La Daphné - A Renegade Brig

It all began with a sailor’s memoirs.

In December 1715, a band of pirates dreaming of easy riches seized the sugar trader La Daphné and set sail in search of gold and silver from the Spanish treasure fleet wrecked off the coast of Florida.

Pierre François , a young sailor drawn to the sea and the promise of adventure, found himself aboard La Daphné by chance. But the voyage was far from what he had imagined.

The secretive and scheming Captain Étienne Moreau was searching for something other than gold and silver. One stormy night, Pierre stumbled upon a map the captain had hidden away. A name caught his eye: “The Heart of Bourgogne.”

Little did Pierre know that he was about to become entangled in a conspiracy surrounding a jewel that could shake all of Europe.

The Ship

La Daphné was once a small, swift French merchant vessel carrying sugar through the Caribbean. Her fortunes changed in 1715, when Captain Moreau and his band seized her to hunt for treasure from the Spanish fleet wrecked in a hurricane.

The model depicts a compact sailing vessel with two masts, an open main deck and ten 6-pounder guns, five on each side.

The model separates into two main sections. In Display Mode, the upper hull rests on the lower hull section to form a complete ship for display.

Lift the upper hull off at the waterline to switch to Play Mode and set out on an adventure in search of the Heart of Bourgogne .

The lower deck lies within the lower hull section, with its floor below the model’s waterline, reflecting the arrangement aboard a real ship.

At the bow, the figurehead depicts Daphné, the nymph from Greek mythology who gives the ship her name. Look closely at her hands as they begin to turn into laurel branches.

On the forecastle, a working anchor winch lets you lower the anchors on either side of the ship. Nearby, the galley, stove and chimney provide for the crew’s meals at sea. A hinged hatch on the forecastle opens to reveal a ladder leading down to the lower deck.

Ten guns line the waist, the open central part of the deck. Once used to protect the ship’s sugar cargo, they now serve a crew of greedy pirates in pursuit of treasure.

The ship’s boat rests on two large spars laid across the waist. Beneath it is a removable hatch grating, a lattice cover that admits light and air to the lower deck. Lift the grating out to reveal the space below.

Between the waist and the aft deck, a second hinged hatch opens to reveal a stairway leading down to the lower deck.

On the aft deck, the ship’s wheel is linked to the rudder at the stern. Turn the wheel and watch the rudder swing from side to side. Take the helm and try your hand at steering La Daphné.

At the stern is a small captain’s cabin, its entrance covered by a makeshift curtain. There was a scuffle when the pirates seized the ship, and the cabin doorway did not survive intact.

Inside, Captain Moreau keeps his secrets close. A map hangs on the wall, but look behind its mounting and you will find the real treasure map concealed there. Perhaps it holds the secret of the Heart of Bourgogne that he is so determined to keep to himself.

Even after stealing La Daphné, the pirates have kept her French merchant flag flying. They would rather pass unnoticed.

A crane on the foremast is connected by a line to a winch on deck. Operate the winch to raise and lower the ship’s boat.

The lower deck is stocked with provisions for a long voyage and weapons for defence against other pirates.

Sails are not included. For builders who would like to add their own, attachment points at both ends of the yards allow custom sails to be fitted.

Minifigures

The model features eight crew minifigures, plus a figurehead depicting the Greek Nymph Daphné.

Captain - Étienne Moreau

Sailing Master - Mathurin Delorme

Boatswain - Duarte Navarro

Master Gunner - Hendrik Smit

Swordfighter - Inés “la Daga” Salcedo

Surgeon - Gaspar Valdés “el Doctor”

Master’s Mate - Tomas “Goliath” Briggs

Seaman - Pierre François

Figurehead - Daphné

A Voyage to 1715

Step into a world of adventure and intrigue inspired by the wreck of the 1715 Spanish treasure fleet and the mystery of the Heart of Bourgogne, a jewel that could alter the balance of power in Europe.

La Daphné brings the sculptural beauty of a sleek French sailing ship to life through a balanced colour palette, detailed fittings and working features, including the linked wheel and rudder and the working anchors.

Together, they invite you to experience life on the deck of an early eighteenth-century sailing vessel.

Who will claim the Heart of Bourgogne? What fate awaits Pierre, Captain Moreau and the pirates?

Are you ready to join La Daphné on her mysterious voyage?