A triumphant tall ship made small – the Kalmar Nyckel sails again in LEGO
Tall ships are a popular subject for builders at minifig scale, but we rarely see them at midiscale, especially not with the level of detail as this breathtaking build from master model maker Kevin J. Walter. The boat in question is the Kalmar Nyckel. Originally built to bring Swedish colonists to North America in 1638, the real-life ship inspired a replica that now sails the Delaware as living history. Kevin was drawn to the colors – blue and gold like the Swedish flag – and it really does make for a striking LEGO creation.
The complex shaping and elaborate rigging give the illusion that the ship is much larger than it really is. Only by zooming in close enough to make out the individual elements does her compact nature really come into focus. The deck is full of clever parts usage, like cannons made from an espresso paddle on a roller skate and a 1×1 flower as an anchor winch.
A closer look at the stern shows the intricate work that went into capturing the impressive angles in azure, brown, and sand green. A miniature stars and stripes on an epee mark this as a replica of the replica, courtesy of the flag from 10294 Titanic.
As a bonus image, Kevin edited his Kalmar Nyckel onto ocean waves.
The Kalmar Nyckel isn’t Kevin’s only tall ship. Created in 2022 for the “Rogue Frontier” collab, Kevin recreated the ill-fated Terror, flagship of the Franklin expedition to find the Northwest Passage (and subject of a pretty good Dan Simmons thriller and TV adaptation!) and whose wreck was located in 2016.
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