[ESL] The Knight of Stedor - 6 gun Cutter

[Maxim I]

"What shall we do with the drunken sailor, early in the morning?" Well, setting sail ofcourse!

Captain Ben D'Anvers was very happy with the trade he just did. The apples and swords he has in the cargo are very popular in the settlements he is visiting.

The cargo is well covered by some soldiers and a 3 guns on both sides.

Fresh apples from sir Felipe de la Manzana!! :D

So ladies and gentlemen, if the Cutter "Knight of Stedor" is visiting your port, well be sure to welcome her friendly and buy the stuff!!!

C&C welcome!

Also, this is the third MOC this month, so approvals are very welcome!!! :D

Edited January 6, 2016 by Maxim I

[Tomsche]

Sleek looking vessel, and I`m picking up the pointers on upper / lower deck here ;-)

[blackdeathgr]

Nice sturdy little ship. I especially like the back of her and the two sails at the bow! My only remark is that you should try to use cloth sails because paper ones feel so rigid. I know though, it isn't an easy thing to print your awesome sign on cloth :)

Overall a nice creation!! Stay afloat and keep trading!

[Maxim I]

Sleek looking vessel, and I`m picking up the pointers on upper / lower deck here ;-)

Great!!! Do you approve the MOC? :D

Nice sturdy little ship. I especially like the back of her and the two sails at the bow! My only remark is that you should try to use cloth sails because paper ones feel so rigid. I know though, it isn't an easy thing to print your awesome sign on cloth :)

Overall a nice creation!! Stay afloat and keep trading!

Thanks!!! Well, I do have to look for a cloth solution for my big ship... But it isn't easy indeed!!

I forgot this is my third build, so if you want, you can approve it (since your are not from Eslandola :) )

[Tomsche]

I approve

[blackdeathgr]

+

[Captain Green Hair]

That's a nice little vessel. I like the fact it has actual cargo holds.

[Gideon]

Nice little ship! Looks like a trader who can defend himself a bit at least

But would the ship not lean to the side if all guns were pointing there at the same time...?

Is this built to be licensed in the EGS? Which category would that be in that case?

I guess it is something of this size that I should attempt first before doing too many mistakes on a bigger one?

Regarding the photography, I think it looks like you had a tad too litte light for that iPhone camera as the noise levels are quite high. I also think the white-balance in the first pic is off compared to the later ones as the colors in that one is more yellowish than in the later ones.

Yes, I'm getting boring but at least at the start of BoBS I'm almost now naming myself the photography critic(/nit-picker?) since it does soo much to a MOC to be presented properly and it doesn't take that much more time to do it right. I'm also not experienced enough in ship-MOCing to give any criticism there at all

[Tomsche]

Is this built to be licensed in the EGS? Which category would that be in that case?

In the rules, The Cutter is the `level 2` Fast ship

[MKJoshA]

I like the slope pieces you used to create the upper portions of the sides of the ship. And having cannons able to point out starboard or port is a useful feature. I can tell you haven't used your mast piece in a long time since there is a lot of dust on the lower portion. I also think the figure head is a little large for this size ship. But overall I approve

[Tezclatipoca]

Yeah ! Great little ship !

Of course the paper sails seems rigid but easier to print !

I am still trying to make cloth sails for my sloop and with a nice printing on it too.

It is more difficult but I promise you'll not regret it as it will be of course a boat working for MAESTRO ! I'll have to refresh your stock of apples with my boat, if you are selling them so fast !!

[dr_spock]

Nice little ship. I see you have your sails rigged. I like your installation of cargo holds. The lighting looks like you're trying to avoid pirates by sailing at night.

You should order your crew to swab the deck.

[Garmadon]

Very nice ship Maxim, the sails, especially the two in front, are excellent, and the overall shaping is great as well, it's good to see Eslandolans at the thing they do best! Nice color-scheme and choice of cargo too! I do think it could use a little polishing up though, particularly tiling the black rails and over the cabin... but it isn't bad

[TitusV]

Well, i'm no ship expert, but I do like your Colors, and it's really cool you've real cargo space! Great job!

[Bart]

Neat little ship,

judging by the gold ornaments, that apple trade is going very well :D

Maybe you can add some lines to the bottom of the sails (sheets) too next time.

[nivremis]

I'm not overly familiar with ship terms, so just wondering why is this a 6 gun, not a 3? It technically holds 3 max, as you can't fill all 6 gun ports at one go?

Thanks!

[Bregir]

Great little ship, Maxim! I like the rigging - looks very realistic. One thing to suggest: Depending on the time period, this kind of ship would typically have a sort of fore-and-aft sail behind the main sail. (Like the mainsail on a modern day leisure yacht)

A cutter would probably have a sail like that, making it much more agile tacking against the wind.

I really like the overall lines on this, especially the overall curvature of the deck and the simple but effective tumblehome. The superstructure at the back is nice too, and I like how the Stedor style is so obvious.

