Pirate Ship Ride

The pirate ship range runs from a 12-passenger hull for family venues to a 40-passenger ship for large parks. This page covers four hull sizes — 12, 24, 36 and 40 passengers — so you can compare them before you ask for a quotation. Parks that want the same movement on a lower structure often pair it with the samba tower, and the giant pendulum adds a swing with a turn inside it.

All four work the same way: the hull swings on a pivot, the park hears it before it sees it, and the queue loads in one movement. What changes is the hull, the swing angle and the power.

The four hull sizes

Each hull is a different machine rather than a scaled drawing. Pick the size from the audience you already have, then check the plot and the power supply.

The 36 and 40-passenger ships share one hull family: 16 x 2.5 x 6.2 m, a 60 degree swing at 11.3 m/s, 42.5 kW in total and an 18 x 9 m land area with a 24 m rotation diameter.

12-passenger hull: the family version

The compact hull is 4.7 x 2.3 m, stands 3.5 m and uses a 3 kW drive, shipping in one 20GP container at about 1,600 kg. It carries eight to twelve riders, which is one family or a single group per swing.

It suits resorts, holiday villages and family venues that want a ride without a ride operation. The hull is also the cheapest way into the range, and it is compact enough for a position beside a walkway rather than a dedicated ride zone.

24-passenger ship: the standard model

The 24-seat ship is the one most parks buy. The hull is 9 x 1.7 x 2.3 m, the structure stands 10 m and the operating height is 6.7 m. It swings 50 degrees to one side at 8.3 m/s on a 15 kW drive.

The footprint is 14 x 7 m with an 18 x 7 x 11 m safety envelope, and the whole machine ships in 2 x 40HQ at about 12,000 kg. Service life is rated at 12 years for the whole machine.

This is the family-thrill crossover: enough swing to be the loudest ride in a family park, and not so much that parents stay off it.

36 and 40-passenger ships: the large-park version

The larger hull family runs 16.6 x 7 x 15 m overall on an 18 x 9 m land area, with a 24 m rotation diameter and an 11.7 m operating height. The single-side swing goes to 60 degrees and the maximum speed to 11.3 m/s.

Power totals 42.5 kW: a 37 kW drive, 4.5 kW of auxiliary power and 1 kW of lighting. The 36 and 40-passenger versions share the hull and differ in the seating layout, so the same foundation and the same plot serve both.

Choose this size when the ship is the anchor ride rather than one attraction among many, and when the park already runs a maintenance team for major rides.

What the swing feels like

Fifty degrees is a family swing: the hull rises, pauses and returns, and the drop is short enough that children ride it repeatedly. Sixty degrees is a thrill swing: the hull spends longer at the top of the arc and the drop carries more weight.

That difference is the main reason parks buy one size over another, more than the seat count. If your audience is families with young children, the 24-seat ship is the right starting point.

Space and the safety envelope

Draw the safety envelope on the site plan before the foundation. For the 24-seat ship that is 18 x 7 m with 11 m of clear height; for the 36 and 40-passenger ships the land area is 18 x 9 m with a 24 m rotation diameter.

Fence, queue and landscaping sit outside the envelope, and the walkway behind it becomes the viewing area, which is where the ride earns part of its reputation.

Power and service life

Installed power runs from 3 kW on the compact hull to 42.5 kW on the 40-passenger ship. All four are fixed installations, and all four are supplied with the documentation set for your local authority.

The 24-seat ship carries a 12-year service life rating for the whole machine. Ask for the inspection interval for the pivot bearings and the brake with the quotation, and put both into your maintenance schedule from the first season.

Price

The range starts at US$10,000. The 24-seat ship is quoted at US$33,200, and the 36 and 40-passenger ships are quoted from US$69,900.

Finish and theming move the price on the compact hull, where a glass-reinforced plastic body costs more than the steel version. Ask for the size you are considering and the finish you want in one quotation, so the comparison is like for like.

Questions buyers ask about the pirate ship

Technical reference: 12-passenger hull 4.7 x 2.3 m, 3.5 m high, 3 kW, 8-12 riders, 1 x 20GP / 24-passenger ship 10 m structure, 6.7 m operating height, 50 degree swing, 8.3 m/s, 15 kW, 14 x 7 m footprint, 18 x 7 x 11 m envelope, 2 x 40HQ / 36 and 40-passenger ships 16.6 x 7 x 15 m overall, 18 x 9 m land area, 24 m rotation diameter, 11.7 m operating height, 60 degree swing, 11.3 m/s, 42.5 kW total.

Part of the pirate ships range built by DINIS.