Shiver me timbers! 67cm Playmobil pirate ship sets sail for Caribbean

Monday 13th November 2017 11:42 GMT Kevin Johnston

Wow

Awesome community project and

"another one for Curtis"

19 0 Reply
1. Monday 13th November 2017 17:23 GMT Anonymous Coward
  
  Re: Wow
  
  As a pastafarian I should also add hearty congratulations for this attempt to address global warming.
  
  11 0 Reply
Monday 13th November 2017 11:42 GMT caffeine addict

It would only be right to demand a recreation. I suggest full size ElReg hacks dressed up as playmobil characters. Get to it lads.

56 0 Reply
1. Monday 13th November 2017 11:55 GMT Anonymous Coward
  
  Avast behind
  
  6 0 Reply
  1. Tuesday 14th November 2017 00:20 GMT John Brown (no body)
    
    "Avast behind"
    
    ...but still well ahead of Norton!
    
    1 0 Reply
  2. Tuesday 14th November 2017 11:35 GMT Anonymous Coward
    
    Avast behind?
    
    You've met the wife then?
    
    Anon for personal security reasons.
    
    2 0 Reply
2. Monday 13th November 2017 12:23 GMT Paul Kunert
  
  Damn. Ok, will dust off my Captain Pugwash outfit. We're talking a pirate nativity scene? Cheers, Paul @ El Reg.
  
  10 0 Reply
  1. Monday 13th November 2017 14:08 GMT Anonymous Coward
    
    On the good ship Venus,
    
    By Christ you should have seen us,
    
    The figure head,
    
    Was a ***** in bed,
    
    ****ing a dead man's *****
    
    By skilful navigation,
    
    We finally reached our station,
    
    Until the ship was sunk,
    
    Upon a wave of ****
    
    From too much ***********
    
    6 0 Reply
  2. Monday 13th November 2017 20:57 GMT Pompous Git
    
    "Damn. Ok, will dust off my Captain Pugwash outfit. We're talking a pirate nativity scene?"
    Butt who wants to play the part of Tom, the cabin boy?
    
    2 0 Reply
    1. Tuesday 14th November 2017 10:06 GMT x 7
      
      I thought the cabin boy was Roger?
      
      2 0 Reply
Monday 13th November 2017 12:02 GMT tokamaktech

Ah, just what our oceans need, more plastic... unless that was the point? To highlight plastic... no... anyone?

Yeah, I'll just get my...

10 20 Reply
1. Monday 13th November 2017 14:03 GMT Dave 126
  
  This half kilo boat of plastic has a sporting chance of being retrieved from the sea at some point, unlike the tens of thousands of tonnes of plastic that finds its way into the oceans through carelessness.
  
  15 0 Reply
  1. Monday 13th November 2017 16:01 GMT Anonymous Coward
    
    > This half kilo boat of plastic has a sporting chance of being retrieved from the sea at some point
    
    That might be true but so far it's not looking good: everyone who has retrieved it has put it back in again.
    
    15 0 Reply
  2. Monday 13th November 2017 16:57 GMT W4YBO
    
    "...tens of thousands of tonnes of plastic that finds its way into the oceans through carelessness."
    
    Hardly carelessness. Most of that comes from coastal cities that get rid of their garbage via barge.
    
    5 0 Reply
Monday 13th November 2017 12:13 GMT Anonymous Coward

Nearly as good as the PARIS project...

I am sure there is a nice backronym there too

Pirate

Initiated

Ride

Across

The

Ecosphere

or something

21 0 Reply
1. Monday 13th November 2017 12:47 GMT Velv
  
  Re: Nearly as good as the PARIS project...
  
  I think your backronym should probably be on the ships name:
  
  Aberdeen
  
  Dread
  
  Ventures
  
  Ever
  
  Nearer
  
  Trinidad
  
  Using
  
  Radich
  
  Excursion
  
  15 0 Reply
Monday 13th November 2017 12:14 GMT Aristotles slow and dimwitted horse

From a maritime safety perspective...

I'm hoping the brave little chap is observing the ColRegs.

7 1 Reply
1. Monday 13th November 2017 15:08 GMT agurney
  
  Re: From a maritime safety perspective...
  
  Power gives way to sail, and as it looks as though the ship's (marginally) on starboard tack they should be stand-on vessel to just about everyone until they near the shipping lanes.
  
  [For the 'lubbers amongst you, the stand-on vessel is obliged to maintain course and speed.]
  
  9 0 Reply
  1. Tuesday 14th November 2017 00:15 GMT Kernel
    
    Re: From a maritime safety perspective...
    
    "Power gives way to sail,"
    
    Not quite that simple, unfortunately - I think there's some caveats that apply if the powered vessel is more than 500 tonnes and/or in a waterway with restricted manouvering options for large vessels.
    
    Or, as my son puts it, plastic gives way to steel, especially very large steel that could crush you and not leave a trace.
    
