Pirate Boat building

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by master splinter, Apr 4, 2014.

  1. master splinter
    Joined: Apr 2014
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    Location: oakville, ontario

    master splinter New Member

    Hey there,

    I am a pirate enthusiast and used to sail and go fishing alot as a kid, I have lots of plywood and free time on my hands and i'm looking to build a pirate ship. It doesn't necessarily have to float as I am not currently located near any water but i would like it to be able to support people.

    I'm looking for it to be anywhere from 15-25 ft and it doesnt have to be fancy with a cabin or even be able to float (not located near water really). You can picture it as being on the lawn with people being able to be on it and hang out on it during parties or get together's what have you,

    Any and all ideas help, even if it's not related to a pirate boat per say, maybe just some initial ideas that i can modify into a pirate looking ship.

    thank you and everything is appreciated
     
  2. philSweet
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    Location: Beaufort, SC and H'ville, NC

    philSweet Senior Member

  3. messabout
    Joined: Jan 2006
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    Location: Lakeland Fl USA

    messabout Senior Member

    If you want it to be a useable boat, you can check out Phil Bogers pirate boat, which is primarily aimed at kids but it is a decent sailing boat nonetheless. It is a simple skiff, easy to build, but does not have cannons, only Jolly Roger pennants. A good many of them have been built I am told.

    If you are only interested in a salty looking lawn ornament then scout the internet for ideas. There are probably plenty of them. Either way it sounds like fun.
     
  4. waikikin
    Joined: Jan 2006
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    Location: Australia

    waikikin Senior Member

    Master Splinter,
    A cage or perch for the parrot & a hook to hang your eyepatch on would be good to have, maybe a stand for a wooden leg & a cd or mp3 player for the sea shanties.

    Q: Why are Pirates special?
    A:........... They just AAAARRRRRRHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

    Jeff.
     
  5. Petros
    Joined: Oct 2007
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    Location: Arlington, WA-USA

    Petros Senior Member

    here is a you tube clip of how a guy built a pirate ship play house:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ddv9PsxfRuw

    I like this one:
    [​IMG]

    you can go down to your local ship yard, boat storage yard or marine and see if they have any derelict ships they want out of the yard. They will usually give them to you, just rent a trailer and haul it home and set it in a hole in your yard. Clean it up, fresh coat a paint, and instant yard art.
     
  6. XJ9
    Joined: Mar 2012
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    Location: Tasmania

    XJ9 Junior Member

    Here's one that will float. It might not be quite what you are looking for, but it might at least give you some ideas and the "story" is good.
    http://www.jwboatdesigns.co.nz/plans/swiftsure/index.htm

    No water??? ...put some wheels on it and hitch it to some horses - "sea" horses, V8... Start a regatta like one of these that we run in Australia: http://www.henleyontodd.com.au/ The Todd River only has water very occasionally, in fact, they cancelled the regatta in 1993 due to river actually flowing. Check out the pictures on the page as they scoll by - there's a good looking viking ship in there (almost a pirate ship).

    Simon
     
  7. Squidly-Diddly
    Joined: Sep 2007
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    Location: SF bay

    Squidly-Diddly Senior Member

    Make it a flat bottom "real boat" able to be trailer towed and used on calm shallow water with a more or less hidden outboard and maybe some oars. Floating in 1ft of water it will look like a real full displacement/keel ship.

    Careful about fumes from outboard, especially if semi-enclosed and going slow. Maybe get Carbon Monoxide alarm or two.

    Ask theater type people about making "waves" with tie-dyed bedsheets and blue dye. Put those around base of trailer when parked on your lawn, or when at events.

    25' x 8' is still road legal and considered the max length for 'easy towing' by regular non-expert drivers.


    I just think making the thing mobile will vastly increase the fun.

    Build a sturdy base barge, then add on the pirate topsides out of light material. That way you will still have a re-useable 'party boat'/dock/swim platform hull.

    What types (thicknesses) of plywood do you have? If only one type then double thickness for hull and cutout superstructure and stretch fabric.
     
  8. PAR
    Joined: Nov 2003
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Making a pirate ship looking sort of thing as a static display is a fairly simple thing. Any creative carpenter can do this. It's all about styling clues and functionality. Of course, a floating sailboat is a different set of rules. Look up jay Benford's work for inspiration and styling clues.
     
  9. Mr Efficiency
    Joined: Oct 2010
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    Strange how pirates have acquired this romantic aura, isn't it, I suppose when their robbery and murder didn't affect us, it was a lot easier to see the "swashbuckling" adventurism in it, but they were in reality just grubs !
     
  10. waikikin
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    waikikin Senior Member

    True words...... Thankfully modern day pirates/psychopathic types have outlets on Wall Street & other areas...... similar types have been celebrated in various arenas of history.. maybe they wrote it?

    I'll settle for Captain Feather Sword anytime http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhe7R6i_85E

    Jeff.
     
  11. XJ9
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    XJ9 Junior Member

    The pirate definition is a bit blurred as some were bona fide members of the Royal Navy, employed by the British Government to wreak havoc on the Spanish. ...others were (and and still are) among the lowest dispicable people imaginable. However, Captain Feather Sword does seem pretty innocuous. ;)

    Simon
     
  12. PAR
    Joined: Nov 2003
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    Location: Eustis, FL

    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    This isn't unusual, the gangsters of the 30's, the gun slingers of the old west, the swashbucklers of a few hundred years earlier, etc., etc., etc. all have enjoyed this misplaced romantic notion. This happens when folks only get information from writers that "fluff up" the life style or events. A common example would be a war hero's exploits idealized, when in fact they where simply scared shitless and got lucky, by their own admission. War was once considered romantic and a chivalrous affair, of course until they (the writers) actually became involved in one and saw the realities of it in person.
     
  13. Petros
    Joined: Oct 2007
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    Petros Senior Member

    I suspect the word Pirate carries a criminal connotation from ancient times, it is a very ancient word likely form ancient Greek or even older Indo-European. Related perhaps the the ancient word for "fire" "Pyrie" as we say in English "funeral pyre" or Pyromaniac.

    The use of hired pirates during times of war to loot enemy supply ships was done for strategic purposes, and perhaps where romanticizing of pirates started since they were helpful to win the war. They were also called Privateers I believe. But these would are not to be confused with criminal murders who loot cargo and passenger ships.
     
  14. Ike
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    Ike Senior Member

    There was a big difference between pirates and privateers. Pirates just took what they wanted for their own gain. Privateers had a letter of marque from a government allowing them to take enemy prizes. Of course to the enemy they were pirates. The most notorious was Sir Francis Drake who was authorized by the Queen of England to capture Spanish ships. Of course the Queen got a cut of the booty. The Spanish still consider him a pirate. He also didn't limit himself to the Spanish.

    There are still pirates. Just look at Somalia, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean and a few other places. There is nothing romantic about piracy.

    As was said, writers have made it all romantic. Even some historians have tried to make it sound romantic and adventurous. Now they are doing the same thing with the Vikings. The latest book on Vikings depicts them as traders and explorers (which they were) but they were also ruthless killers who took what they wanted, mostly women. ... duh...... Sounds just like pirates.
     

  15. Mr Efficiency
    Joined: Oct 2010
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    Well said, I must ease up on giving pirates all the bad press ! :D
     
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