As to rating, I think I would go for tier two, maybe type wr, as I see that as the smallest "full size" vessels. And I would call this a six gun ship. The limitations of Lego sometimes makes it hard to represent all crew, guns, etc. so I would go for the number of gun ports here. (and suggest trying for smaller, brick-built guns, as these take up too much room and look oversized for this size of vessel.)

Approved by me! :)

[Maxim I]

That's a nice little vessel. I like the fact it has actual cargo holds.

Glad you like it

Nice little ship! Looks like a trader who can defend himself a bit at least

But would the ship not lean to the side if all guns were pointing there at the same time...?

Is this built to be licensed in the EGS? Which category would that be in that case?

I guess it is something of this size that I should attempt first before doing too many mistakes on a bigger one?

Regarding the photography, I think it looks like you had a tad too litte light for that iPhone camera as the noise levels are quite high. I also think the white-balance in the first pic is off compared to the later ones as the colors in that one is more yellowish than in the later ones.

Yes, I'm getting boring but at least at the start of BoBS I'm almost now naming myself the photography critic(/nit-picker?) since it does soo much to a MOC to be presented properly and it doesn't take that much more time to do it right. I'm also not experienced enough in ship-MOCing to give any criticism there at all

About the cannons: there should be in reality also cannons on the other side of the ship. But just like the Lego Group, I only place guns on one side (guns are really expensive...)

The photography was done in the evening (or in the middle of the night, that's the same here in the North ). Because I knew the light would be bad, I choosed to use artificial light and put the ship in such a position it has the most light and the fewest shadows. As "studio" I used a blue blanket as underground and a grey blanket as wall to create a grey sea atmosphere.

I am constructing a 46 gunner (a third ship of the line with two decks filled with cannons). There is a big difference in building... But I have to admit this was a first good test for the rigging

I like the slope pieces you used to create the upper portions of the sides of the ship. And having cannons able to point out starboard or port is a useful feature. I can tell you haven't used your mast piece in a long time since there is a lot of dust on the lower portion. I also think the figure head is a little large for this size ship. But overall I approve

The use of slopes is to prevent using hinges (which are place consuming ). The mastpiece is of the Armada Flagship and has survived already a few years of being decoration element (and thus collecting dust ).

I see your point of the size of the figurehead...

Anyway, thank you for the approval!

Yeah ! Great little ship !

Of course the paper sails seems rigid but easier to print !

I am still trying to make cloth sails for my sloop and with a nice printing on it too.

It is more difficult but I promise you'll not regret it as it will be of course a boat working for MAESTRO ! I'll have to refresh your stock of apples with my boat, if you are selling them so fast !!

I think I found a solution to make sails with some black table cloth. But indeed, it will be without custom printing then...

The more apples, the better!!!

Nice little ship. I see you have your sails rigged. I like your installation of cargo holds. The lighting looks like you're trying to avoid pirates by sailing at night.

You should order your crew to swab the deck.

Hahaha, thanks for the comment! My crew knows now what to do!! "Come on you lazy bastards!"

Very nice ship Maxim, the sails, especially the two in front, are excellent, and the overall shaping is great as well, it's good to see Eslandolans at the thing they do best! Nice color-scheme and choice of cargo too! I do think it could use a little polishing up though, particularly tiling the black rails and over the cabin... but it isn't bad

Well, the deck is tiled. I feared if I tiled the railing, it would end up to heavy. You do have a point though about tiling the deck above the cabin

Well, i'm no ship expert, but I do like your Colors, and it's really cool you've real cargo space! Great job!

Thanks!!! The cargo space was for me the most important play feature!! Another feature is that I can remove the deck above the cabin (but there is no interior yet...)

Neat little ship,

judging by the gold ornaments, that apple trade is going very well :D

Maybe you can add some lines to the bottom of the sails (sheets) too next time.

I forgot those lines! I'll try to take in mind for the next time

I'm not overly familiar with ship terms, so just wondering why is this a 6 gun, not a 3? It technically holds 3 max, as you can't fill all 6 gun ports at one go?

Thanks!

I can fill in all 6 ports at the same moment. The guns can easily be placed 1 stud forwards so there can be 3 more guns placed at the opposite side.

But like Bregir said, it is Lego and all the lego ships only got guns on 1 side

Great little ship, Maxim! I like the rigging - looks very realistic. One thing to suggest: Depending on the time period, this kind of ship would typically have a sort of fore-and-aft sail behind the main sail. (Like the mainsail on a modern day leisure yacht)

A cutter would probably have a sail like that, making it much more agile tacking against the wind.

I really like the overall lines on this, especially the overall curvature of the deck and the simple but effective tumblehome. The superstructure at the back is nice too, and I like how the Stedor style is so obvious.

As to rating, I think I would go for tier two, maybe type wr, as I see that as the smallest "full size" vessels. And I would call this a six gun ship. The limitations of Lego sometimes makes it hard to represent all crew, guns, etc. so I would go for the number of gun ports here. (and suggest trying for smaller, brick-built guns, as these take up too much room and look oversized for this size of vessel.)

Approved by me! :)

I licenced it as a Cutter because my inspiration were cutters.

You are completely right about the fore-and-aft sail. The problem was I didn't find a solution on where to place it... I guess I used the wrong mast...

