Have yer ever noticed how 6268 Renegade Runner looks like the wee offspring of 6286 Skulls Eye Schooner?

Yer know, sails adorned with black stripes and a similar colour scheme?

6285 Black Seas Barracuda never had a junior counterpart…well, until now…

The Scalawag Sloop sails alongside Ironhook and the Renegade Runner

Tom Skippy might’ve sparked some ingenuity towards how such a vessel may appear…

Originally built for BrickLink Designer Program Series 6, let’s explore how Tom Skippy has evolved the Scalawag Sloop into the magnificent craft it is today…

Tom writes:

Welp, here she is!

The Scalawag started as an attempt to get effective hull curves on a smaller frame, and I think I’ve nailed it. Originally, I had 1x6x3 1/3 (part 6060) arches for the front, but those weren’t available for the BrickLink Designer Program, but using round plates and tiles worked out.

Some of my favorite pirate ships have been smaller form: the original Imperial Guard Flagship (6271), the Renegade Runner (6268), the Armada Flagship (6280). This was an attempt to make a ship that fused those with the smaller ship type from the IGTP and Eldorado.

The Scalawag Sloop – looks like it would make a fine LEGO set!

Tom continues…

I also wanted a ship that could populate some of the harbors we have (Eldorado Fortress, Pirates of Tortuga, and Pirates of Barracuda Bay). Essentially, I wanted to “add” masts/sails to those ports. So the ship needed to be small enough to dock there without overwhelming the port.

Speaking of Barracuda Bay, I wanted a sloop that can interact with the harbor. Not everyone could get 2 copies of it. One extra note: this ship should easily fit the gaff/jib PoBB sail if you want to go all cloth. And those are the easiest sails to leave out of the bay anyway.

A fine accompaniment to 21322 Barracuda Bay

Tom continues…

I tried to keep the overall aesthetic in line with The LEGO Company. I didn’t want it to look like a crazy MOC next to PoBB or Eldorado.

Rudder is controllable from a tiller up top.

Note the gentle upward slope of the stern. I don’t think it’s illegal, it was approved after all! The build is solid and stable, through and through. It should be playable, though the cannons can be a little weak.

There will be stickers to add patches to the hammock piece. And yes a figure can sleep in the hammock with the stern deck in place!

Packed with all the details you expect… plus a sleeping quarters you wouldn’t expect

Pirate Pinups

If yer’ve ever wondered how LEGO Pirates decorate their quarters here be a potential answer…

Tom writes:

How would a pirate decorate his sleeping quarters?

I don’t think this one will be approved, but it’s worth a shot!

Notice how the parrot be looking straight at her!

The Real Deal

Crafting virtual MOCs using 3D design software be all well and good, but that leaves us asking; how do they fare when faced with the rigors of the real world?

Scalaway Sloop under construction

Since Tom be offering building instructions for the Scalawag Sloop on Rebrickable, t’would be a disservice to ye, to not test the design using physical bricks.

Here’s what it looks like using real LEGO elements

She floats!  The Scalawag Sloop holds together quite nicely when built from authentic LEGO elements – Tom has even pinched some material sails from another ship.

Tom concludes:

The build is pretty stable. I’m waiting on a bricklink order to confirm that the stays support the mast well enough, but the mast design was based on Lego’s 3 in 1 Viking Ship, so the theory is sound. The curved hull is sturdy enough to allow figures to connect to it; it isn’t overly fragile.

Let me know what you think!

Aye, tell Tom Skippy what yer think in the LEGO Pirates Forum.

BrickLink Designer Program

The BrickLink Designer Program be a fine way for  fans to set sail as LEGO set designers and allow the community to determine which designs make it to shore.

Now embarking upon its Seventh series and accepting your design submissions between Jan 20 — Jan 31, 2025.

Here be a sampling of designs from past series…

And here be the steps in a nutshell:

1. Design and Build: Create yer own LEGO marvels from a set list o’ bricks.
2. Submit Designs: Send in yer masterpieces when the submission window be open. The best get picked by BrickLink and voted by fellow pirates.
3. Crowdfunding: If yer design gets the thumbs up, it goes fer pre-orders. If enough landlubbers back it, it gets made.
4. Production and Shipping: After about six moons months, yer set be shipped to the backers.

It be a treasure trove of opportunity for LEGO buccaneers!

Get involved in Series 7 today! Surely we’re due for a ship to Crowdfund!

Yer have until the timer reaches 00:00:00:00 to submit yer builds.

Updated Version

Tom hadn’t quite finished with the Scalawag Sloop.

The BrickLink Designer version was just the build’s maiden voyage, and like any good design, there always be room for improvement.

Right, can you spot the differences in the updated version?

So Tom set about refitting the ship to smooth out some bothersome kinks.

Tom Skippy writes:

Just about everything that bothered me about the build has been fixed except the following:

1) The brickbuilt gaff sail’s connection has some stress and is likely illegal. To me, the simplicity of the design and the angle of the gaff are more important than a little stress on a technic 4 axle.

The gaff was naff! So Tom fixed it

On left is the original build, while on the right is the updated design.

Tom continues:

2) To get the sexy front hull curve without gaps on the outside, I needed to use jumper plates. so there’s a little half step offset on the wall behind the ladders. There’s probably a way of using some Technic technique, but whatever, it’s behind muskets, ladders, rigging, and similar color parts, nobody cares.

3) The front cannon has a stud that attaches into a round tile with Technic hole. Illegal.

Adjustments to the bow and cannon correction

Tom continues:

4) I wanted to get the part to lot ratio of 3:1. Couldn’t get there. The double build and specialized ship parts killed the dream. Overall price is shockingly good. If you cut the dragon plume, muskets, swords, and make the cannon/swivel black you can hit 10 cents per part before shipping.

5) The curved up aft section. I love them, but it’s a stupid number of plates and the bottom part (brown wedge and black wedge plate keel) doesn’t attach well to the top part of the section (one 2×3 plate). Thankfully the rest of the attachment holds it into place. The build is solid. A kid could play with it. The back might get lose with rough play, but I’m not worried about a kid picking it up. You can pick the build up by the mast and it holds. but I wish it was more satisfying.

Now with a more curvaceous booty!

Tom continues:

6) Some parts of the instructions need callouts instead of individual pages. Moving them, moved other things. I’m so tired of instructions. I left them in.

A custom sail template if yer interested in building Scalawag Sloop yerself

Sleeping quarters – do they look comfy?

Tom continues:

7) My original goal was to use a renegade runner style sail plan with no custom pieces, only the fore/aft sails from the Barracuda. There may not be a good way given how small they cut the gaff sail. The gaff is either comically low compared to the fore or ridiculously high compared to the stern. To make matters worse, the zip hoses TLC uses for rigging now are almost too long for this ship. Without a square sail, the rigging is way too high. This forced my hand, there needs to be a custom sail. Perhaps the saddest part is that the OG plan was to do a fore/aft for the sloop, then lengthen the hull and add a square sail for a bluecoat version. Now they’ll look too similar.

What do yer think of these improvements?

Tom continues:

There you have it. She’s done. More photos here. Instructions can be found on my rebrickable

Thanks for your support! Let me know what you think!

So once again, tell Tom Skippy what yer think of the Scalawag Sloop in the LEGO Pirates Forum.

About the Builder…

TomSkippy is a regular contributor to the LEGO Pirates Forum. He’s especially good at reimagining classic LEGO sets, whether they be Pirates or even Classic Space. He also participates in Brethren of the Brick Seas and is great at building anything related to Pirates in general, as observed in his Flickr stream.

Feast yer eyes upon this selection of other pirate-themed wonders he crafted!

If yer take pleasure in his creations and wish to bolster his efforts, set sail to his Rebrickable profile and scour the treasures therein. If yer blow enough wind up his sails, there may be more building instructions on future horizons!

What Do Yer Think?

Has Tom Skippy succeeded in birthing the offspring of the legendary Black Seas Barracuda?

Should the BrickLink Designer Team have selected Scalawag Sloop for Crowdfunding in Series 6?

