I was taking a rest from modeling, when I came across an unfinished figure I started a good many years ago. It falls into the differently shaped ships category I'm drawn to. In the late 19th century, Alexander McDougall invented new kind of ship for carrying bulk cargo on and between the Great Lakes. This Poser figure will be configurable in length and hull size.

The concept I had for the Whaleback Ship figure was easy configurability. There would be an easy way to change the hull size

or the hull length

The Whaleback figure has a fully equipped bridge with a helm coordinated with the rudder, an engine telegraph with operating command handle and response pointer, and a binnacle with gimbal-mounted compass that responds to ship motion.

Alexander McDougall was awarded several patents for a war boat with his whaleback hull.

Rather than using his approach that had cannon firing through the bow and stern of the vessel and depended on the helmsman to aim the ship and the cannon, I rigged up an alternate warship configuration that incorporates my Nordenfelt organ gun figure that fell out of the market some years ago.

Mostly packaged up now. Here's a warship scene render:

The Whaleback is now in the marketplace:

There will be a freebie add-on barge conversion to the Whaleback:

Looks interesting.