English theme park replaces 33-year-old pirate ship
Chessington replaced Black Buccaneer with Blue Barnacle, a new pirate ship from Metallbau Emmeln. The ride was due to open in 2020, but pandemic delays pushed its debut to April 2021.
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Chessington World of Adventures brought a new pirate ship into service in April 2021: Blue Barnacle. The ride became the direct successor to Black Buccaneer, the swinging ship that had operated at the English family park since 1988 and was removed in 2019 after reaching the end of its technical life.
What made the project notable was Chessington's decision to keep the same classic ride type. Rather than replacing the ship with something entirely different, the park ordered a new version from German manufacturer Metallbau Emmeln, a company also known for similar rides at Duinrell and Toverland. The name Blue Barnacle came from a fan competition, giving regular visitors a small but visible role in the attraction's next chapter.
For fans and returning guests, the opening was more than a straightforward swap. Blue Barnacle preserved a familiar family ride experience while showing that Chessington was still investing in its ride line-up. The attraction had originally been planned for 2020, but the pandemic delayed the work. When it finally opened in April 2021, together with Croc Drop, it helped signal a fresh start for the park after a disrupted period.