the original yellow. Overall, this remake pays tribute to the original, but presents a much better model itself.

I don't think remakes have to look like official sets. Many of the remakes posted as examples in the main contest thread absolutely do not look like official sets. I think this rule should apply to the 'suggest a new set' category only. This having been said, I still think this one would pass as a real set. I like what you have done here. The original set was very small and this is a pretty decent expansion. The palm trees look good and I like it that one of them is almost lying in the water. The rocks look massive and sturdy. The cave entrance looks quite realistic. My only suggestion would be to add more water around it and maybe some waves. Then again I understand that you wanted to focus on the island. Some animals would be good too. I don't see any. A crab perhaps? Anyway, it's a nice-looking smallish island and I would buy this as a set.

Well, this does look like the Orient Expedition ship mixed with the Imperial Trading Post vessel, and the brick-built sails also give it a bit of the Creator Pirate Ship feel. The Orient Expedition ship was actually my first new LEGO set after a long hiatus, and I still like the set. I really like that you managed to put so many things on a ship this size: a ladder, an anchor complete with its mechanism, a cargo hold, and even a small captain's cabin. The way you've managed to use the available space is truly top-notch. My favourite part is definitely the stern with the golden ornamentation. Also, I think that using black inverted slopes to make the ship a bit wider was a clever and necessary idea. I would actually consider improving two things in your creation. First, the brick-built sail could use some tiles to make it smoother, at least on one side. Second, I would suggest replacing the large cannon with several smaller ones, custom-built. The cannon looks a bit too large for a vessel this size. Anyway, it's a very good-looking small ship which fits well with the Classic Pirates line!

I'm pretty sure I will get the boat, so no, not just the two of you.

Count me in!

Somehow I was unaware of this theme until yesterday when I saw it in the new catalogue. Obviously I'm not the target either and I am vaguely familiar with the show (my daughter does watch this sometimes). However, I think those look really good and I'm actually considering at least getting the one with the boat. I hope the ears are detachable!

Well, the rules do say this: So I think an imaginary 1998 set would fit quite well. I am considering participating in the contest myself. Not sure I will be able to find the time right now though.

Thanks! That is true; however, it is possible to build a custom centre section for the black/dark grey hull. That's exactly what I did for my pirate ship Juggernaut a few years ago. This is a recent picture from an exhibition which shows how this was accomplished (picture taken by Jerac who is also a member here ).

I must say, it is not what I had expected. I thought the new Eldorado Fortress would be to the old Eldorado Fortress what the 10210 Imperial Flagship was to the 6271 Imperial Flagship. Same name, but a lot bigger, improved, etc. Well instead we are getting a remake of sorts, with new parts and obviously without the raised baseplate. I will most likely get it anyway, though it feels too similar to the old one, and thus also brings back the memories of numerous Eldorado Fortress-based MOCs and MODs we saw here over the years. I like the way it unfolds into a long structure instead of the default square shape. If I get it, the unfolded version will probably be my 'official' one, just to make it look more different from the original EF which I also have (albeit disassembled).

I agree. Well, a lot of us Pirate fans use at the very least custom sails and ropes for their ships, which are not genuine LEGO either. This is quite customary and nobody is making any fuss about it. I remember seeing a used clone-brand pirate ship at a local marketplace. It had a hull similar, but not identical to the narrower hulls from classic Pirate sets. It was black or dark grey, not sure now. I did not buy it on the grounds that it was not original LEGO. Sometimes I regret this desicion. If anything, it would make my fleet look more diverse.

Not quite. LEGO itself is a clone-of-sorts of Kiddicraft (which was settled legally AFAIK).

That's a rather long story. But the short version is quite simple-I was too occupied with other things in my life, so I resigned. The decision was my own. I just could not find enough time to do this in a manner in which I would enjoy it.

Thanks mate! The hull is quite sturdy, in fact more than I expected. The masts not so much, especially the main mast which is the first thing to fall during transport by car, or while carrying the ship over longer distances. Well, she did survive two exhibitions already, one of which was in another city, and while some repairs were needed after the journey, I always managed to put her back together. Thanks! The hull is challenging, but may be very rewarding if you have enough bricks to fill it. One middle section definitely makes it look too short (like in the original set 7075 from which it originated). Two middle sections are better, and I used three of them, which gave her nice proportions IMO. I definitely recommend this hull for MOCing! I knew a Classic-Pirates blogger once... Oh wait, it was me!

Thanks! This is a really underestimated hull in my opinion. Yes it comes from a subpar 4+ set, but come on, the hull itself gives you great building possibilities! You can only go bigger than that with brick-built hulls. Thanks mate! I always try to make my ships as accessible on the inside as possible. Sometimes this requires a trade-off of sorts, as I was unable to put as much rigging as I had initially planned - but that would make the modular structure of the ship impossible, as it would be harder to, e.g. remove the top of the bow to access the capstan and the sleeping quarters, and so on. By the way, she's already been to her first LEGO exhibition, and this weekend she's setting sail for another one!

I just want to add that while I was at a LEGO exhibition last weekend, I talked to a guy who knows people at LEGO, and he said yes, the set is definitely coming.