63 replies to this topic

[TheBrickster]

INTRODUCTION

Gather around young whippersnappers and adult fans of LEGO.  I'm going to share a salty fishing yarn about the Annabell, a small fishing boat built in Classic Town fashion with a "floatable hull", yet trimmed with new modern colors for 2011.  Yes, she's the new 2011 Fishing Boat, set #4642. "Pop" to his boy, a father and his son, loved as one, fish'n they will go, Ahoy!

STATISTICS

Set Number: 4642
Set Name: Fishing Boat
Theme: City
Sub-Theme: Harbor/Sea Port
Released Date: April 2011
Price: $16.99 (USD) found at Toys R Us
Pieces: 64
Minifigs: 2
Accessories: Shark, Fishing Rod, Fish, 2 Life Jackets

THE FIND

I was pleasantly surprised to find the beautiful white-hulled Annabell in the Toys R Us LEGO aisle today, directly above some train sets and next to the LEGO City Space Shuttle.  How I immediately remembered Classic Town set 4011 Cabin Cruiser when I eagerly picked up the 64 piece set, alone just waiting for me to come along.


4011 Cabin Cruiser (1991)

Unfortunately, I have only seen Cabin Crusier in pictures thinking she would have made a fine fishing vessel.  I had been given another chance picking up the new 2011 set and quickly turning her around to admire the boxart:

BOXART



While I'm not really fond of the newer LEGO City Grey/Bley skyscraper background, thinking a lighter more leisurely "Paradisia without the pink" would be so much better, the shark, flying fish, and backside scenes make an enjoyable look.

Eager to get the set home, I quickly cut open the side tabs dumping the contents in prepration for this exclusive Eurobricks review.

CONTENTS



WHAT! What is this? Had my fishing boat been "out to sea", transported by maybe even the Ghost Ship in one of EB's "favorite all-time" murder mysteries; later being stored within the damp air of a seaside Maersk container?  My anger consumed me as I looked at the thin wrinkled instructions and sticker sheet wondering, "how might I flatten these to original glory?". Shame shame shame on LEGO!  But enough about the wrinkled contents, I would pop the one bag open and behold a short build.

FLOATABLE HULL

BUT first... I decided to take a look at the beautiful white and grey hull of the Annabell. Yes, at last I was the owner of a single smaller vessel hull.



28 studs long by 8 studs wide, measuring 23 cm or 9 inches in length, the airtight floatable hull quickly took my imagination to further heights... a new and improved Retro 1966 Batboat (custom stickers required), a Ship O'Fishing Gnomes, or even the originally intended leisure scene, a "Boy and his Dad", with maybe an extra Series 3 Fisherman as an additional friend. Splash! a wave of water brought me back to my senses.



Forgive my fuzzy pictures for the sun was setting as Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville played in my head.

FATHER & SON



The tranquility and simple pleasure of a Father and his Son enjoying the relaxing Sunday afternoon aboard the Annabell is what I see as I line up the minifigures.  A lime green hat on the boy, how different yet perfect does it look?  While the faces resemble one another; the apple never falls far from the tree, the young boy has freckles and a smaller, yet higher smile. Dad might be the same Werewolf and Green/White Transport truck driver we know and love, blue pants and a life vest makes him "Our Dad", the fishing pro. I'm sure he's got a fishing sonar-of-sorts, but is unfortunately still tickering with it in the garage, where he left it when this set was sealed within a Maersk container.

JAWS



A little humor by LEGO for those of us who remember the late 70s when Jaws scared many from visting their coastal beaches, perhaps? Rather, a return to Divers with a classic grey shark for added adventure?  Whatever you choose, one cannot fault LEGO for including the classic shark.  While part of me would have loved the newer larger stronger better printed Pirate shark, the jaw biting grey shark is certainly a nice piece still the same.

THE ANNABELL

Having just spent several hours building the Maersk on Esater Sunday, I was ready for a short and sweet built adding just a few pieces to the Annabell's hull:



Containing the wonderful printed radar slope and a round solid white windhield piece, the upper deck lets "Pop" steer the craft while "The Boy" casts his rod on the lower deck.  Unfortunately, the steering wheel was left off during assembly.



