(See Below)
Do your kids have that sense of adventure but your yard and budget aren't too keen on the plundering? Perhaps they're ready to take on the whole Atlantic but you're currently trapped in the Chesapeake Bay. The answer is the 7x16 Crippling Clipper pirate Ship playhouse. All trade ships beware!
One of the smaller outdoor pirate vessels hosted on this website, this two story design still comes with a lot of character that'll give any innocent cargo ship a scare. Features 100 square feet of total play space, a 2nd story over the main deck and even a crow's nest to see if enemy sips are in sight. If you don't have the space, this little playhouse is perfect for the plundering!
Also be sure to sail over to our complete pirate ship plan page to see all of our ship ideas!
Features:
- 100ft² in usable play space
- 3 total levels including crow's nest
- 2nd level access to a 5' slide or crow's nest
- Design includes center mast & interactive lookout
- Simplest pirate ship design
- Designed for children aged 3-10
- 30 page, step by step PDF plan
Plan Category:
🏴☠️ Pirate Ship Playhouse Plans
Dimensions:
- 7' Wide
- 16' Deep
- 16' Tall
Framing Details:
- Joists: 2x6 - 16" O.C.
- Walls: 2x4 - 16" O.C.
Lumber List:
Make sure to ask about and take advantage of any volume discount from your local lumber yard!
Decking:
( 44 ) 5/4” x 6” x 8'
( 5 ) 5/4” x 6” x 10'
( 4 ) 5/4” x 6” x 12'
( 11 ) 5/4” x 6” x 16'
2x4:
( 14 ) 2” x 4” x 8'
( 14 ) 2” x 4” x 10'
( 20 ) 2” x 4” x 12'
2x6:
( 17 ) 2” x 6” x 8'
( 4 ) 2” x 6” x 10'
( 3 ) 2” x 6” x 12'
4x4:
( 7 ) 4” x 4” x 8'
( 3 ) 4” x 4” x 10'
( 1 ) 4” x 4” x 16'
Hire a qualified professional.
Customer Reviews
I'll start by saying the Crippling Clipper Pirate Ship turned out fantastic. Everyone who has seen it is floored. My boys love climbing all over it and play on it every evening.
The lumber list that was originally on the website was different than on the official plans. I had ordered my material based on lumber list on the website. That has since been resolved. I also found an error where 6" decking was called out but the plans and quantities were based on 4" decking. Both of these issues were resolved and updated in the plans and website after contacting Paul so anyone reading this won't have the same issue. This did cause me to over order by a fair amount. Not the end of the world, I'll end up using the extra for another project.
You will need to have built a deck or at the very least be very comfortable with a miter saw and other hand tools. The plans are very matter of fact, "assemble this wall and go on to the next step" without any real suggestions on how some pieces are to go together. There is a call out for larger carriage bolts but no suggestion on where they should be used.
The biggest help though was having all of the included angles and lengths included for all of the cuts. This design had an angle on almost all the cuts.
The plans were also easy to modify, I didn't keep the standard arrangement, I moved the stair and slide location and only used one door for the cabin. I also added a pair of swings on either side.
The directions for installing the mast were lacking. I read and reread the directions multiple times trying to plan for it. I ended up making a sister beam one cross member away from the mast install. I then cut the decking board to length so that it ended on the main cross member. I left the remainder unscrewed until it was time to install the mast. This gave me access to install carriage bolts easily and I was able to jigsaw the cutout for the mast easy enough in the decking. I was able to screw the remaining decking piece into the sister board and it sits nice and flush and is the only seam in the deck section.
Lastly the plan for the crows nest had the carriage bolts for the uprights going right through the cross members of the deck. I had to move the uprights so they wouldn't interfere. Easy enough change but something to keep in mind.
All said, the plans were a huge help and I wouldn't have been able to do build this without them. If we ever move I will be using Paul's plans again to build another one of a kind playset for my kids.
Paul’s plans made this project so easy. His details were spot on. The plans made it so easy and quick. A fabulous Pirate Play Ship!
Thanks Paul
The plans were easy to follow and modify for the changes we wished to make. Good value overall.
I was hired to build a pirate ship playhouse for a family in Haiku, HI last winter, and Paul's Plans were essential to making that happen. The plans were easy to follow with every cut and step written out for me. I made a few adjustments per the customer's request. The trickiest part was building the foundation for the deck--not an easy one man job. Thanks Paul!
I was impressed with how easy the instructions were to follow. I did this for an Eagle Scout project and I couldn’t of hoped for anything better. I highly recommend this plan for anyone who wants to build a playhouse. It is sturdy, cool looking, and the kids love it. I also found the company to be very responsive.
