Too many Brigs?

Now that Black Seas is soon to be released, I've been wondering what to do with the humble Brig. You get six in the box, but they seem like the runt of the litter, you really want frigates, don't you? Well no, not if you can convert the brigs into something cooler...

It struck me that being plastic, our Black Seas models should be easy to convert. Plastic is easy enough to cut and shape, and as regular readers of my blog will know, I like converting things! Ok, I'm no John Bond, but I enjoy it.

USS Eyrie, a Sloop of War

So what can we do with our lowly Brig? How about we convert it into two different vessels? I initially thought about a Sloop of War or a Fluyt, but then thought how about a xebec (or chebeck in French)? These classic Mediterranean vessels were used by the French, the Spanish, the Turkish and (drum roll) the Barbary Corsairs! Now, this conversion gets interesting.

A typical Xebec. Note stern and bow chasers.

By taking two brings, I can cut both boats into two parts. This way, I can artificially lengthen the hull of one of the brigs to make it more Xebec like (or Sloop of War like for you American fleet collectors).

Cutting up the brigs. I will use the two longer sections to make the xebec.

Once I cut the hulls, I simply mated the two longer sections together and the two shorter sections together. I'll post more on the xebec in my next blog.

Cutting the decks. The two longer sections will make the xebec.

The left overs from my conversion can also be used to create a schooner or a small fluyt (a classic pear shaped Dutch merchant ship which was also used in the baltic). The boat may be a little fat and need some holes filling with putty, but she'll serve our purposes.

The small schooner or fluyt conversion.

Next time I'll look at finishing, painting and rigging my Xebec. But what name should I call her? Calling her HMS Frankenstein would be a little too anachronistic... I'll have a think.