Radar and port & starboard lights top the Annabell off nicely, while the addition of two binoculars puzzle me?  Unfortunaley, nothing turns like Classic Divers, but perhaps fishing boats don't require as sophisticated radar systems.



The Annabell is a "two-man" craft containing two red chairs.  The lower chair allows the fisherman to sit as he attaches his rod to the back of the boat.  A 2x2 swivel plate would have been a nice addition to the lower deck chair.



A simple front-end or "bow" of the Annabell has a lovely yellow O-ring life preserver.  



The completed Annabell after building:



With Pop, Boy, and Sharkey following close behind:



Just a few extra pieces:



And a sticker sheet that I have to flatten overnight:



STRENGTHS

So many have said that LEGO has been able to capture some of the charm of Classic Town in recent years, and its sets like this that reinforce the thought.  While I don't own the 1991 4011 Cabin Cruiser set, I can't help to think that this may be an upgraded or modern version of the same floatable boat.  The set has nice colors and I love the use of dark blue.  The overall shape and design works well for me and has a bit of a sleek modern look while still capturing a retro ship design.  The shark, young boy minifig, life vests and preserver, and fishing rod with fish accessorize the Annabell nicely.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT

Comparing this set to 4011 Cabin Cruiser, 4011 had two seats on its upper/steering deck adding more play value; however to be fair, 4011 did not have as a nice a radar system on its upper deck.  Could LEGO have given us the best of both worlds?  Perhaps I'm asking too much.  I would have loved some additional accessories, such as a 1x2 printed radio brick, a bucket or barrel for placing fish within, and maybe even a set of skis for some waterskiing fun. With a box this small, I can't understand why my instructions were wrinkled as badly as they were.  Lastly, with a small piece count; two-three dollars off the price would have been a little more reasonable, although I think the set is worth it.  Oops! I almost forgot, the Annabell needs a steering wheel.

RATING

Let me try rating this set with some additional factors considered:

Design: 4/5 (no turning radar, opening latches, or swivel seats)
Pieces: 4/5 (needs a crate or barrel & a few more pieces for alternate building)
Playability: 5/5 (it doesn't get much better than floating and fishing with minifigs)
Nostalgia Factor: 5/5 (I'm getting the Classic Town "warm fuzzy")
Price: 4/5 (just a few dollars over price expected)
Overall: 4.4 (with all things considered, I'm rounding to 5!)

CONCLUSION

4642 is not just a Fishing Boat, it's a floatable fishing boat. It's not Jack Stone, but it's quality design, nice colors, and nice pieces. The build took me about 10 minutes and I enjoyed it. I can't wait to break out a Series 3 Fisherman to bring a friend along.  It's great to see LEGO offering a new boat that isn't Police or Fire.  Now I want that tugboat I never had.  This is a must buy and a great way to introduce the new Harbor sub-theme.  I look forward to seeing the other new sets and the Creator Lighthouse for added nautical fun. I hope you have enjoyed this review, reading some of the contents vs. just looking at the pictures.

Until next time,

-TheBrickster

Edited by TheBrickster, 30 April 2011 - 06:24 PM.
Indexed

[5150 Lego]

First off, thanks for the great review. I now know to pass on this set. Seems rather bland for what you pay for. No interior. At least 4011 Cabin cruiser had a bed, as well as hinged wind screen to gain access to the interior. Only positive thing about this set for me is... well. Darn can't really think of anything.

[Solitary Dark]

I'm loving this set, and not just because it fits with my current project - I can see it becoming a classic with me purchasing multiples for the hull.

[Fuzzylegobricks]

Really nice review! I went everyday last week to Toys R Us to get the harbor sets, each time they were 100% confused what I was talking about!
Great work here!

[laka]

Thanks for the review, Brickster. One thing, you didn't point out on this model, is that the cabin underneath the deck is too low for a standing minifig. It's only four bricks high, it should have been at least five. Luckily, it's not more than it should be able to MOD it. Besides that, as 5150 Lego also wrote, there is no interior inside (probably because of the low height of the cabin).