The Scalawag Sloop and 6285 Black Seas Barracuda

And will you be entering BrickLink Designer Series 7?

Scalawags unite in the LEGO Pirates Forum and Classic Pirates Facebook Group to discuss Tom Skippy’s sloop and BrickLink Designer Program submissions!

Now that the third and second place winning entries of the Infamous Steve Contest‘s Small Building Category have been covered, let’s jump onboard the first place winner!

“The King’s Merchant” by Marooned Marin finds Steve castaway upon a raft, with little more companionship than Spinoza, a chattering monkey… and a ravenous shark.

But why in Poseidon’s name is Steve drifting upon a raft, rather than sailing his sleek Cutter?

Well, there be plenty of backstory so let’s get into it!

Marooned Marin writes:

Like all Small Building Entries submitted to the Infamous Steve Contest, Marin was restricted to 200 parts…

While I was writing a story synopsis for my [LARGE] build, a raft idea popped into my mind. I needed a small vessel which will carry hero of the story, Steve, to the island of many hardships. What started as something simple and insignificant suddenly turned into a standalone design. And here we are.

The model was inspired by the fantastic raft thread, here on Eurobricks forum, named Rafts Rafts Rafts by Zinn. Many nice designs there, I warmly suggest giving it a thorough read.

Steve be headed to the “island of many hardships“, ay?

What possible interpretations could we make from that?

The Build

As per Marin’s standard procedure; the build was designed in BrickLink’s Stud.io before later being constructed with physical LEGO parts.

Physical Build

Since the Classic Pirates love to do things in reverse, let’s look at the physical build first!

Specifications

• Parts: 155 parts (with minifigure, monkey and shark)
• Dimensions: Width: 11.2cm / 4.4″ | Length:18cm / 3.15″ | Height: 17.4cm / 6.85″
• Weight: 64 grams / 45oz
• Difficulty: Easy Build (tested on one +11 years old)
• IMPORTANT: Model does not float

Digital Build

Now let’s inspect some digital renders…

Here be Steve and Spinoza, followed by a shark, eager to join them for lunch

The original sail was comprised of two plate pieces

How Spinoza “ended up with Steve on a raft is quite another story” – guess we need to wait for the prequel!

Design Evolution

Like all great feats of engineering, the raft underwent a generous amount of revision, aided by the helpful feedback of the Creative Critics.

YellowFrog observed:

Nice raft.

I particularly commend the Technic base, I haven’t seen one like it.

One critique would be that the attachment to it looks a little disjointed, though, and breaks the illusion of a log raft.

Marooned Marin Responded:

The Technic base idea came from yards on my ships, which are all built from Technic connectors, and what is a makeshift raft then a bunch of yards and beams string together.

To be honest, going through all the raft designs, I was surprised that none tried this approach, so that gave me extra motivation to do it as best as I can.

The log raft became even more “log-ier”

Marooned Marin continued:

Let me now address the troublesome points.

-> The big 6×8 plate

I agree with the critique, it’s definitely the weak spot of the whole design.

It’s main function is to give the raft sturdy structure. Secondary function is to serve as a studded floor where we can attach barrel, container, and where our minifigure can walk, sit etc…

As I still need the plate for the mast and barrel (not to mention the rigidity of the structure), perhaps this could serve as a compromise. See the [above] image.

Base of the raft – on the right you can see what connectors go where.

Marooned Marin continued:

This way there are still two studs for the minifigure to stand, sit or whatever… the structure is still sturdy, and the texture of the base is clearly visible.

Marin succeeded at omitting the plate from the deck

The original sails were another point of contention, being comprised of two somewhat obscure plate pieces.

Perhaps, back in the day this technique would have flown (6257 Castaway’s Raft anyone?), but in the modern age we strive to evolve, just as the old masters did (6261 Raft Raiders, anyone?)

Christophh asked:

I am curious if the cloth sail is one from LEGO or self-made? Please let me know!

Marooned Marin responded:

The sails are custom made. I used old piece of cloth, dipped in black coffee and sprayed with some strong hair-lacquer to give it stiffness.

The fabric sail was also adapted for the digital version…

Towards the Black Seas Barracuda – what fun could be in store?

Here be an animated 360 degree rotation…

The Backstory

If yer familiar with Marin’s past work, yer know he sails that extra nautical mile by providing elaborate backstories for his creations.

Here I would like to share first two chapters of a long comic. These two chapters will shed some light on Steve’s situation. The remaining chapters will be posted in the [LARGE] Tapu Island topic, hopefully next week.

Chapters are grouped inside the hidden / spoiler area. I did this too make the scrolling through topic easier, there is simply too much images for one post.

For those who would rather enjoy comic in a PDF format here is readily available link: DOWNLOAD HERE

Enjoy!

A beautifully illustrated comic awaits you!

This be Steve in Chapter 1 – but where does he end up?

Download the the first chapter in PDF format, the eponymously titled “The King’s Merchant“, or head to the LEGO Pirates Forum, for the second chapter, Déjà vu.

The Infamous Steve Contest

The Infamous Steve contest was the successor to 2023’s Return of the Classic Pirates contest.

Once again the Classic Pirates invaded (and overwhelmed) the LEGO Pirates Forum at Eurobricks with marvelous contest entries.

Marooned Marin selected 31144 Pink Exotic Parrot and  76915 Pagani Utopia

With more flexibility granted towards the execution of the builds, entrants were challenged to submit creations revolving around the escapades of Steve.

The first place winner of the Small Building Category received a LEGO set (or two) of their choice to the value of 50€.

The Infamous Steve Contest

The Infamous Steve Contest yielded many fantastic entries – which creations do you like best?

About the Builder…

Marooned Marin is based in Dubrovnik, Croatia, a town with old world charm and stunning coastal vista which also include a gigantic fortress… or two.

Marin has to put up with this awful view everyday

If you’d like to connect with Marin, follow him on Instagram and you’ll be treated to beautiful photography of his recent builds, plus a Work In Progress images so you may gaze upon what’s sailing over the horizon. Or if you prefer imagery larger, follow him on Flickr, or rob browse his BrickSafe.

Build! Build!  Build!

And if yer like what you see, perhaps you’re tempted to build these creations for yerself.

Building instructions for many of Marin’s creations are available on ReBrickable, so you can steal learn his building building techniques to incorporate into yer own MOCs.

Blog! Blog! Blog!

Despite English not being his primary language (that’s actually Croatian), he’s contributed many fine Blog Posts to Classic-Pirates.com.

You could write about MOCs too!

So if you’ve ever aspired to write about beautiful LEGO Pirate builds, but felt that yer English written skills are not up to scratch, Marin has well and truly demonstrated that is not a limitation to prevent yer from blogging!

Give it a go – yer might surprise yerself!

What Do Yer Think?

Are you impressed by Marooned Marin’s presentation standards?  Or do yer prefer to focus upon the build, rather than the extended media?

Onward to Tapu Island!

And what of the build itself? Has Marin’s clever use of log pieces and material sail elevated the finished design?

Well, before you visit Tapu Island, make port in the LEGO Pirates Forum to discuss The King’s Merchant.

And imbibe some celebratory rum to commemorate Marin’s victory…

2024’s Infamous Steve Contest is done and dusted… like a freshly swabbed deck!

Moving on to the second place winner of the Small Building Category we have, “Sneaking Steve” by YellowFrog.

Another vignette, but of the imperial variety; in this scene, Steve surreptitiously creeps towards a blue coat fortress, right beneath the Soldiers‘ very noses.

But what madness drives this audacious behaviour?

Let’s find out!

YellowFrog writes:

Being a Small Building Entry, YellowFrog was limited to 200 parts…

A last-minute entry into the Steve contest.

Estimated 180 parts, built in an hour.

Aye, it took less than an hour to put together a winning entry!

Ahoy!  This build be similar to 6258 Broadside’s Brig… but without the brig…

The Backstory

Steve is sneaking into a blue coat fortress…

He needs to be careful so they don’t spot him…

Will these eagle-eyed sentries spot Steve before it’s too late?

