Pirate LEGO Hulls

**El Bucanero** · February 24, 2007

Absolutely nothing will make a pure lego ship float, ever. The only option is hot glue or some kind of sealent. Even if the hull is completely sealed IT WILL NOT FLOAT!!! It is to unBALANCED. You'll need a weighted keel. They have some lego keels, but they go at 2-5 dollars each. Even with all the sealents in the hulls and the keels THE WIEGHT IS GOING TO BRING THE SHIP TO DAVY JONE'S LOCKER!!!!!! I've tried sealing a hull, just two parts (front + back) and even that didn't stay. So, I must conclude, NOTHING can make a lego hulled ship float, unless it's with those 4+ hulls...other wise...nothing. Sorry. :-( .

They sell keels? Where? I had the idea of making a keel with slopes... But I don't have enough slopes, anyone else who tried this yet?

EDIT!!!!: I made a keel and it works!!! The ship floats!! I'll post pics as soon as I have decent ones! It's not such a big ship...

**Scouty** · February 24, 2007

KEEL!

WEIGHTS!

**El Bucanero** · February 24, 2007

Oh, I made mine with slopes and bricks inside for the weight. But those weights are really interesting. I might buy some and use them if for the keel of Red Peril... Thanks fellow rebel warrior!! *y*

**Scouty** · February 24, 2007

No prob. I posted the weights because I thought that you would be able to insert them into a brick built keel.

Opproperaar · August 23, 2007

Well ... Never ever trust your ship to float, even if its hull is watertight, it isn't stable (like mentioned before). Trust me, I have years of experience playing with lego in the bath tub *sad*

The fun thing is that minifigs justfloat around and others do not, some sink and others do not, the ship capsize instantely yet many lego pieces come floating back up to the surface. An enigma that has puzzeled 'till this day.

BTW I advise everybody who hasn't already, to play in the bath tub with their lego pirates. I swear to god it's fun. Well it was for me (like when I was 8 :-P ) No matter, try it, you'll be surprise how fun such childish behaviour can be.

Edited August 23, 2007 by Hairy Ruben

**El Bucanero** · August 23, 2007

Well, my little test ship did work, but not till I put the masts on it. After a little moment the ship capsized...

I guess the keel wasn't heavy enough.

Next time I'll use weights. I've seen how the do it in LEGOland. Anything I need is a 95% complete ship which I don't want to risk and some weights. Answer: The HMS Unclaimable!

Although one essential ingredient is missing: A pool :-P .

Mr Tiber

Edited August 23, 2007 by phred

andy_0306uk · August 23, 2007

BTW I advise everybody who hasn't already, to play in the bath tub with their lego pirates. I swear to god it's fun. Well it was for me (like when I was 8 :-P ) No matter, try it, you'll be surprise how fun such childish behaviour can be.

I always used to get told off for playing with my bricks in the bath ..........

Mum complained they got stuck down the plug

Errorist · August 23, 2007

I always used to get told off for playing with my bricks in the bath ..........
Mum complained they got stuck down the plug

Well it was the same story over here but we just didn't listen to our parents (Hairy Ruben and myself)

It was fun though building 3-4 feet long battleships with watertight compartments just to watch them sink.

Ah those were the days *sweet*

Edited August 23, 2007 by phred

ZeekyBoogeyDoog · August 23, 2007

lol, I think I played with the Armada flagship in the bathtub when I was little a couple of times.

I had one of those floating hull ships from the City theme, I think a fishing boat. I used to hold it underwater and then let go and watch it rise to the top.

**Siegfried** · August 23, 2007

Hmm, maybe there is a use for the +4 pirate hull after all! ;-) If anyone could take a picture of their +4 pirate hull in the tub, I'd be most thankful! And perhaps someone with a +4 pirate hull could explain why it floats so well?

Well I have one...

...(old photos) and it floated OK when built with the few light parts that came with it. Add a more parts and it will float low, or in my case, stern heavy, take on water, and then go down! If I get around to it i'll take some photos. :-D

ZeekyBoogeyDoog · August 23, 2007

So much for the 4+ hull :-/

Nice alterations, the ship looks a thousand fold better.

I'd like to see those photos, they should be amusing ;-)

Opproperaar · August 24, 2007

I played with all the lego in the bath tub, not just pirates but other things as well, and in the end I always pretended the ship exploded or something and I had Lego floating around everywhere. :)

Little dead minfigs getting eaten by sharks and mantarays and what not. Though perhaps there's no age limit to playing with lego, is there one for playing with lego in the bath? ;-)

The real annoying part is when you had to dry it using a towel. Really hated that, but it made my day :-P

Lego ship

Videos like this one remind me of the fun I had. :-D

Edited August 24, 2007 by Hairy Ruben

Errorist · August 24, 2007

Little dead minfigs getting eaten by sharks and mantarays and what not. Though perhaps there's no age limit to playing with lego, is there one for playing with lego in the bath? ;-)

I would hope not X-O

I think that if i were to do it now i think i would have just as much (if not more) fun than i did when i was a kid and you would too ;-) you know i'm right

krabs · May 21, 2008

hi ... i would like to introduce myself ....

started lego 6 years ago ..... mostly starwars .....

but due to rising cost by local lego distributor monopoly.... i stopped buying lego since 2 years ago

used to be a FBTB member ..... but now i only take a look at fbtb and eurobricks frontpage once in a while

i only created this account to ask about this question .... so high chances u wont see me posting again

okay to the main point

i have a vintage 1989 edition Black Seas Baracuda ...

the only floatable hull is some costal cutter patrol boat thing ...

i like putting the hull with some chain and train weighs into the water

so i was thinking if its possible to use hot glue gun .... to seal up the gaps and holes in the BSB hull .... making it "floatable" ?

thanks

Edited May 21, 2008 by krabs

Globemaster · May 21, 2008

hmm technically it should be possible if you made sure you sealed up all the cracks and holes....but i wouldn't do that to my bsb

**Siegfried** · May 21, 2008

I think it would float too low to work, even if you glued it. My 7075 doesn't float anymore because I built it up. Now if I try to float it the stern waterline causes water to rush in and thus sink it. Have you tried putting it in the water to get an idea of the waterline?