But you're right that this model (and others) has/have some classic feel which is really nice (especially for us who grew up with the classic town   ). This model would be a nice addition to my sole police boat (and a few small speed boats).

Edit: Btw, I gave it four, mainly because of the limited use of the cabin. Otherwise great detailed model.

Edited by laka, 28 April 2011 - 12:47 PM.

[The Yellow Brick]

Brilliant review Brickster
To be honest this is one of my favorite 2011 city sets by far, I don't know why but it just seems very refreshing to see something different in the city line.
Do you have any other 2011 City harbor sets to review ?

[Mr. Elijah Timms]

Awesome review-- certainly doesn't seem like that substantial of a set, but there's amazing playability in there and it does seem to be a pretty solid design.

Kinda wish they didn't actually name the vessel on the stickers-- but I guess that's the magic of stickers, you can always ignore them!

[lightningtiger]

Thanks 'The Brickster' for this review, you forgot to note no steering wheel.....maybe it's controlled by the Force !
Though I will say I like it alot, mind you swivel seats would really add some realism !
Can't wait for this set to be out and for the next review.....K.O.B. everyone !

[Haltiamieli]

laka, on 28 April 2011 - 12:44 PM, said:

One thing, you didn't point out on this model, is that the cabin underneath the deck is too low for a standing minifig. It's only four bricks high, it should have been at least five.

While I'm by no means very knowledgeable about boats, I imagine quite a few real boats of this size (quite small, that is) do not have high enough cabin spaces that one could stand there straight either?

[laka]

Haltiamieli, on 28 April 2011 - 02:02 PM, said:

While I'm by no means very knowledgeable about boats, I imagine quite a few real boats of this size (quite small, that is) do not have high enough cabin spaces that one could stand there straight either?

Maybe we see the size of this boat differently? I don't see as "quite small". I see it more like this, maybe a little smaller, like this one. I would say, they have space for standing in the cabin. But hey, I'm not an expert on boats either.

[paanjang16]

Having owned the classic 4011 Cabin Cruiser, I am disappointed with this new fishing boat. For one thing it lacks the hinged piece to access the lower deck and have no interior inside the boat. It's too bad it does not have an interior because from the front it looks like it has an interior due to the trans-slope piece. They could have made the bridge a little higher to accommodate another deck below.

Does it come with a metal weight piece? The original had a 2x8 red brick which acts as a ballast of some sort so that the rear of the boat is heavier than the front.

[Klaus-Dieter]

Thank you very much for this great review, TheBrickster!

5150 Lego, on 28 April 2011 - 06:30 AM, said:

First off, thanks for the great review. I now know to pass on this set. Seems rather bland for what you pay for. No interior. At least 4011 Cabin cruiser had a bed, as well as hinged wind screen to gain access to the interior. Only positive thing about this set for me is... well. Darn can't really think of anything.

I completely agree with you, 5150 Lego!

This set is dinately a shame in comparison to other great civilian sets TLG is releasing these days. So I even voted for

Below Average

Pro:
-partly the exterior
-kid minifigure
-life vests

Con:
-the name "fishing boat" is completely unfitting since it's a regular bigger motor boat
-no windows but only holes
-no interior   

If TLG added windows and some interior, it could have been an amazing set. But the way they designed it, it's imo the worst set of the City summer wave - and even one of the worst sets of 2011.


Klaus-Dieter

[Jargo]

the actual lower hull is nice but the deck is horrible. it might have looked better in tan or white but the way it overhangs rather than being recessed is disappointing. I'll probably buy the hull from bricklink when the power boat transport shows up with a white deck just to have another small boat but I won't buy the set.

Edited by Brickenhead-town-dweller, 28 April 2011 - 08:12 PM.

[The Yellow Brick]

TheBrickster, on 28 April 2011 - 03:32 AM, said:

Just noticed something on the back. In the top left picture the Dad is in the water wearing his life jacket and the son in throwing him the life preserver. Why should he need a life preserver when he is wearing his life jacket.

[wooootles]

$17 and only 64 pieces is sad any way you slice it.