Who knows why he’s going there?

But for such a perilous journey, it must be important!

Steve will be just fine… if the Soldier and horse don’t turn to their left

Is that a barrel of rum I see? That would explain it.

He’s going to steal their precious rum, probably to sell in his trade as a merchant.

Why is the rum always gone? Steve’s pilfering may offer a potential explanation

That’s how Steve does his trading – he steals goods and sells them under the guise of a merchant.

Little do they know, he is a pirate at heart (hence the stealing).

But does Steve manage to steal the rum?

YellowFrog has not yet answered that vital question…

The End…

The Infamous Steve Contest

The Infamous Steve contest was Classic-Pirates.com’s major contest held during mid 2024 in the LEGO Pirates Forum at Eurobricks.

Entrants were tasked to expand the lore of Steve, one of the most enigmatic minifigs in LEGO history.

YellowFrog selected 40643 Jade Rabbit and 40725 Cherry Blossom

The second place winner of the Small Building Category received a LEGO set of their choice to the value of 35€, or approximately $55 Australian dollars in YellowFrog’s local currency.

The Infamous Steve Contest

What be your favourite entries from the Infamous Steve Contest?

Classic Castle Connection

There be a generous amount of overlap between the LEGO Pirates and LEGO Castle themes, particularly when it comes to imperial forts.

Often, it takes just a few tweaks to covert from one theme to other…

YellowFrog writes:

If anyone wants to see how I built this, and then adapted it to be a castle MOC, see here:

It was actually based on a castle set, originally.

Now, watch this helpful instructional video:

And if yer web browser don’t support video, watch it upon the YouTubes.

About the Builder…

YellowFrog (also know as Rob) is an Australian AFOL who first appeared in the LEGO Pirates Forum during the onset of the 2024 Infamous Steve Contest, and then sailed on to becoming a prime contender for the Creative Critic.

Along with Sneaking Steve, YellowFrog submitted a few more entries named Steve’s Double-crossing, Steve’s Island Holiday, and Quadruplets, respectively; but beyond this contest, the Classic Pirates be unaware of any further pirate exploits from this lemony amphibian.

Nonetheless, those four builds be an impressive debut into the world of LEGO Pirate building!

Yellow Frog Studios

In usual turn of events, we be lacking a Flickr or Instagram profile to share with yer!

All the action happens on the Yellow Frog Studios YouTube Channel

Give the Yellow Frog Studios YouTube Channel a follow as you’ll be treated to LEGO builds, animations, and more, every Saturday at 4PM (GMT).

YellowFrog’s channel also provides greater insight towards some of his other contest entries, albeit they’ve undergone some re-titling from their contest counterparts.

What Do Yer Think?

Should Steve have snuck into the second position?  Or is this entry first prize material? Or be there other entries that should have crept ahead?

“Sneaking Steve” by YellowFrog

And did Steve manage to evade the sentry and make off with the rum?  Or was this how the Soldiers were able to seize The Cutter?

It’s now time for you to sneak into the LEGO Pirates forum and let the rum trade know what you think of Sneaking Steve…

Or maybe just tell YellowFrog what a marvelous build it be… if yer agree…

Now that the Infamous Steve Contest is disappearing over the horizon, we shall be exploring some of the winning entries.

Commencing with third place winner of the Small Building Category; “From Merchant to Pirate” by Yatkuu.

A gorgeously lit vignette, with attention focused towards blue-steel ambience contrasting against  bright, yellow minifigure visages.

Our hero Steve has found himself in a pickle! But how was he trapped within jarred in the first place?

Yatkuu writes:

Being a Small Building Entry, Yatkuu was limited to 200 parts…

Parts count, highly textured walls are extremely parts intensive and I wanted to keep this one under the 200 elements limit. Granted, there are not 200 elements visible in the final shot and the non-visible parts could have been optimized to offset the overall parts count – but I didn’t want to overthink it all because I wanted to keep it simple. The main focus is meant to be on Steve/the prisoner and I didn’t want the rest of the piece to be too distracting.

Lighting and camera position are everything – here be a Work In Progress shot!

Legend has it this cell is tucked away in the brig of Yatkuu’s “Hermit Fortress” – despite the fortress being a blue coat Soldier stronghold, while Steve’s sentry here is an Imperial Guard.

Sebeus posed the question:

This one picture invites the viewer to want to see more but I suppose it is only this perspective?

Yatkuu responded:

Obviously, with 200 elements I could not really build a castle (here’s a behind the scene look at the build)… but I would like to think that this prison cell is actually located in the basement of my “Hermit Fortress“.

In regards to how the lighting was achieved…

SevenDeadlyStreamers queried:

May I ask if you achieved this effect with a phone camera or a dedicated camera?

Yatkuu responded:

I shot this in the afternoon with sun shining in from the right and leaving a small gap open in the cell ceiling to give the “ray of light” effect. The camera was laid flat on the table and I covered it and the front part of the build with a blanket to shield it from the outside light and used my phone as small light source under the blanket to make the guard visible. I was hoping the yellowish light of the phone would give it a latern-like glow – I’m not sure I achieved that, but this was the 40th attempt and I decided it was good enough!

The Backstory

What happened to Steve between his last appearance as a merchant at the Imperial Trading Post and his transformation into a pirate aboard Captain Redbeard’s Skull’s Eye Schooner?

Well, if you were to ask him, his stories would vary, often depending on his rum intake that day.

Once, he claimed to have traveled to China, where he made a fortune in the silk trade, only to lose it all in a game of dice. Another time, he boasted of rescuing an Indian princess from an arranged marriage, only to find her “quite a handful”, as he put it.

The truth, however, is much more mundane.

Steve was caught with goods on which he had “forgotten” to pay taxes and was sentenced to a year in jail.

But Steve never wallowed in self-pity. He took this setback in stride, using his time in jail to plan his future and contemplate revenge against the Imperials…

The Infamous Steve Contest

This contest was another joint-venture between the LEGO Pirates Forum at Eurobricks and Classic-Pirates.com held during mid 2024.

The objective was to continue the story of Steve, one of the LEGO Pirates theme’s rarest and most enigmatic minifigs.

Yatkuu selected 40715 Alien Pack as the prize

The third place winner of the Small Building Category received a LEGO set of their choice to the value of 20€.

The Infamous Steve Contest

Tied in Third Place

Yatkuu’s entry was met with fierce competition, tying in third place with “Steve Origins: Meeting Redbeard” by Oky at 24 Votes each.

A sudden death tiebreaker vote was launched to resolve the draw, with the first entry to receive 10 votes declared as third place winner!

“Steve Origins: Meeting Redbeard” by Oky almost claimed third position

It was a grueling, neck and neck race, but “From Merchant to Pirate” eventually edged into the lead, winning 10 to 8.

About the Builder…

Yatkuu or (Gregory Coquelz) is a Belgian LEGO artist and zombie.

Like most talented AFOLs, you’ll find him on common haunts like Flickr and Instagram, where ye may observe the full extent of his building talents.

He has a tiny amount of activity happening on Facebook, Pinterest and X, if those platforms are more to yer liking.

Yatkuu is actually a floating head immersed in LEGO

Yer also may subscribe to his YouTube channel if you prefer a more audio/visual style of presentation.

Upon more than one occasion his creations have been featured in the trade press, by the likes of Brick Journal and Briques Mag.

And to round out his impressive list of accolades; he’s also a LEGO Ideas 10K Club member… but we’re still waiting for him to submit a pirate-themed creation to vote on.

What Do Yer Think?

Are yer enamored by the beautiful lighting and photography?

Do yer agree with this entry is worthy of third place?  Should it have ranked higher? Or should “Steve Origins: Meeting Redbeard” taken the third position?

“From Merchant to Pirate” by Yatkuu

Come forth to the LEGO Pirates forum to discuss From Merchant to Pirate… or spare a few kinds words to congratulate Yatkuu!

With the Open Submission of BrickLink Designer Program Series 6 having commenced September 16, the Classic Pirates had a ponderance regarding the BrickLink Studio software.

