While looking at the basic structure of the set design, I had difficulty figuring out what to do with the cyc. A thought I had, was to have a plain muslin cyc leaving open the possibility to either paint or use projections on it. I decided to paint the back platform the same color as the tarp and have an angled mirror instead of a muslin cyc. The idea was to make the ocean appear more expansive to the audience as it is reflected. This also allowed a seamless transition from the back platform to the tarp.
I also wanted to focus on the look of the mast and crow’s nest and decided to paint it the same color as the other platforms. I distressed the sails by cutting and making holes in them. I used tea to stain and give the sails a worn discolored appearance.