Building the Shallop for Blood & Plunder

My Homebrew Shallop

Historically, a Caribbean shallop was a versatile little vessel—typically 30–45 feet long, single-masted with fore-and-aft sails, often carrying 8–20 men, and able to row with sweeps when the wind failed. They were common from New England to Jamaica and ideal for rivers, creeks, and coastal waters.

I'd position it in game terms as:

	Longboat	Shallop	Piragua
Sail	Optional	✔	✔
Oars	✔	✔ (sweeps)	✔
Crew	Small	Medium	Medium/Large
Cargo	Low	Moderate	Moderate
Guns	None/Swivel	1–2 Swivels	1–2 Swivels
Best role	Landing party	Patrol & transport	Native war canoe/coastal transport

Type: Boat
Rig: Single Mast (Fore-and-Aft Sail)
Propulsion: Sail and Sweeps

Special Rules

• Shallow Draft
• Oars (Sweeps)
• Open Boat

Suggested Armament

• Up to 2 Swivel Guns (one forward, one aft or broadside-mounted)

Crew Capacity

• 12–16 figures

Cargo

• Moderate (more than a Longboat, less than a Bark)

Points Cost

• Around 5 points before upgrades.

Role

The Shallop excels at:

• River patrols
• Amphibious landings
• Escorting merchant vessels
• Smuggling
• Native and colonial expeditions
• Pirate raids on plantations

Why this fits

It doesn't replace the Longboat or Piragua:

• The Longboat is essentially a ship's boat.
• The Piragua is a large dugout canoe of Native or Spanish Caribbean design.
• The Shallop is a true small sailing vessel with better carrying ability and more seaworthiness than either, but far less capable than a sloop.

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Attribute	Shallop
Points	4
Max Speed	3"
Windward	0
Turn	5"
Draft	0
Hull	2/2
Rigging	2/2
Decks	1
Capacity	10–13 models
Cannons	None
Swivels	Up to 2

Special Rules

• Oars (Sweeps): May move without wind.
• Shallow Draft: Ignores shoals and may beach freely.
• Open Boat: As normal for open craft.
• Transport: May carry one unit plus attached characters (or up to two small units if using your group's interpretation of deck capacity).

At 5 points, it's not a fighting vessel—it's a utility craft. That's exactly what a historical shallop was. It becomes an attractive purchase for scenarios involving:

• Pirate landings.
• Smuggling.
• River patrols.
• Carib and colonial expeditions.
• Carrying a small militia detachment to a plantation or island.

Optional Upgrade:

• Light Swivel Gun (+1 point each, maximum 2).

That way, a basic transport remains just 4 points, while an armed patrol shallop becomes 5–6 points, which feels about right.

Artists mounting board and cardboard

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I fixed the sides with glue, the elastic band holds it to get a tight seal.

I used card strips to get the deck effect, coffee stirrers for the thwarts

Almost done, although my original plan to give it two masts was altered and replace by a single one.

The complete model.  A big shallow draft open boat.

Armed with a single bow Swivel.  Oarlocks added.

And a lot of space for a boarding party.