Pirates of the Caribbean "Jolly Mon"

[spencer1984]

Earlier this year I decided to try building my first wooden boat kit. I looked through some options and decided to go with the Lowell Grand Banks Dory from Model Shipways/Model Expo. But of course I had to keep it TV/movie-themed, so I converted it to the boat we see near the beginning of the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie as our introduction to Captain Jack Sparrow. The dory kit was great - definitely worth checking out for anyone willing to give it a try - and I had a lot of help referencing the rigging. A full writeup of the build is available here, and as always any comments/criticisms are welcome!

Edited Wednesday at 01:00 PM by spencer1984

[Mike 1017]

This an amazing Dory. I would have never guessed that this is your 1st one. What Scale is it? You got me thinking about building one of these as a Slump Buster

[stitchdup]

Very nice work. How was it to do the building? did it need any tools we might not have in our model kits? the reason i ask is because i desperately want to build the viking ship for an up helly ya dio

[Kanada Kustoms]

Great build... Love the extras inside the boat!

[spencer1984]

Thanks, guys!

21 hours ago, Mike 1017 said:

What Scale is it? You got me thinking about building one of these as a Slump Buster

It's 1/24 scale, about 10" long. I definitely want to try another, there are a few out there that look really interesting.

20 hours ago, stitchdup said:

How was it to do the building? did it need any tools we might not have in our model kits? the reason i ask is because i desperately want to build the viking ship for an up helly ya dio

The instructions are written out like a book with supporting photos rather than diagrams with supporting text, so that took a little getting used to. Other than that, it was pretty straightforward. I got the version that included "all the tools/paint you'll need," which was handy to have all new and in one spot but no - everything they included was something you likely already have some version of (knife, saw, sanding sticks, drills, tweezers, spring clips). The glue they provide is thin yellow PVA, as far as I can tell it's just diluted carpenter's glue.

The only new tool was something I made: you need to soak some of the boards in warm water to get them to flex. So I took an 18" length of PVC pipe, capped one end, and propped it up so I could drop the boards in vertically. It wasn't necessary, but it saved some space on the work bench and I didn't have an open tub of water daring me to drop something into or knock over.

[Dragline]

Outstanding! Truly marvelously built. I have the New Bedford whaling boat from Model Ship ways. It is intimidating in the extreme. Your Dory is a triumph and worth of museum placement.

[Mike 1017]

This one is interesting

Amazon.com: Mould King Large Pirates Ship Model Building Blocks Kits, MOC Dutchman Building Block Pirate Ship Construction Set to Build, Toys Gift for Age 14+/Adult Collections Enthusiasts (4364+Pieces) : Toys & Games

[spencer1984]

On 10/16/2025 at 10:33 AM, Dragline said:

Outstanding! Truly marvelously built. I have the New Bedford whaling boat from Model Ship ways. It is intimidating in the extreme. Your Dory is a triumph and worth of museum placement.

Much appreciated, thanks! I have a whale boat from Artesanía Latina that I want to try to tackle next summer, it'll be interesting to see how the quality compares to this one.

2 hours ago, Mike 1017 said:

This one is interesting

Amazon.com: Mould King Large Pirates Ship Model Building Blocks Kits, MOC Dutchman Building Block Pirate Ship Construction Set to Build, Toys Gift for Age 14+/Adult Collections Enthusiasts (4364+Pieces) : Toys & Games

Some of the not-Lego sets that are coming out now are incredible. If I wasn't already so invested in the scale models, I'd be picking up several of those.

[Mike 1017]

 Maybe I will put it in my Dear Santa Letter. 4364+ parts!!! Building 100 pcs a day will take about 44 days. Not including mistakes and do overs

[Dragline]

2 hours ago, Mike 1017 said:

 Maybe I will put it in my Dear Santa Letter. 4364+ parts!!! Building 100 pcs a day will take about 44 days. Not including mistakes and do overs

100 parts a day is extremely ambitious.

[Mike 1017]

16 hours ago, Dragline said:

100 parts a day is extremely ambitious.

I am retired so it is a possibility

[Dragline]

On 10/18/2025 at 9:37 AM, Mike 1017 said:

I am retired so it is a possibility

I suspect you can do it. Some days might prove easier than others.