Specifically;

Does the Series 6 Palette include more pirate-themed parts than earlier series?

Well, it wasn’t long until Marooned Marin launched a recuse mission with a boatload of helpful information…

Looking for Series 7 commencing January 2025? Try this useful article.

So What’s the Deal?

Marooned Marin provided a detailed response in the LEGO Pirates Forum.

Marooned Marin writes:

To quickly touch upon question above, […] the answer is NO!

BDP Series 6 Palette of available parts showed even less pirate parts in contrast to previous series.

For readers completely new with this program in a nutshell this means that BrickLink gives in advance allowed list of parts and colours which can be used by fan designers to create anything they like, as long as they use only those parts.

Fewer pirate parts in Series 6!  But it’s not only pirates…

Delusion Brick may need to revise Seagull Bay Lighthouse for future series

Probing further into the matter the Classic Pirates asked:

Do you happen to know if soldier flags and torsos are still available?

Marooned Marin responded:

No more Bluecoats whatsoever, no more flags or torsos. That’s the big difference between Series 6 and Series 5, which is unlucky for Pirate builders.

Well, that’s terrible news for builders who were intending to submit an Imperial Soldier design!

The Admiral onboard BrickPerfection’s “Minerva” will need to find a new post

This exclusion correlates with the rumour surrounding 10320 Eldorado Fortress having its production run truncated by an entire 24 months; now expected to cease production during late 2024, rather than 2026.  More on that in a future blog post.

Parts directly related to  the pirate theme is only what you see in this image

Marooned Marin continues:

Also no more flintlocks and rowboats, which were also previously available. As for Islanders, they were never available on BDP program. Not considered as Islander, but there is also no crocodile. We do have one parrot and sharks, but for anything else directly related to pirate theme it’s only what you see on this [above] image.

How unfortunate!

Despite Ominous Isle and The Thieves of Tortuga passing the BrickLink Designer Team’s review, the palette of pirate parts has shrunk!

Maybe Soldier flags could be brick-built like on the “Imperial Sloop Neptune” by Arcturus

How all is not lost! Well, for imperial flags at least.

Marooned Marin continues:

The Imperial flag can be made using the stickers, they allow stickers, with exception of minifigures – you cant use stickers for torsos.

How’s your graphic design skills? Stickers could provide a solution…  For flags at least.

Delusion Brick used a sticker on the flag of “Anchor Cove Imperials Shipyard“

Marin also clarifies the difference between the BrickLink Designer Program and “A Pirate’s Dream” Activity…

Marooned Marin continues:

This was something like BrickLink Community Activity  with goal of using the Studio.io with all available parts, past and present, to promote digital builds and creativity. Award was something like a badge or public recognition.

BrickLink Designer Program is completely different matter, with strict framework for submissions and limited parts. Be assured, there are no islanders available in BDP, indigo classic or POTC.

But this won’t stop dedicated LEGO Pirate fans!

Marooned Marin’s creation, Tapu Island won the Large Building Category of the Infamous Steve Contest; next he intends to adapt it for the sixth series of BrickLink Designer Program.

“Tapu Island” may have won the contest but will it succeed in Series 6?

How will he overcome the lack of Indigo Islander parts?

Marooned Marin concludes:

Oh I got really creative, but I don’t want to spoil as you’ll find out soon enough.

But it’s important to highlight here, for someone who maybe skipped through this blog-post that BrickLink Designer Program is not some “evil branch” of LEGO which has agenda with Pirates, they simply operate and comply with parts which are available and/or planned for production in the next year or two.

BrickLink is doing really amazing work with BPD program.

It will be exciting to gaze up the creative solutions he’s employed to overcome the limitations!

BrickLink Designer Program Series 7

Looking for general information on Series 7 commencing in January 2025?

The Classic Pirates have compiled all the details in this useful article.

BrickLink Designer Program Series 6

What Do Yer Think?

Buyers

Be yer interested in buying pirate-themed BrickLink Designer sets?

339

Do yer have a general interest in Pirate-themed BrickLink Sets?

Yes, absolutely!

Maybe, depends on the set

No, I will never buy one

Builders

Are yer a builder intending to submit a design in the future?

If so, how will you overcome the reduced availability of pirate-themed parts in BrickLink Studio?

LEGO Pirate fans have work to do!

Submit

Open Submission for Series 6 kicked off on September 16 and ends September 27.

You have until the timer ends to submit your design.

Discuss

Let us know if you have additional information or questions regarding the available pirate parts…

Or whether you’re planning to submit a pirate-themed design in Series 6.

The BrickLink Design Program discussion continues in the LEGO Pirates Forum.

As an added incentive to Vote for the Winners of the Infamous Steve Contest, we held a Prize Draw offering a $25 LEGO set of your choice to anyone who Voted.

So now be the time to reveal who WON!

How the Draw Winner was Determined

To determine the Winner everyone who Voted was assigned a Ticket Number.

Voters received TWO Tickets if they Voted for both Building Entries and the Creative Critic… or just one Ticket if they voted for one or the other.

Unlike Wonka, the Classic Pirates gave everyone the opportunity to receive two golden tickets

A random between 1 and the total number of Tickets was selected using the number generator provided by the Picker Wheel website.

And the Winner is…

So you can be assured of authenticity, here is a shoddy handheld video of the Draw…

Many congrat-ye-lations to
BINGOWALDORF

A $25 LEGO set of your choice will be dispatched on the next ship departing from LEGO Shipping Port.

Well, through LEGO.com’s distribution network in your region.

What Do Yer Think?

Is offering a Prize a good incentive to Vote?

Or are there better ways to encourage Voter participation?

Let’s keep drinking that celebratory rum in the LEGO Pirates Forum!

And feel free to leave yer Feedback on the Voting System for this Contest.

The Soldiers, yer know the blue coats lead by Governor Broadside, were the original adversaries to the LEGO Pirates. Debuting in 1989 at the dawn of the Pirate theme and fading into obscurity after 1993, until their brief reappearance in 2015.

Their largest and most expensive set, 6276 Eldorado Fortress clocked in at 496 pieces (or 504 pieces according to certain sources) but the structure was much elevated in size thanks to its stone-textured base plate.  The next largest, was 6267 Lagoon Lock-Up at 187 pieces, or 70412 Soldiers Fort at 234 pieces, if ye wish to take the most recent sets into consideration.

But alas! The soldiers never saw a set released sized between d Lagoon Lockup and Eldorado Fortress. A LEGO Pirate fan can dream… and create their own classic set concepts, can’t they? Well, that’s exactly what Marcin Mrowiński’s has done with”Imperial Bay“. Like Jason from The Brickstop, Marcin has explored the possibility of how a Soldiers set may be designed, if it were released circa 1995.

Marcin writes:

My favourite LEGO sets were always Castle & Pirates.

This time I present to you “Imperial Bay”.

Inside the tower you can find the “Marble Prison”. Building on the left has Guvernor’s Office where he can finally count all the collected golden coins.

The ever watchful soldier ensures piratical prisoners dare not escape the Marble Prison

Governor Broadside sitting on his commode

So what does it look like in real life?

It doesn’t end there! Marcin acquired the necessary pieces and actually built Imperial Bay using real LEGO bricks!

Not a bad set, huh? Would you dare say it’s better than 70412 Soldiers Fort from 2015?

Marcin writes:

Was finally able to build my MOC in real life

For the youngest audience the Marble Prison was the most interesting stuff in this set.

It has all the hallmarks of a classic Soldiers set…

A superb effort!  But the Classic Pirates wouldn’t say “No” to another pirate minifig… like Governor Broadside… oh, and a boat for the pirates… with a sail too!

About the Builder…

Marcin appeared in the Classic Pirates Facebook Group one day to bring word that his magnificent Imperial Bay was available on Rebrickable. Before that, we’d never heard of the blighter! But we’re glad we’ve discovered him, for he has even more great builds in that classic set style. He even has an Instagram account albeit  terribly underutilised, but perhaps with some encouragement, that may change.

What Do Yer Think?

