YouTuber fulfills childhood Zelda dream by making & sailing iconic Wind Waker boat
A YouTuber has turned a childhood sketch into reality by building and sailing the King of Red Lions, the iconic boat from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.
In the video, LittleJem explained how a school assignment at age 10 first sparked the dream of sailing Link’s boat across the Great Sea and drew a picture of it, which she kept with her years later.Fast forward to 2025, with “adult money and too much time,” she set out to make herZeldadream a reality, despite having no sailing or boat-building experience. While she has a history of making video game items, she called this her “most intimidating build so far.”
YouTuber builds King of Red Lions from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
To pull it off,LittleJempurchased a secondhand wooden boat from Facebook Marketplace as a base and spent two months transforming it. Using wood, foam, 3D-printed parts, and plenty of epoxy, she shaped and painted it into a near-perfect replica of the King of Red Lions.
The build even included attempts at animatronic features, with a moving head and jaw powered by servo motors to make it even more lore-accurate.
A post shared by LittleJem (@littlejem)
TheYouTuberadmitted to using an outboard motor rather than relying on wind, but safety concerns and time pressure made it the only realistic option. After several stressful tests, the project came together just in time for a big reveal.
Amazingly, the boat was able to float successfully, with its massive sail on full display. A surreal sight for anyWind Wakerfan. The YouTuber framed the moment as not just a build, but the realization of a dream decades in the making.
LittleJem also teased that if the video hits one million views, she’ll add even more upgrades, such as a grappling hook or cannon, to bring the fantasy vessel closer to its in-game counterpart.
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For now, though, the King of Red Lions sails again, not in Hyrule, but in the hands of a determined fan who refused to let the dream sink.
