Pirate ship on New Brighton beach

Feb 6 2013 by Liam Murphy, Birkenhead News

Pirate ship on New Brighton beach

RISING out of the sands of a Wirral beach a driftwood pirate ship is now attracting attention from across the world.

Built by artist Frank Lund and his friend and neighbour Major Mace the boat has been built out of items found on New Brighton’s beach.

It has captured the imagination of many people visiting the area as well as encouraging local people to help the pair, while dozens of children were playing on it at the weekend.

Frank, who lives in New Brighton, said: “I have been part of a group doing the beach cleaning, and some days there is a lot to do, and others not so much – then you think to yourself what shall I do?”

He had carved some dolphins but found he was spending a lot of time coming back and repairing them after the tides. He said: “Nothing lasts for very long on the beach.

“I quite liked doing them, but ended up being the dolphins’ maintenance man. That didn’t appeal – I like the making part.”

So after they made a Nativity scene during the run-up to Christmas, which lots of people went to see, he and Major started building the boat, which they have named “New Brighton’s Black Pearl” after the film Pirates of the Caribbean.

A wetsuit washed up on shore has even been filled with straw and – nicknamed Johnny Depp – stands on the boat’s deck as its captain

Frank said: “People always ask me why I do it, saying the work will all be wrecked. I say that I enjoy doing it, others like looking at it and someone else will enjoy wrecking it. The first time something I had made got wrecked people thought I would stop, but I just like doing it.”

Frank and Major have dragged massive logs into place and collected hundreds of smaller pieces of driftwood and ropes to put together their pirate ship. Major even collected flags left around nearby Vale Park “after England lost” to help decorate it.

Frank said: “I’ve had some fantastic days with people I don’t know at all. Recently there was a woman from Oregon struggling with me to pull along a quarter ton piece of wood, and we were working away and I thought I can’t quite believe someone walking her dog on the beach stops and says I’ll give you a hand with that.”