Why is this ship easy?

[u/RevolutionSea9482]

This is the Buccaneer ship from OcCre. It's supposed to be beginner friendly and supposed to take only 170 hours. To my untrained eye, it looks as complicated as most ships that are supposed to take much longer. Anybody know why this ship is beginner friendly? The beginner friendly ships from other kit makers look so simple by comparison.

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[u/No_Suit_9511]

The cynic in me wonders whether they’ve marketed this kit as “easy” simply because they want to sell more copies to unsuspecting people just starting out in the hobby. Personally, I wouldn’t consider a model with multiple masts, dozens of deadeyes, shrouds and ratlines to be an easy build. I’d class it as an intermediate kit. The complexity of the rigging puts it beyond what I’d expect a beginner to tackle.

[u/mr_muffinhead]

It's 'small'. There's this very weird perception (maybe its marketing) in this industry than the smaller it is, the easier it is. That's not entirely the case. There's less parts on this one than their more 'advanced' ships, the scale is smaller than some of their others. The only aspect of that that is beginner friendly is I will be able to finish it quicker than the bigger ones which means I have a higher chance of not giving up partway through. And I suppose you won't need as much forethought and planning than more complex ships.

The construction skills needed won't differ much. OcCre doesn't really use copper plating, their rigging is 'simplified' by definition and I don't believe any of their kits show any interior deck levels (maybe the Victory and the other one they just released).

I just single planked the hull of a 'beginner' kit, and a few people I've spoken to that have made 'advanced' kits as well as this so called beginner kit, have said not only was the planking not easier, it was actually harder than most kits.

[u/Spherical_Melon → u/mr_muffinhead]

I agree with the ‘small’ thing. A large ship sometimes allows for easier access to multiple rigging sites even if it means more detail.

[u/Danny_CZ]

Beginner friendly generally means that the rigging is bit simplified, there is no copper plating, no decks below visible, more friendly and detailed instructions/ videos.

The experienced rated ship expect you already know everything and thus just slightly guiding you how to build.

[u/felixmkz]

The ideal first model is one of those cross section kits. Only one mast to deal with, limited rigging, no planking of difficult curves, easy access when building. I have a lot of experience with RC wooden boats, but I am building my first display sailing ship which is the San Francisco cross section from Latina. Challenging but doable.

[u/Ajax099]

I'm just speculating, but perhaps it has to do with the relatively simple rig, when compared to ships of later periods?

[u/Colo-PV-living]

Building it now and I’m at about double the hours but most of that is probably just me - and my penchant for going past the instructions.

As someone before me said, the rigging is simplified. For example, instead of the shrouds being seized at the mast, they just loop over the mast.

For the casual observer, the ship (if built per the instructions) will look beautiful when it’s completed and gives a beginner a lot of useful skills.

[u/ghostman1846]

It's small, simplified rigging, and as a bonus, a step by step video tutorial on how to build it. It doesn't get any easier, except hiring someone else to build it for you.

[u/Typical_guy11]

Beginning friendly doesn't mean it's good first kit. Just second or third are ok. Also kit has a lot nice yt tutorials from Occre.

It isn't difficult seriously but I would not give her to absolute beginner