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Minecraft pirate ship ideas

A pirate ship is one of the most fun things to build in Minecraft. It has a curved hull, tall masts, big sails, cannons and a flag to wave. This page gives you three pirate ship builds, from a small one you can finish in an afternoon to a giant galleon with three masts.

Each build comes with pictures, a blueprint you can read layer by layer, and a list of every block you need. If you play in GenieCrafter, you can also type the wish in chat and the genie builds its own version in your family's private world.

3 Minecraft pirate ship builds to copy

Minecraft Pocket Pirate Sloop, easy pirate ship build, front view
Easy

Pocket Pirate Sloop

19 × 23 blocks, 23 tall · 1,086 blocks
wish for a small pirate ship stuck on a sandy island with a skull sail and a palm tree

One mast, one big skull sail and a gold figurehead on the front. A palm tree and a treasure chest sit on the sand beside it. It is small enough to build by hand and looks great on a beach.

Materials list
Sand365
Oak Planks344
White Concrete84
Spruce Planks71
Dark Oak Planks59
Red Concrete38
Oak Fence38
Dark Oak Log24
Black Concrete24
Oak Leaves14
Gold Block7
Oak Log7

Plus 5 more kinds of block in small amounts (see the blueprint).

Layer-by-layer blueprint
Layer 1

Seen from above. The front of the build is at the bottom. Faint squares show the layer below. Thick lines every 5 blocks help you count.

Minecraft Black Raven Brig, medium pirate ship build, front view
Medium

Black Raven Brig

27 × 34 blocks, 33 tall · 4,471 blocks
wish for a dark pirate brig with black sails, cannons and a wooden pier

A dark two-mast ship with one red sail and one black sail with a white skull. It has a cabin at the back with glowing windows, cannon ports down the sides, a pier and a little rowboat. Build it in a bay or a lake.

Materials list
Water2,612
Dark Oak Planks804
Spruce Planks417
Black Concrete179
Red Concrete151
Dark Oak Fence87
Dark Oak Log79
Oak Planks60
Oak Log24
White Concrete19
Lantern14
Yellow Stained Glass8

Plus 5 more kinds of block in small amounts (see the blueprint).

Layer-by-layer blueprint
Layer 1

Seen from above. The front of the build is at the bottom. Faint squares show the layer below. Thick lines every 5 blocks help you count.

Minecraft Golden Galleon, epic pirate ship build, front view
Epic

Golden Galleon

27 × 48 blocks, 39 tall · 7,994 blocks
wish for a giant pirate galleon with three masts, a tall stern cabin and two rows of cannons

A huge ship with three masts, white and red sails, a crow's nest on top and a tall castle at the back. Two decks of cannons line each side, and the captain's cabin has windows and a pile of gold. Put it in deep water and sail around it.

Materials list
Water3,636
Dark Oak Planks2,189
Spruce Planks960
White Concrete427
Red Concrete306
Dark Oak Fence163
Dark Oak Log117
Black Concrete68
Oak Planks36
Lantern26
Glass Pane18
Oak Fence14

Plus 5 more kinds of block in small amounts (see the blueprint).

Layer-by-layer blueprint
Layer 1

Seen from above. The front of the build is at the bottom. Faint squares show the layer below. Thick lines every 5 blocks help you count.

Tips for building your own

Start with the keel

Lay one long line of planks down the middle first. Then build the hull in layers on top of it, making each layer a little wider toward the middle of the ship. This gives you the rounded boat shape instead of a box.

Make the front pointy and the back tall

Real ships narrow at the bow and rise at the stern. Shrink the hull by two blocks every few steps toward the front, and build a raised cabin at the back. That one change makes it look like a ship at first glance.

Use dark wood with a bright stripe

Dark oak planks look like old ship timber. Add a stripe of red concrete along the side to give it character. Spruce planks make a good deck because they are lighter than the hull.

Sails are just flat walls

Build each sail as a flat wall of white concrete or white wool, and put a wooden beam of planks above it for the yard. Stack two or three sails on each mast. Add a black skull in the middle of the biggest one.

Add light so mobs stay away

Hang lanterns on the rails, the masts and inside the cabin. Monsters spawn in the dark, and a ship on water can get hostile mobs on the deck at night. Lanterns also look great glowing on the water.

Use water to place it

Build your ship on a flat lake or ocean spot, or build a pool first. For a survival-friendly version, you can place a few blocks of sand under the keel so it sits steady, then cover it with water.

Questions

How do you build a pirate ship in Minecraft?

Start with a long keel of planks, then build the hull upward in layers, narrowing the front. Add a flat deck, then masts made of logs, then sails made of white concrete or wool. Finish with a railing, cannons, a flag and lanterns.

What blocks do you need for a Minecraft pirate ship?

Dark oak planks or spruce planks for the hull and deck, logs for the masts, white concrete or white wool for the sails, and fences for the rails. Black concrete works well for cannons and flags, and lanterns give light. Each build above lists every block.

How big should a pirate ship be in Minecraft?

A small one can be about 9 blocks wide and 16 long. A big galleon is closer to 17 wide and 40 long. Start small if you are new, because the bigger the ship, the longer the masts and sails take to build.

Skip the hours of building

In GenieCrafter, type wish for a dark pirate brig with black sails, cannons and a wooden pier in chat and the genie designs and builds its own version in your family’s private world, right in front of you. Works on iPad, phones and PC.

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