    4 0 Reply
    1. Tuesday 14th November 2017 14:02 GMT A Nonny Moose
      
      To paraphrase slightly
      
      "Or, as my son puts it, plastic gives way to steel, especially very large steel that could crush you and not leave a trace."
      
      "Mr Dent. Have you any idea how much damage this container ship would suffer if I just let it sail over your yatch?"
      
      "No, how much?"
      
      "None at all"
      
      5 0 Reply
    2. Friday 17th November 2017 18:25 GMT Stork
      
      Re: From a maritime safety perspective...
      
      Or rephrased: tons give right of way. Some drivers of large vehicles thinks it applies on the roads too.
      
      0 1 Reply
Monday 13th November 2017 12:18 GMT Wolfclaw

I think the Vulture should create a full size version and sail off in to the sunset.

3 0 Reply
1. Monday 13th November 2017 13:05 GMT Aristotles slow and dimwitted horse
  
  Not so much "Black Sails" as "Redtop Masthead" ;-)
  
  What a fine crew of pirating commentards that vessel would have.
  
  9 1 Reply
2. Monday 13th November 2017 14:49 GMT Haku
  
  They could use this picture I made for a flag: haku.co.uk/pics/ElRegMasthead.jpg
  
  Which they kindly posted on their main site: www.theregister.co.uk/2017/02/08/reg_readers_david_hockney_mockney_masthead/
  
  2 0 Reply
Monday 13th November 2017 12:54 GMT Hollerithevo

Aaaar, that's a grand voyage!

God bless 'er and all who sail in 'er!

12 0 Reply
Monday 13th November 2017 12:57 GMT fran 2

Fabulous!

8 0 Reply
Monday 13th November 2017 13:52 GMT Korev

Hopefully it won't sink...

Or else it'd be toytanic

13 0 Reply
1. Monday 13th November 2017 22:25 GMT Adam 1
  
  Re: Hopefully it won't sink...
  
  Icy; what you did there.
  
  3 0 Reply
Monday 13th November 2017 16:19 GMT Barry Rueger

Prior Art

The National Film Board of Canada's "Paddle to the Sea."

1966. Thrill to the sight of a young child melting LEAD to use as ballast! And Niagara Falls beats a Swedish tree for excitement.

4 0 Reply
1. Monday 13th November 2017 23:10 GMT Uncle Slacky
  
  Re: Prior Art
  
  Oh ghod, we used to be forced to watch that at least once a year throughout elementary school - along with a number of Grimm fairy tales faithful (in every gory detail) to the original text. Oh yes, the Disney version of Sleepy Hollow, too, which still gives me nightmares.
  
  0 0 Reply
Monday 13th November 2017 16:48 GMT Bronek Kozicki

oh well got my eyes a little wet here

An ~~ideal~~ nice little project for Mr Lester that would be ...

... icon, because.

13 0 Reply
Monday 13th November 2017 18:41 GMT John 104

Wow

Wow, Reg. Way to regurgitate their entire synopsis for your article.

https://track-adventure.squarespace.com/our-adventure/

Still, very fun idea and execution.

3 0 Reply
Monday 13th November 2017 20:48 GMT Stoneshop

Weather forecast

Looking at the wind map and moving the date slider forwards it appears the Adventure is heading into the doldrums. Let's hope the crew won't succumb to scurvy.

2 0 Reply
1. Monday 13th November 2017 22:55 GMT DNTP
  
  Re: Weather forecast
  
  "Arr, Cap'n, all our food be hard as plastic."
  
  1 0 Reply
  1. Tuesday 14th November 2017 00:25 GMT John Brown (no body)
    
    Re: Weather forecast
    
    hard tack needed.
    
    2 0 Reply
    1. Tuesday 14th November 2017 00:35 GMT DNTP
      
      Re: Hardtack
      
      The one and only time I ever tried making the stuff was for a reenactment. I think mine came out slightly softer than the actual stuff. There was a little girl dressed as a pirate and I gave her a piece; I have seldom seen a more sorrowful look of betrayal ever aimed at my direction since.
      
      5 0 Reply
Tuesday 14th November 2017 16:27 GMT Cuddles

Boaty?

"A Playmobil pirate ship has been launched off the west coast of Africa after stowing away on a full-size Norwegian vessel."

Doesn't that technically make it a pirate boat?

0 0 Reply
Tuesday 14th November 2017 16:40 GMT Daedalus

They should have put it in a bottle.

As a sailing ship this is a non-starter, although it's interesting that they didn't put a full load of sail on it. Scaling rules tell you that a proper scale model will carry far more sail area than is correct for the weight. You have to add ballast to stop the boat toppling over in the wind, or cut the sail area, or both.

But they're also up against hull speed. That's less than one boat length per second at this size, so progress will be slow to say the least. If the vessel gets anywhere, it'll be because the ocean current carries it there.

1 4 Reply