The Flying Dutchman

It's been nearly a year since I posted my model on LEGO IDEAS and I am amazed by the number of people who have supported my project so far! Thank you to all of you – I could not have come this far without you. But the journey still continues to 10,000, so please SHARE my project wherever you can!

Anyway, to the update...I'm sure that those of you who have hit that Support button have seen the blank minifigures that would come with this set, and you will have probably wondered why there were no designs. The truth is they are not available in digital form (LDD/LDRAW), but during this COVID-19 pandemic I set aside some time to learn the basics of Adobe Illustrator and drew the minifigure designs myself, just for you guys! I really enjoyed making them, and I could not be any more happier with the outcome:

PART 2 to Update:

I would also like to thank you all for the wonderful comments; I take the time to read them all and they are a joy to read – it really shows there is a POTC fanbase out there who wish for this ship to be real! Where people have given suggestions or requests for improvements, I have listened, and so for the second part of this update I would like to announce that the Dead Man's Chest containing Davy Jones' heart will now be onboard the Dutchman, and there will also be a LIGHT BRICK in Davy Jones' cabin, for those journeys in the night:

Ever since I've submitted my model to LEGO IDEAS, I have continued to improve it, because I've never been completely happy with how I've left it. So during this COVID-19 crisis I have made some few improvements to my model. Here's a list of the changes:

1. The balconies at the rear of the ship now consist of plates for improved stability and simplicity (previously they used to be bricks placed horizontally using SNOT technique).
2. One more skeleton has been added to the stern (above the octopus) with hair and trident for that extra little detail.
3. The poop deck has been elongated, with additional spikes or "teeth" on the railings - basically there's more room now for the helm and minifigures.
4. Pipe organ design has changed - I only recently just discovered the 1x4 flat tile with Piano Keys pattern, which allowed me to simplify the organ massively.
5. The curves on the side of the cabin used to have slopes in the middle, now there's panels on hinge bricks, and it gives a smoother look.
6. Stairs have been placed on the quarter deck, which go up to the poop deck, and so I had to change the cabin doors.
7. Kraken capstan hammer design has changed, and has become smaller, so more room available on the quarter deck than previously.
8. One out of the two anchors has been removed to reduce total piece count.
9. The fanged mouth on the prow has been shortened to increase stability.
10. The triple cannons in the bow can now rotate!

And finally thank you to all the people who have supported my project, it means everything to me! Keep up the support, and help me out by sharing it wherever you can online.

Thank you

After converting the LDD file into an LDraw file, I was finally able to add sails to the ship.

I also tilted the entire rear on a slight angle for a more similar look to the Flying Dutchman in the films.

First of all thank you to those awesome supporters out there who wish to see my model come true; it's been a pleasure seeing the numbers rise, but there's still a long way to go, so keep it up!

Changes:

• The masts have been brought forward slightly to provide more room for the forecastle and capstan hammer.
   
• Reduced the height of the mainmast so the rigging could be attached to the side of the ship in a more stable way (one small cannon had to be removed either side in the process).
   
• Removed front rigging - now bears more resemblance to the official LEGO POTC ships.
  
• Added two flat-tile handles either side of the ship at the front, so the triple-barreled chasers can now be slid back and forth!
  
  

• Poop deck can now be lifted off to allow easier access to the captain's cabin.