Has Marcin succeeded at building a design in the style of a classic LEGO Pirate set circa 1995? will you be acquiring the instructions from Rebrickable and building it yerself?

Add Imperial Bay to your LEGO Pirates collection today!

Now my pretties, swim!  Yes, swim to the Classic Pirates Facebook Group to discuss Imperial Bay in greater detail.

Or swim to the LEGO Pirates Forum and we shall discuss more builds in the style of classic pirate sets!

We’ve finally arrived at the end of Steve’s journey.

The Votes have been counted… the tied places have been resolved…

So there’s only one thing left to be done…

Announce the WINNERS!

Creative Critic

It takes great dedication to claim the Grand Prize for the Creative Critic.

Steve signs off on the Creative Critic

Not only must Critics provide useful advice… they also must demonstrate a likeable demeanor, because let’s face it… Builders don’t Vote for Critics who are rude and unfriendly!

The Critic voted most helpful and WINNER of the 215€ LEGO set is…

HORATION

Horation joined the Contest a couple of weeks after it commenced, but remained committed to the very end, and now that commitment is being rewarded!

Small Building Category

Builds containing a minimum of 25 Pieces and a maximum of 200 Pieces.

Third Place

Winner of the 20€ LEGO set…

“From Merchant to Pirate” by Yatkuu

What happened to Steve between his last appearance as a merchant at the Imperial Trading Post and his transformation into a pirate aboard Captain Redbeard’s Skull’s Eye Schooner?

Second Place

Winner of the 35€ LEGO set…

“Sneaking Steve” by YellowFrog

Steve is sneaking into a bluecoat fortress…

He needs to be careful so they don’t spot him…

First Place

Winner of the 50€ LEGO set…

“The King’s Merchant” by Marooned Marin

The high seas are calling!

We see a raft baring one sailor… This is Steve!

Large Building Category

Builds containing a minimum of 200 Pieces.

Third Place

Winner of the 35€ LEGO set…

“The Merchant vessel Margaret Hamilton” by Elephant Knight

Steve didn’t always have command of his cutter. After an unfortunate incident, which involved some noodles somehow, he was stripped of his command and sent to serve aboard the Margaret Hamilton…

Second Place

Winner of the 70€ LEGO set…

“Escape from the Imperial Trading Post” by A_Goodman

On just another day in the Caribbean Steve, the Merchant, arrived at the Imperial Trading Post on his trusty Cutter sailing for profit and adventure. Soon after disembarking his vessel, Blue Coats of the Imperial Soldiers raided the Imperial Guard’s Trading Post…

First Place

Winner of the 215€ LEGO set…

“Tapu Island” by Marooned Marin

Welcome to Tapu Island located somewhere beyond the Island of Fogs.

From the well-hidden jail cell, all the way to the throne at the top, Tapu Island holds many secrets…

What Do Yer Think?

It’s time to ignite the gunpowder magazine again and crack open the celebratory rum!

The trophies are actually LEGO sets from LEGO.com

Now, let’s all convene in the LEGO Pirates Forum to congratulate the winners!

Oh wait… we have one more Prize to give away…

The Goonies is a beloved 1980s movie that many a LEGO Pirates fan grew up watching, so perhaps it’s long overdue for The LEGO Group to mine nostalgia from this classic film.

Or maybe yer never seen the movie and this be an exciting period of discovery for yer.

One side is the Inferno ship, the other is caverns depicting key scenes from the movie

During August 2024 the LEGO Ideas Team announced a submission to their “If we could turn back time” challenge would be officially produced as an official LEGO set, at an indeterminate point in the future.

So today we shall be digging deeper into “The Goonies (1985)” by Delusion Brick…

Delusion Brick writes:

Who among us isn’t familiar with The Goonies?
It wasn’t just a movie for me in the ’80s it was an extraordinary adventure brimming with the spirit of youth and camaraderie. Inspired by this, I’ve endeavored to create a concept that captures the essence of the adventures experienced by the film’s characters, from the mysterious caves of One-Eyed Willy to the enigmatic lost pirate ship.

And now for a 360 degree animated overview of the build:

If yer unable to view embedded videos be sure to watch it on YouTube.

Delusion Brick continues:

The set I’ve designed is a tribute to the journey’s outset and its thrilling conclusion. On one end, we start at the Fratellis’ hideout, navigate through caves laced with booby traps, and slide down into the heart of the adventure. On the opposite end, we encounter the legendary pirate ship of One-Eyed Willy himself. This set is a homage to all the movie’s heroes: Mikey, Brand, Chunk, Mouth, Andy, Stef, Data, Sloth, Jake, Francis, Mama Fratelli, designed to rekindle that sense of wonder and adventure.

And if yer not familiar with The Goonies movie, there be a detailed synopsis with photos later in this Blog Post.

The Build

Delusion Brick’s design cleverly fuses the facade of One Eyed Willy’s ship, The Inferno against the booby trapped filled cavern system leading to its resting place.

One side of the build resembles the “Inferno” ship

All the main characters are available as minifigures

The reverse side showcases the network of caves containing vignettes of key scenes throughout the movie.

How may riveting scenes can you spot?

The design is modular and there is film scene chronology between the caverns

On the left we meet the Fratellis in the restaurant and Brand in the basement

Towards the centre is the crushing fate of Chester Copperpot.
While further right; Stef stands beneath the wishing well

Towards the right is the bone piano, log bridge and water slide

565

Does an official LEGO set based on the "Inferno Ship" from The Goonies Interest you?

Learn more about the upcoming set

Yes absolutely!

I'm undecided

Not at all

The Ship on Screen

Fans who haven’t viewed the flick in a many year may have forgotten the ship isn’t actually a wreck.

On screen The Inferno was fully intact, full sails and no broken masts

Thus Delusion Brick’s build deviates from its source material, but how this may reflect in the finalised LEGO set remains to be seen.

Based on discussions in the LEGO Pirates Forum and social media, LEGO Pirate fans prefer ships with fabric sails, so the exclusion of such material may harm product sales.

Nonetheless, the Classic Pirates are still gathering data so here be a poll for yer:

Authenticity is a crucial aspect of honouring nostalgia based products.  LEGO sets aren’t designed as identical matches their source of inspiration, yet fans are quite attuned to the finer details, so too much creative liberty may dissuade them from making a purchase… or two.

Yet, it’s no secret LEGO Ideas concepts tend to undergo generous revision before reaching consumers, so the initial submission may be radically altered.

The Goonies watch the Inferno sail away

Now that fans have been treated to the possibilities introduced with Barracuda Bay, expectations are no doubt astronomically high.

Originally submitted as a shipwreck island to LEGO Ideas by Bricky_Brick, the final design was executed as dual build to include both the shipwreck concept, and a fully independent Black Seas Barracuda remake.

“The Pirates Bay” LEGO Ideas submission versus the “Pirates of Barracuda Bay” final set

So the bar has been set! Fans may be expecting no less with The Inferno ship and adjoining cavern system, including all it’s diabolical devices of death.

Nonetheless, the Classic Pirates remain optimistic that the LEGO Design Team can work their magic and rock the AFOL world a second time!

I Haven’t Seen the Movie!

Maybe yer a youngin’, or maybe yer never got around to watching it… or maybe it’s been so long yer completely forgot!

Protagonists of The Goonies

But the one line synopsis be; a group of teenagers discover a treasure map and embark on a quest to uncover the treasure of the notorious pirate, One Eye Willy.

One-Eyed Willy’s crew and vast fortune

So this is yer cue to watch movie right now… or continue reading if yer don’t mind spoilers…

Detailed Synopsis

The Goonies is a 1985 adventure comedy film directed by Richard Donner, based on a screenplay by Christopher Columbus and produced by Steven Spielberg.

Mouth, Mikey, Data and Chunk use the map of One Eyed Willy (aye, that’s actually their names)

In the small coastal town of Astoria, Oregon, a group of misfit kids from the “Goon Docks” neighborhood known as “The Goonies” stumble upon an ancient treasure map in the attic of their friend Mikey Walsh.

