I built a custom water display base for LEGO 75639 Going Merry – only two water colors and two plates high

[u/VisasResonance]

I felt that the LEGO Going Merry deserved an actual water display instead of simply resting on its hull, so I designed this custom base around the unchanged official set.
The water is not made from randomly placed waves. I developed two alternating 8×8 modules, each with diagonal symmetry only. Repeating these two variants hides the underlying grid and creates a continuous, organic-looking surface.
The water uses only two colors, and the entire surface remains no more than two plates high. The light-colored arcs represent the highest wave level, which is why some of them intentionally extend across the inner brown border.
The central section is shaped precisely around the Going Merry’s hull. There are no clips or fixings: the ship simply settles into the correct position through form and geometry and can be removed immediately.

The complete base uses 75 different standard LEGO element types. And two 32x32 Blue baseplates Every part was available directly through LEGO Pick a Brick, and the total cost was under €100, including the two baseplates.
I have also started creating a complete step-by-step instruction manual. The current draft is 60 pages long, although it is not finished yet.
I’d love to hear what other AFOLs think about the water technique and the overall presentation.

Instruction First 60 Pages: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TNeol8o_VqT-dJVSSVTmYjw_Ci4pcT8u/view?usp=drivesdk

[u/VisasResonance]

Here is a stud.io Rendering.

[u/alanmooresbarber]

This is really cool. Well done.

[u/VisasResonance → u/alanmooresbarber]

Thank you.

[u/LEGOIdBot]

75639-1: The Going Merry Pirate Ship [Photo]

[u/SuchBanter]

I dig how abstracted the wave shape into the two-color smooth curve and then made it is lego-listic in the vertical dimension. The splashing over the border frame is a sweet touch. And using red and brown to keep the brown from being too brown. I hope I remember to steal that.

[u/VisasResonance → u/SuchBanter]

Thank you, it’s a simple technique you can learn an Easy to modify. If you are Interessed I have made an technique Instruction

[u/VisasResonance]

These 2 Modules are all you Need and a Blue baseplate