So indeed, it is a type two, but a fast vessel. Somehow, I was really sure also fast vessel had guns on them (regarding the Bobs Ships Table).

The smaller brick-built guns will be one of the things I am trying to master over the next months as I will need smaller guns for the upper deck of my big "Margot"

[Bregir]

Glad you like it

I licenced it as a Cutter because my inspiration were cutters.

You are completely right about the fore-and-aft sail. The problem was I didn't find a solution on where to place it... I guess I used the wrong mast...

So indeed, it is a type two, but a fast vessel. Somehow, I was really sure also fast vessel had guns on them (regarding the Bobs Ships Table).

The smaller brick-built guns will be one of the things I am trying to master over the next months as I will need smaller guns for the upper deck of my big "Margot"

My take on the ship ratings is rather liberal - I think it is more of a "spirit of the law" than a "letter of the law" kinda thing, meaning it is pretty open for interpretation, as long as you stay within the overall idea, and accepts the rating system's mechanics. In this and the comments below, Ska or any other admin are more than welcome to correct me - I am just presenting my understanding.

Thus, I think a cutter could be both of class one, two, and three, depending on size, and of several subclassifications, probably most often "Fast", as that is one of the most typical characteristics of cutters. But load it up with heavy weaponry or a big cargohold, and it will probably fit another role.

As to guns, a small cutter could be armed with six four-pounders, too small to give it a rating in "Guns" in the matrix. Since not all guns are alike, the gun rating is probably a balance between size and number of cannons. I mean, a rating of one in guns might mean one big 18 pounder in the stern of a galley, or 6 small 6 pounders on the broadsides of a cog.

While larger ships in the age of sail typically had more guns, they also had bigger guns, meaning that the number of guns alone is a bad indication of firepower.

I have struggled a bit with placing the fore-and-aft rigging on my own WIP, but I think I found a reasonable solution, so maybe that will be of use, when you see my ship.

I will be looking forward to seeing th Margot! She sounds like a force to be reckoned with!

[Captain Dee]

This is a fine vessel indeed. I like those colors, especially the white and gold, and the slopes are pretty good without being too blocky. Good job with the cargo holds and rigging, but the armament seems a bit much on something this size! Of course, Lego has always used those cannons, and I can't condemn their use for that reason. But as for not arming all 6 ports - simple, it's a big flaw in the official set designs dating back to 1989 and the limited width of the prefab hulls is the most likely reason for why the sets weren't typically armed on both sides. To load an official cannon requires pulling it back until the cascabel is almost touching the opposite side of the ship, which to me is just a ridiculous way of designing sets. Sure, it kept them smaller and therefore kept the prices lower, but I always have and always will view it as a company design flaw for which serious shipbuilders should not be criticized. Any armed ship model should have room for both broadsides, period. Lego has never truly allowed for this - the only way to fit them is with both sides deployed, unless the standard hull pieces are widened dramatically with slopes, jumpers etc. The "standard Lego cannons are too big" debate must consider that the minifigs' bodily proportions are like those of a small child, not an adult, and that the prefab hulls realistically represent very small vessels when built strictly to minifig scale - vessels that typically did not carry guns that large. Again, that is Lego's design problem. Building custom guns does little to address the overall issue, because the good designs are still long enough to make things cramped.

Listen to me. Have I bored everyone to sleep? Hello?

Anyway, this is a pretty good cutter with ambitious armament.

I approve.

[Maxim I]

This is a fine vessel indeed. I like those colors, especially the white and gold, and the slopes are pretty good without being too blocky. Good job with the cargo holds and rigging, but the armament seems a bit much on something this size! Of course, Lego has always used those cannons, and I can't condemn their use for that reason. But as for not arming all 6 ports - simple, it's a big flaw in the official set designs dating back to 1989 and the limited width of the prefab hulls is the most likely reason for why the sets weren't typically armed on both sides. To load an official cannon requires pulling it back until the cascabel is almost touching the opposite side of the ship, which to me is just a ridiculous way of designing sets. Sure, it kept them smaller and therefore kept the prices lower, but I always have and always will view it as a company design flaw for which serious shipbuilders should not be criticized. Any armed ship model should have room for both broadsides, period. Lego has never truly allowed for this - the only way to fit them is with both sides deployed, unless the standard hull pieces are widened dramatically with slopes, jumpers etc. The "standard Lego cannons are too big" debate must consider that the minifigs' bodily proportions are like those of a small child, not an adult, and that the prefab hulls realistically represent very small vessels when built strictly to minifig scale - vessels that typically did not carry guns that large. Again, that is Lego's design problem. Building custom guns does little to address the overall issue, because the good designs are still long enough to make things cramped.

Listen to me. Have I bored everyone to sleep? Hello?

Anyway, this is a pretty good cutter with ambitious armament.

I approve.

A very interesting opinion!

Well, honestley, I also only use half the guns to cut exensive building costs as 1 gun is easily 3 dollar :)

[Mike S]

Great ship! I really like the simple shaping of this! I approve.

Edited January 23, 2016 by Mike S