A Spanish doubloon reveals the locate of One Eye Willy’s tunnels

In a last-ditch effort to rescue their neighborhood from a greedy developer threatening the foreclosure of their homes, they embark on an adventure to find the long-lost treasure of One-Eyed Willy, a legendary 17th century pirate.

The kids; Mikey, Data, Mouth, Chunk, along with Mikey’s older brother Brandon, his love interest, Andy, and her best friend, Stef, must navigate a series of underground tunnels filled with fiendish booby traps.

The film’s villains are not child friendly!

All the while, they’re pursued by the nefarious Fratelli crime family, who seek to claim the treasure for themselves.

The skeleton of One-Eyed Willy

During the film’s climax they discover Willy’s treasure laden ship, The Inferno. However, during the final confrontation with the Fratellis, they inadvertently unleash The Inferno from its subterranean entrapment, and it sails away with the bulk of the treasure.

During the final scene The Inferno sets sail

Where The Inferno and One-Eyed Willy’s fortune winds up has never been revealed… but with some ingenious set design, perhaps LEGO fans could continue the tale.

217

Are you a fan of "The Goonies" movie?

Learn more about the upcoming Goonies set

Yes

No

Never seen it

About the Builder…

Delusion Brick (Vaggelis Ntezes or the legendary 3D artist known as V) is a multi LEGO Ideas 10K Club Member (four times at last count) from Greece.

His LEGO Ideas profile is brimming with beautifully designed submissions, rendered in his gorgeous trademark style.

Builder Vaggelis Ntezes of Delusion Brick after the official LEGO Ideas announcement

His favourite LEGO themes include Castle, Batman and of course, Pirates!

Classic-Pirates.com has previously covered his Imperial Sailboat, “Belisarius” Skeleton Pirate Ghost Ship and Dimension Portal Lighthouse, but you can explore his broader talents via Instagram and Flickr.

Upon his YouTube Channel you’ll discover motion overviews which rotate 360 degrees and the camera zooms in upon key features. He also has Pinterest if yer would like to browse.

Delusion Brick is an accomplished LEGO Pirate builder

The Classic Pirates were alerted to Delusion Brick’s talents when he submitted Seagull Bay Lighthouse Imperial Fortress to LEGO Ideas back in 2021.

While the submission attracted 10,000 supporters, the LEGO Ideas Team rejected the design for commercial production.

It got all the way to 10K only for LEGO Ideas Team to say NAY!

Fortunately, Seagull Bay has been repurposed for the BrickLink Designer Program in recent times, so maybe one day it will appear among your LEGO Pirates collection.

Regardless, the Classic Pirates are extremely happy that Delusion Brick’s talents have finally been recognised by The LEGO Group in an official capacity!

What Do Yer Think?

Are yer a fan of The Goonies?

Would yer buy an official LEGO set inspired by Delusion Brick’s build??

How closely should the final design resemble the ship from the movie?

Is half a ship enough? Or do yer need the complete vessel?

Some tough questions need to be answered! What do you think is required to turn this concept into a successful LEGO set?

Let yer thoughts be known in the LEGO Pirates Forum.

LEGO Pirate fans have been spoilt for choice lately!

The Classic Pirates have been hosting their very own Infamous Steve Contest, while Brethren of the Brick Seas has been hosting challenges to usher in its third era.

Meanwhile, The LEGO Group has hosted their own competitive initiatives; including the LEGO Ideas “If we could turn back time” Challenge and BrickLink “A Pirate’s Dream” Activity.

So let’s take a peek at the most “classically piratey” submissions of that activity…

What is the “A Pirate’s Dream” Activity?

The Classic Pirates are a wee bit late to the shindig due to managing a certain contest, as this activity ended on 21 August, 2024…

But the objective was to build anything pirate-related in 10 to 300 parts using BrickLink Studio.

Here’s the official spiel:

LEGO® Pirates have plundered the ocean for generations, but none are as infamous as Captain Redbeard. Once shipwrecked in Barracuda Bay, Captain Redbeard escaped with one goal in mind: recruit a new crew for his next adventure!

We want you to build your pirate’s dream life in digital brick form. This dream could be anything pirate-related, from a classic pirate ship sailing the ocean waves to a futuristic vision of space piracy.

Prove your worth to Captain Redbeard and you’ll be living a pirate’s dream on the high seas in no time!

So, submissions have closed but the winners shall be declared upon 28 August, 2024 at 12:00 PM PT.

And then we get to discover who’s designs will display A Pirate’s Dream winner badge – hurrah!

What’s more, there’s a “View Instructions” option for each creation, with step-by-step directions allowing you to build them for yourself.

The Creations

Since this activity had an extremely general definition of “Pirate”, a good many of the builds aren’t strictly “classic”.

Nonetheless, the Classic Pirates have done the sifting for you, so here be our top picks…

Hit the “View Creation” button for more images and information about each submission.

“Castaway Cay” by CaptDarkNStormy

This be somewhat of an upgrade to the classic set, 6260 Shipwreck Island, with some 6258 Smuggler’s Shanty and 1492 Battle Cove thrown in to add extra seasoning.

What! No monkey? Ah, but there be a tortuga splashing about!

This MOC is inspired by the small land based Pirates sets of yore such as 6260 Shipwreck Island, 6258 Smuggler’s Shanty, and 1492 Battle Cove. It features a cannon for defense against the pesky Bluecoats, a small cave for hiding treasure, and a hammock under a thatched roof for siestas away from the punishing rays of the Caribbean sun.

Go give the good captain’s “Castaway Cay” post a like on Facebook to brighten his day!

“When a Dream Becomes a Nightmare” by bwtyler

A 294 piece mini build of a killer kalamari!

The Crimson Seas Guppy met an untimely fate

Captain Bluebeard is (was?) the captain of the Crimson Seas Guppy and little brother of a much more famous pirate. This full scale replica is designed to recreate the story of when the diminutive pirate was attacked by the fell beast, after finally finding his long lost treasure.

“Nostalgic Parrot” by Sushi Taro

Ah yes, the original LEGO Parrot design…  Fans familiar with the Golden Medallion comic and  Ladybird Book series know this bird brain as Popsy.

Popsy placed upon a perch

It’s a nostalgic parrot.
Please enjoy the complicated way the face is assembled.

Ever notice how nobody ever builds a larger version of any of the later parrots?

“Island lookout” by Steampunxx

Only a handful of Imperial Solider creations appeared among the selection but this 6265 Sabre Island homage caught our spyglass.

No cannon. No oars. And no sabres on this island

Somewhere in the seven seas a pair of imperial soldiers guard this tiny island. Accompanied by only a row boat and a palm tree these soldiers keep watch from their tower.

The design is based off the style of imperial soldiers sets and mocs while the palm tree is a design used in 31084 pirate roller coaster.

“A Pirate Story” by Keenlego_build

The gripping 549 page autobiography of Captain Redbeard who candidly chronicles his lifetime of piratical pursuits.

Available in both hardcover and paperback

Batten down the hatches for the enthralling high sea adventures of the most notorious pirate Redbeard and his Man-O-War

Rough sea’s. Daring raids. Piracy, Plunder, Cunning escapes, Three sheets to the wind, Loot, and Mutiny (son of a biscuit eater).

Did you know Redbeard sailed a Man-O-War?  No, neither did the Classic Pirates.

“Redbeard Returns to the Sea” by Ghost7982

Old Captain Redbeard grows bored of lazing around Barracuda Bay so he sets sail in his new luxury yacht… yes yacht!

The yacht’s sails honours Redbeard’s trademark colours

After years of plundering the seas and settling down at Barracuda Bay, Redbeard has decided to hit the water once again. He will enjoy his retirement sailing on his yacht or relaxing in a hot tub on his island. This yacht is themed to the legendary Black Seas Barracuda that Redbeard once captained and features a treasure chest hidden below deck up front and his iconic parrot.

