First draft - The Moontide

Glitch

Another sleepless night, another drawing. The Moontide is loosely patterned after a Thames Class River Barge. Need to rescale cargo, not happy with rowbow or wheel and rudder. Any Suggestions are welcome!

Loopysue

It's a good enough map, but I think it might look better if you reduced the thickness or opacity of the hex grid a bit.

Elfling

I agree with Sue on reducing the hex grid. It would make sense to have it more pronounced if you were using this as a battle map, but somewhat less so for visual esthetics. Also, how big is the boat and how is it propelled? I don't see any masts on your.

Glitch

Still looking to improve the wheel, but I think that I'm heading in the right direction.

Quenten

Absolutely love this, and looking forward to the other levels of this ship.

DaltonSpence

I'd rotate the hex grid 90° and limit it to the deck to simplify crew movement along the axis of the ship. But that's just me. 

Elfling

@Glitch

I like the softened look of your hex grid. Also, love the fact that you added masts and sails. Now it doesn't make me wonder if it had some sort of Nautilus-like secret propulsion system. Which would be cool if that's what you had in mind. But without some sort of context, who would know? I'm with Quenten; looking forward to the other decks of the ship.

Glitch

Final tweaks (at least for now), moving on to the lower deck.

Glitch

!st Pass at lower deck. Need to work the cargo a little more. Suggestions welcome

Glitch

Final versions:

Upper Deck

Glitch

Lower deck

Glitch

Write up:

The Moontide

Loosely patterned after a Thames Class Barge, The Moontide is an open hold, double masted costal trade vessel. The forward cabin is a combination of galley and guest cabin. The rear cabin is the captain’s quarters. The ship is well kept and seaworthy. 

The lower deck has a brig/secure hold towards the bow, the stern has smugglers compartment on either side of the rudder gear box. These are designed to be sacrificial; a larger smugglers compartment is accessed from a hidden panel in the livestock cage – leading to a large compartment running between the ballast compartments.

Cargo is general trade goods.

Crew:

Captain Jack (Red Eye) Agan (Bard). Think of Errol Flynn with a red eye patch, and a James Earl Jones voice. Wears emerald green leather armor and a scimitar, secretly and agent of Count Fen.

Sassy Agan (Sea Witch), wife of Captain Jack. A brassy, hard drinking red head – think Maureen O’Hara.

Davey Agan (Able Seaman), son of Captain Jack. Good with the long bow.

Gasper Erin (Able Seaman). Good with the long bow.

Noble Amat (Rogue). Quiet, dedicated to Count Fen.

Quenten

A superbly executed project. I am super impressed. Now you need to do character Artist illustrations of the crew members - 😉

DaltonSpence

Where is the helm and how are the sails handled? I keep thinking there should be some sort of catwalk between the fore and aft sections of the upper deck (perhaps suspended from a rope between the masts) so the crew can get from one end of the ship to the other quickly without going into and out of the hold.

Glitch

@DaltonSpence - Thanks. I agree the helm isnt that great - I couldnt find a wheel, and havent yet developed the ability to draw one.

The ships lines are there, but due to scale they're one of those details that isnt obvious, but I think adds to the image overall. (I did try drawing netting, but it ended up making the deck too muddy.

JimP

Did you use a water wheel for the wheel ? Looks great to me.

Glitch

Yes. CA125 Water Power Wheel

Loopysue

Ingenious substitution :)