There be a new 5th rate frigate found in these waters. She be called the Fer Maiden, pierced for 36 guns. She’s armed with 18 long guns on her upper (gun) deck with a further 14 carronades on her weather decks. 2 long gun bow chasers and 2 larger cannonades on her stern complete her firepower.
She’s built at Theme-scale: a slick, fast hunter that can protect merchants … or hunt and take prizes. In this build she is flying the black, but every smart pirate knows that a letter of marque from a faction’s admiralty is worth more than pieces of eight. A “chest” of alternate flags would be a great compliment.
Features: a working capstan to weigh anchor, a stove to feed her crew, a furnished cabin for her captain, standing and running rigging with yards that rotate to accurately portray various sailing profiles, and removable foc’sle and quarter decks to allow access to her gun deck and interior.
This is designed and built using real parts first before I made it digital in Stud.io and uses 100% legal build techniques and pieces.
Now, keep that prize 2 points off our larboard bow on a broad reach, throw all sheets to the wind and let her eat.
Build details: this started as an evolution from my earlier Barracuda frigate (21322 x2) but quickly became her own endeavor. I tried to nail the desired level of play vs realism, staying in theme scale and hull sections. My reasoning is that it can integrate nicer with peoples’ official set collections if they choose. Because of that I decided to leave the molded shrouds off the mizzenmast, which allowed me to get the proportions of the sail plan “correct” whilst still allowing for full rotation of the yards and spanker. I fully realize some of the concessions and compromises I had to make but I like the result and challenge.
Full respect to you long-time MOC builders pioneering the space, and hopefully when viewing her with the theme-scale perspective you understand why I did certain things. One of which is only 4 mid sections, though her length is much closer to that of a 5-mid-frigate. I am currently building her modular lower hull so she can be displayed/played with a variety of ways – especially on an island beach getting careened, or perhaps in a yard getting her copper.
Check out the ReBrickable page for instructions and more details.
