Imperial Sloop 'Neptune'

This is a resubmission and refinement of my BDP Series 2 build of the same name. I've made many improvements and additions, and I hope you'll agree the result is a worthy build with lots of fun play features that will also look great on display. Thanks in advance for your support!

This is the Imperial Sloop “Neptune,” manned by Captain Slate and his crew. They sail the seas with gold and other valuables in transport, apprehending pirates and other ne'er-do-wells they encounter. Here they are headed back to Eldorado with the notorious pirate Lady Cutlass in custody. Will she end up in a cell, or will she make a daring escape with the help of her sneaky monkey?

In the Caribbean waters of the colonial era, the sloop was a popular style of ship. Sloops came in a variety of configurations but were often single-masted vessels with a gaff-rigged mainsail and were usually long and thin in shape. They could be operated by smaller crews and were fast, allowing them to overtake slower ships or outrun threats from larger, more heavily armed square-rigged vessels.

This build was heavily influenced by historical sloop designs. It is narrower and slightly smaller than either of the most recent pirate ships (e.g. 12 studs wide vs 14 or 16). The mainsail is cantilevered out from the single mast in a gaff-rigging and is able to rotate slightly around the mast, though constrained by a flex hose line from the back of the ship. Six other flex hose rigging lines anchor the mast to the ship and add stability. Additionally, with minor adjustments, cloth sails (not included) can be added in place of the brick-built versions using the tow ball pieces as attachment points.

The main deck features two cannons on slides which can be repositioned to fire from either the port or starboard side without removal. A hidden treasure area is located below the decking between the cannons, accessed by pushing down on the deck tile to pop it up. Another area located below the ship’s wheel in the aft section serves as a navigation room with storage for gold bars and treasures.

The forward section includes a capstan for weighing the anchor and an extended bowsprit which secures the forward sail. The bow is adorned with a mermaid figurehead and a trident, a symbol of the ship’s namesake. A small rowboat is also included and mounted behind the aft section when not in use.

A uniquely designed stand with nameplate is provided for displaying the ship, while also allowing for easy removal of the vessel for play.

The full build is 1187 pieces with 4 minifigures, 1 monkey, 1 bird, and 2 nameplate stickers. When displayed on its stand, the build is 18.9” long by 13.8” high by 6.0” wide (cm: 48.1 L x 35.1 H x 15.2 W). The ship itself is 18.9” long by 12.6” high by 4.2” wide (cm: 48.1 L x 31.9 H x 10.6 W).