Shipwreck Island by MyFirstMOC_HUN

6260 Shipwreck Island has made a lasting impression on LEGO Pirate fans so here’s another updated version:

In this one you get a monkey

Captain Red Beard has not been having a good life lately. First, several of his ships were confiscated or sunk. The morale of his men has also dwindled, as the booty has become smaller and smaller. This led to riots. And if that wasn’t enough, they were attacked by an Imperial ship in the middle of the internal strife. The enemy proved to be much stronger and more composed and the ship was so badly damaged that it was destroyed. Only two survivors remained before the enemy ship moved on. The captain himself and a loyal crewman. They were washed ashore on a small island by the sea current, where they began to settle in with the supplies they had thrown ashore.

Be so kind as to stop by Zsolti’s “Shipwreck Island” post on Instagram and give it some love!

“Up-Scaled Classic Monkey” by vcmiller

And now it’s time to enlarge the other classic pirate critter… Spinoza!

A brick built upscaling of the original LEGO monkey piece.

That’s the second biggest LEGO monkey head the Classic Pirates have seen!

An up-scaled version of the classic monkey seen in many pirate sets (part 2550c01). Scaled up by a factor of 6x, so it is to scale with the up-scaled minifigure set (40649).​

“Redbeard Fightin’ Back for His Dreams” by Exerion

This be somewhat of a 6285 Black Seas Barracuda mini-build, albeit equipped with stripeless sails, just the way Niels Milan Pedersen intended.

The sails are meant to have red stripes

Well, the lack of stripes is more of a design limitation… but  we eagerly await the day BrickLink Designer Studio offer support for the much desired fabric sails!

Arrr, ye salty sea dogs, gather ’round once more and let ol’ Captain Redbeard regale ye with the next chapter in our grand saga of bricks and bravery! This here be the continuation of our legendary MOC, where the tables have turned, and my trusty ship takes the fight straight to that scurvy dog!

Note: The sails are white, because at this scale stickers would be required to make white and red stripes on the sails.

“Redbeard’s Hot Tub” by Lightsaberz3

When Captain Redbeard isn’t cruising around in his yacht, he’s kicking back in his hot tub with Popsy.

Also, Redbeard is cut

Redbeard has completed all his pirate adventures and now wants to relax in his hot tub. He resides on a private island with his parrot “Popsy” and all the treasure he will ever need. 298 Pieces

“Treasure Chest Filled to the Brim with Gold” by Lutzifer

Continuing the trend of brick-built enlargement we have a pirate’s most prized possession: a treasure chest.

Well looky here, the vacuum metal gold makes a return!

A treasure chest that is filled with a lot of gold.

Where was it buried? Who found it? Is there a curse on the gold?

Dare you build this treasure chest to discover the curse?

“Under New Management” by Nobodyishere

Pirates have conquered an Imperial Fort!

The classic LEGO Pirates flag design makes a return… on the flag, at least

Redbeard and his crew have been getting tired of getting attacked by imperial boats and trying to avoid giant sea monsters out in the open ocean and it became their dream to settle down someplace on dry land. So they found a very nice 1 prison, 2 cannon imperial fort on a small island while the current resident weren’t to keen on moving so Redbeard and his crew enticed them with a show of their boat’s fire power. Now if you ever see a small fort flying the jolly roger you’ll know it is under new management.

“Skeleton Treasure” Cove by Block_of_space

In pirate lore dead men tell no tales, but they do seem to get up, walk around, and cause the living a lot of grief.

Undead highwaymen still don’t remove their masks

My humble submission to the pirate challenge. This poor pirate heard where the golden horde of the undead resided and decided after a drink to go and get it. He found the treasure but got in over his head with the undead!

“Con-Briki” by Jdsiro

Well, finally! The Indigo Islanders are receiving the attention they deserve!

Right before us be a creation inspired by 6256 Islanders Catamaran.

The sail even bears a brick-built version of the Indigo Islander motif

Two Islanders, on board the Con-Briki, sail past a small island poking up from a shallow reef, where a hermit crab considers a discarded bottle as a potential new home! Perhaps the Islanders are also en route to a new home in far and distant lands, though with a stunning lack of provisions for such a journey (thanks to a 300 part limit), it is more likely they are just out for a day sail!

The Islanders… Criminally neglected in past BrickLink designs, perhaps attributed to a lack of relevant parts in BrickLink Studio… but is that changing?

“Skull Island Remake” by Spaceguy909

Another classic LEGO Pirate set remake; this time 6248 Volcano Island receives the BrickLink Studio treatment.

It means to honour the 10320 Eldorado Fortress aesthetic

This is a remake of 6248 “Volcano Island” from 1996 in the style of Eldorado Fortress. This moc is built on a 24 x 20 base and includes a buried treasure chest, Volcano hence its name sake, and possibly a couple lost soals. This unfortunate conquistador met his fate after being trapped in the islands cursed cave possibly by the islander or his own crew. But with Redbeard’s crew in the picture again, maybe his story will again be told.

“The Tale of Captain MonkeyPants” by Turtles0203

Behold the riveting adventures of a piratical primate who has achieved many wondrous feats!

Sailing aboard the “The Great White“, can MonkeyPants lay claim to the mysterious Golden Banana for once and for all?

A monkey captain who does not wear any pants

Captain MonkeyPants was the most feared pirate of all the seven seas! He raided fortresses! He wrestled bears! And beat the Kraken is a game of chess! But there was one ting Captain MonkeyPants wanted more than anything… THE GOLDEN BANANA!

“Pirate house” by RAW123

Another one of those pirate hideouts that looks suspiciously as though it were seized from the Imperials.

The old semaphore station has experienced a change in management

Coming close at 297 pieces I finished my entry for A Pirates’ Dream.

“Captain Redbeard’s Golden Sword – A Lost Treasure” by Kmohaddes

And now for an enlargement of a pirate’s most vital security device… a cutlass!

Wait a minute…

The first katana to look more like a broad sword

This is Captain Redbeard’s lost sword, the cursed golden katana. All the pirates want their grubby hands on this awesome sword. This sword has a small red jewel and a black skull emblem. The sword is extremely thin and therefore has nice swoosh ability, I achieved this using bar and clip plates.

It rates highly on the Swooshability Scale, miraculous really, given that it’s forged from pure gold. Yer know how much gold weighs, right?

“Fortress on Stilts” by Ajericson

This quick, same-day build sees Imperial Soldiers of the verge of laying siege to a pirate battlement.

Now we’re talkin’ – a creation with both Imperials and Pirates!

This pirate fortress on stilts is a creation I started and finished on the same day I am hoping I can add more creations to the pirates dream contest. featuring three hundred and one pieces six minifigures three imperial guards including a skeleton witch is the third imperial guard three pirates one crab starfish spider fish shark and turtle also featuring two parrots and three seagulls.

“Pirates Party” by Piratecaptain85

Even pirates need a place to party.  Naturally you’d assume they’d head to the nearest tavern to indulge in their frivolity, but for special occassions they require a change of scenery.

And what better change than the local beach bar – they’re just a stone’s throw from the docks!

Jack Sassy loves spending time at the pub

Captain Redbeard has thrown a party for all the pirates, hes also thrown his banana on the floor……ARRRRRRR RUM!

But Wait… There’s More!

There be plenty more creations where those came from!

We didn’t include the science fiction and suburban pirates

If yer interested in taking a squiz at the not-so “classically piratey” submissions, plot a course to the A Pirate’s Dream webpage on BrickLink.

What Do Yer Think?

Do yer like that selection of builds?  Or be there other Pirate’s Dream creations we should have included?

A fanciful extension of the promotional image used on Instagram

And would yer build any of these creations for yerself?

Stay tuned for the winner announcement on 28 August, 2024 to discover which dreamy pirate designs have earned a winners badge!

Yo ho! it’s time to make our way to the LEGO Pirates Forum to discuss the A Pirate’s Dream Activity…

Voting for the Infamous Steve Contest Winners is well underway.

However, Participants must Vote for both the Building Entries and Creative Critic to receive the maximum Bonus Points towards their Vote Scores.