Bring back the brick built boats! (unintentional alliteration)

[L@go]

Thanks for a great review - as some others have said, this has made me decide not to buy this set. I voted for "below average" - this, along with the other sets in the Harbour theme this summer, is far too juniorized for my taste. For example, why skimp on the steering wheel? Are the owners supposed to control the boat by radar? Then again, if you look at that horrible boat transport trailer, you see how bad a steering wheel can look. Who has ever seen a truck with its wheel sticking up in plain sight behind the windscreen like that? I'm sorry, TLC, these sets could be great, but you've missed a wonderful opportunity. Now that I've seen this one, I know I won't be buying any of the harbour sets.

Luckily, there will be better things to spend that money on, like that modular that we all want to see so badly :)

[KielDaMan]

Another excellent review The Brickster! Reading through your review and seeing those high-quality pics really makes me appreciate this set more. Among the new CITY sets this is the one that I would probably get, it's a pretty good set IMO, even if I prefer the '91 version.

[dr_spock]

Thanks for the detailed review.  I would get this set on sale as I do not have a floating boat in my collection.

[meyerc13]

I love this set!  Ever since I bought my son the Coast Guard ship two years ago, I've been wanting something for the Coast Guard to rescue.  This is a nice inexpensive boat that I'll be adding to our harbor very soon, quite possibly in multiples.

I know a lot of people complain that this was named a fishing boat, but in the City where I grew up this is what we would call a fishing boat or a fishing charter.  Take a look at the boats on these sites from my hometown and you'll see that it is quite representative, it just needs a few more fishing rods:

http://www.sheboygan...terfishing.com/
http://www.fishsheboygan.com/
http://www.dumperdan.com/

[TheBrickster]

meyerc13, on 29 April 2011 - 05:19 AM, said:

I love this set!... This is a nice inexpensive boat that I'll be adding to our harbor very soon, quite possibly in multiples.
...
Take a look at the boats on these sites from my hometown and you'll see that it is quite representative, it just needs a few more fishing rods:

I do as well Meyerc.  Thank you for pointing out a positive as well as sharing those nice images. I was looking at this set last night in closer detail.  I like the more classic "Sea Ray" design, not as modern as other recent LEGO boats from Fire and Police sub-themes. It's the simple hull shape that works well, and I look forward to seeing MOCs that other Harbour/Sea Port fans may create with the piece.  

I had to break out my Creature from the Black Lagoon Fishing Boat last night for a size comparison.  I'll share some day-time pictures soon.



The hull piece would have also come in handy when building my Retro Bat Boat, for a more stream-lined design.  



In any case, the hull will serve as a very useful piece for MOCs.  Now I'm going to add another fisherman or two and take some additional images.  

EDIT- Pictured next to the Rita:

[gcanik]

Excellent review of this great but simple set. I can definitely see alot of MOCing going on with this set especially with the color scheme and some added playability.

[SilentMode]

Thanks for reviewing this set!

I've been anticipating this boat, being a fan (and now owner) of the Cabin Cruiser. While the price point seems okay, the boat is ruined for me by having the dark grey on the boat base.

It would be good to see the boats side-by-side, but right now I will also have to pass.

[TheBrickster]

I had to do some photo-editing to compliment this nice little fishing boat.  Pictured in a quasi-Divers/Island scene, here she is:

[Gryphon Ink]

Quote

Why should he need a life preserver when he is wearing his life jacket.

A better question would be, what good the life preserver is going to do him when the boat is clearly one second away from running over him?

[Gryphon Ink]

You had me at FLOATABLE HULL!  This looks like a decent size to MOC up a lobster boat or a dive platform for an Atlantis team.

TheBrickster, on 28 April 2011 - 03:32 AM, said:

I'm sure he's got a fishing sonar-of-sorts, but is unfortunately still tickering with it in the garage, where he left it when this set was sealed within a Maersk container.

Er, there is clearly a sonar display in one of your pictures.  It sounds like you're confusing sonar with radar.  Sonar doesn't use a rotating dish, it uses transponders that are in the water, either suspended beneath/behind the boat or attached to the hull beneath the waterline.