'It'll never float': LEGO creator proves Black Pearl designer wrong

LEGO designer Mike Psiaki said the LEGO Black Pearl would never float – but all this creator needed was some waders and an ironing board.

While discussing 10365 Captain Jack Sparrow's Pirate Ship, the LEGO Icons set's designer, Mike Psiaki, made a point of joking about how, despite every effort to make sure the brick-built ship looked authentic, it would never actually float. Of course, being made of LEGO bricks, it's not designed for sea-faring – and that actually tracks with the movie boat as well.

Throughout Mike's research into the cinematic Black Pearl, he discovered that the movie magic of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies extends to the Pearl itself. The way it's designed on screen means that it would never actually float in real life, according to Mike.

"People talk about all of the inaccuracies in the Black Pearl," he remembered, talking to LEGO Fan Media around the release of 10365 Captain Jack Sparrow's Pirate Ship. "I had to avoid that, it was ruining the beauty of what I remembered. The ship would never actually be able to float. I don't recommend [looking into the inaccuracies] if you don't want to ruin the sense of wonder of the films."

While 10365 Captain Jack Sparrow's Pirate Ship's nifty hull options can make it look like it's 'floating' on your shelf, it won't actually bob across the water – until now. LEGO creator benedek.lampert has created at least the illusion of floating, with tremendous results achieved through nothing but an ironing board and a set of waders.

In a more detailed explanation on reddit, Benedek explained how the practical effects took place. He needed something that he could adjust by height to get the exact right level of water against the ship, leading him to the ironing board.

"In LEGO photography, anything could be a useful tool, so I grabbed my ironing board and put it in the water," he said. "This shoot wasn't an easy one, I lost a tool and almost the bottom part of the ship. Just in case, I locked it to the board with wires."

Everything in the photo was achieved physically, including the clouds and the water waves, although Benedek notes that he used AI to remove the signs of metal from the ironing board showing through the water. All in all, it's a final look that's worthy of the iconic Black Pearl, making it really look as though the ship is impossible floating on the top of the water.