You MUST Vote for both the Building Entries and Creative Critic to receive the maximum Bonus Points

If you Vote for both Critics and Building Entries you will receive:

• 10 Bonus Points towards the Vote Scores for each of your Building Entries
• 6 Bonus Points towards your Creative Critic Vote Score
• 2 Tickets in the Prize Draw to WIN a $25 LEGO set
  

Vote for one or the other, and you’ll only receive half of the above.

Vote for yourself, and you will forfeit all your Bonus Points – so spend 2 minutes looking at the other Entries.

Voting Prize Draw

As further incentive to Vote for the Winners of we’re holding a Prize Draw that gives you the opportunity to WIN a $25 LEGO Set of your choice.

You’ll be assigned a number or two and then we spin!

All Voters who meet the requirements are eligible to receive TWO Tickets if they Vote for both the Building Entries and Creative Critic.

What Do Yer Think?

Have you voted for both Building Entrants and a Creative Critic yet?

It can make the difference between Winning a Prize…   and missing out to someone else!

Voting can make an enormous different to your Vote Scores

Voting Closes 31 August

When the Timer reaches 00:00:00 Voting will Close and no Bonus Points for you!

So don’t hesitate!

Or you WILL miss out!

UPDATE 1 MAY, 2025

The price and pre-order date for Thieves of Tortuga has been officially announced.

The finalists for BrickLink Designer Program Series 5 have been announced and you’ll never guess what…

Another pirate-themed BrickLink Designer submission has been selected for Crowdfunding during June 2025!

Ominous Isle hasn’t even entered production and another LEGO Pirate set is already headed our way…

“The Thieves of Tortuga” by Krackenator

A port to rival the 6277 Imperial Trading Post!

Welcome to Tortuga! It means “turtle” in French… and “tortoise” in Spanish

The design consists of 3,998 parts across 6 buildings, 10 minifigures and loads of accessories.The dimensions are:

• 79cm / 31 inches long
• 35cm / 14 inches wide
• 26cm / 10 inches tall

Now yer LEGO Pirates can run amok in their very own harbour filled with plenty of exciting features to explore!

Krackenator writes:

Welcome to the Tortuga!

One of the safest places for pirates to hide from the Imperial soldiers, it has become a chaotic town where anything goes. Tortuga is full or stolen cargo and hidden details everywhere you look.

The Buildings

Here be the 6 buildings yer LEGO Pirates can hide out in and store their loot!

Pirates ONLY – not an Imperial in sight!

1. The Tortuga Tavern

(Blue building on the left)

Apparently this is the best place to go for a drink or meal… or maybe just a drink

2. Missy’s House

(Orange building on the left)

This has been Missy’s home for all of her life – she’s so old she can remember a time before pirates arrived at Tortuga.

Missy pokes her head out the window to see what’s causing the ruckus this time

Typically pirates will be yelling outside of her window because they’re getting cold water thrown over them.

3. The Main Gate

(Tan building with gate on the middle-left)

The entrance to the rest of the town… which was not included in the build otherwise the part count would be in the tens-of-thousands!

It is recommended for all intruders stand against the wall

It also functions as a watchtower in case one of those pesky imperial ships attempts to sail into the harbor.

4. The Loot House

(Orange and white building near the centre)

This is where all the “repossessed” treasure is stored.

As you can see – the place is loaded!

Think of this like and bank and that friendly lady is the teller… she’ll tell-yer what’s going to happen if yer try to steal any gold!

5. Captain’s Residence

(Green building on the right side)

Meet our latest captain… Captain Ogel…

No relation to Ogel from the Alpha Team theme… this Ogel doesn’t even have a hook!

This be where Captain Ogel reviews his charts and spends his shore leave.

Now, if only custom torso designs were accepted in the BrickLink Designer Program because the use of that particular torso is well-trodden.

6. The Marooned Marina

(Tan building on right) 

This be the best place in the LEGO Caribbean to pickup some fresh fish… or fishing supplies to catch fresh fish to sell to the marina.

The Marooned Marina – no relation to a certain blogger named Marooned Marin

With all those fish, the marina smells great at the end of the day!

The Official Announcement

From the official BrickLink Designer Program Series 5 webpage:

Here be the timeline

And no doubt some will be grumbling that BrickLink Designer submissions aren’t proper LEGO sets, and Pirates of Tortuga isn’t newsworthy.

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Would you buy "The Thieves of Tortuga"?

Learn more about the upcoming set

Yes absolutely!

I'm undecided

Never!

But if you’d like to acquire this set in the future…

The BrickLink Designer Team writes:

Our five Series 5 finalists!

These designs are chosen for Crowdfunding on June 3rd, 8 AM Pacific time.

We’ll reveal the five Series 5 designs. Then we’ll collaborate with fan designers to prepare them for production.

From 2 September, 2024 to 1 May, 2025, the designer Krackenator will be working with the LEGO Group’s official Model Governance and Building Instructions teams to finalise the set’s design.

Then during June 2025 you’ll have the opportunity to pre-order yer very own Pirates of Tortuga.

Join us in Tortuga in June 2025!

If more than 3,000 pre-orders are made, the set will enter a limited production run of up 30,000 units.

Yer may purchase a maximum of 2 sets.

What Do Yer Think?

Does the The Thieves of Tortuga make yer excited for another pirate-themed BrickLink Designer Program set?

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Do yer have a general interest in Pirate-themed BrickLink Sets?

Yes, absolutely!

Maybe, depends on the set

No, I will never buy one

And when it’s available for crowdfunding, will you fork up yer hard earned booty to acquire one? Or even two?

A home port for yer pirates that isn’t made from flotsam!

At 3,998 parts it’s almost 1,200 pieces more than Ominous Isle’s 2,773 parts which will no doubt reflect in the price.

Tell us yer thoughts on The Thieves of Tortuga in the LEGO Pirates Forum, Facebook Group or Facebook Page right now!

UPDATE 31 AUGUST

Voting has closed – check back soon for the Winner Announcement!

It’s time to determine of the WINNERS of the Infamous Steve Contest so now YOU get to decide who should deserves the Prizes!

And you might WIN a $25 LEGO Set of your choice just for Voting!

Voting will take place from August 18 to 31

Anyone who meets the Voting Requirements is eligible to Vote and WIN the Prize.

Vote for the Creative Critic

If you’ve been following the contest you should have a fair idea of who the active Critics are and how helpful they’ve been.

Voting for a Creative Critic (that isn’t yourself) gets you benefits!

But, if you’ve been busy with life and need a reminder, visit the Critic Registrations for a convenient list of everyone participating.

Once you’ve done that, sail over to the Critic Voting Topic and cast your Vote.

It will earn you a Ticket in the Draw to WIN you a $25 LEGO Set of your choice!

Vote for Building Entries

The time honoured tradition of AFOL building contests – awarding Prizes to the Builders of the MOCs you like best!

And Voting for the Building Entries (that aren’t your own) gets you even more benefits!

First review the Entries in both the Small Building Category and the Large Building Category.

Then decide which Entries you like the best and sail over to the Builder Voting Topic to cast your Vote.

This will earn you a second Ticket in the Draw to WIN you a $25 LEGO Set!

So I Get Bonus Points If I Vote?

Yes, if you participated in the Contest, either as a Building Entrant or a Creative Critic, you will be awarded additional Points towards your Voting Scores.

Providing you Vote for another Participant – Vote for yourself and you’ll forfeit all the Bonuses.

Double Bonus for Voting for both Critics and Building Entries

If you Vote for both Critics and Building Entries you will receive:

• 10 Bonus Points towards the Vote Scores for each of your Building Entries
• 6 Bonus Points towards your Creative Critic Vote Score
• 2 Tickets in the Prize Draw

This incentive is to ensure everyone who’s Participated in the Contest takes a few moments to Vote… and not for themself!

Voting is not compulsory, but failing to so will put you at a significant competitive disadvantage.

What Do Yer Think?

Which Building Entrants and Creative Critic do you consider to be the most deserving of the Prizes?

Steve casts his Vote

Voting takes place from August 18 to 31

When the Timer reaches 00:00:00 Voting will Close.

So don’t delay!