Review: 41734 Sea Rescue Boat
Posted by MeganL,
The third and final Sea Rescue set in the Friends line this year is 41734 Sea Rescue Boat. There have been plenty of cute animals in the other two sets, so I think we can expect more cute animals here.
Friends boats have always been fantastic builds, and at first sight this set reminded me of the rescue boat from 2019, 41381 Rescue Mission Boat. Therefore, I was very much looking forward to building this set.
Summary
41734 Sea Rescue Boat, 717 pieces.
£74.99 / $79.99 / €84.99 | 10.5p/11.2c/11.9c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
Largest set of the sea rescue theme is another great Friends boat
- Environmental theme
- New dolphins
- Lots of play in a tight space
- None
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Inside the box there are six numbered bags, a 16x16 plate, and a folder with an instruction book and a moderately sized sticker sheet. I noticed that the folder was glued shut instead of taped, which I thought was unfortunate (I like keeping the folders, and it's much easier when I can just cut the tape). This was the largest sticker sheet that I'd seen in a while.
Minidolls and animals
There are four minidolls in this set. Nova and Aliya are the representatives of the core cast. For the first time we see Nova without a gaming motif on her clothes or holding a phone with a game. She's wearing a swimsuit with the rescue centre's logo on the front, along with bright green shorts. Aliya has a very bright orange wetsuit with a zip up front.
Rounding out the cast for this set are Gunnar, the captain of the boat, and his friend Marco. Gunnar and Marco are dressed in similar wetsuits, though Gunnar has some additional detailing on the front of his. Both Gunnar and Marco are new introductions to the cast, and I like Marco's freckles - the first I remember seeing on a male minidoll. Marco looks quite dreamy and I expect he'll be the subject of some crushes at Heartlake School.
All the torsos have some nice printing on the back, with the sea rescue centre's logo on three of the four minidolls.
Appropriately enough, more water mammals are found with this set, in this case dolphins! Two adult dolphins with some printed details on their heads (of course, one dot is in the shape of a heart) make their debut in this set. They're accompanied by a baby dolphin, also introduced this year.
The completed model
The side build for this set is not the plight of a distressed animal, but instead a small submarine that ready for a Friend to do some personal exploring in the sea.
Those pincers would seem to be somewhat harmful for animals, so it's a relief to see in the cover art that the main purpose of the submarine is to fish out debris from the sea as opposed to pinching animals.
The same size propeller used in 41752 Sea Rescue Plane is used for the submarine. That's one powerful propeller!
Despite the set name, it appears that the main purpose of the vessel is to remove litter from the ocean, as much of the functionality is geared toward that effort. There's a large hook on a crane on the bow, which can be used to pick up the submarine, but also other large items such as tires.
There's a slide on one side of the boat that allows very quick access from the bridge to the sea, because why not? Just jumping off the side would be so boring.
The stern of the boat has flex tubing to encircle other floating debris so it can be scooped out of the sea. There's a net quite close by to aid in that effort.
After sliding from the bridge to the water, there's a much more pedantic way of gaining access back on the boat by means of a ladder. Once the litter is retrieved from the sea, it can be placed in the recycling bins that are conveniently located right there.
I like the sticker details along the side of the boat that features some of the animals the Friends are working with. In a first for this wave, the logo for the boat is a large recycling sign rather than the whale tail logo we've seen in the other sets.
That whale tail logo is seen at the base of the crane, which is only seen from the top view.
Taking a closer look at the stern, we see the command centre to be quite detailed. A radar image shows debris that needs to be cleaned up along with other controls. The boat is solar powered thanks to the panels. Finally, there's a shower for the Friends to rinse off after their sea adventures.
The top deck lifts off, giving view to the working area below.
It's a tight space, but the designer has packed a lot of detail here! On one side there's a small lab area, with a computer monitor with a program tracking water quality, a microscope right beside it (with some nice parts usage) and a syringe for an unclear purpose (do the dolphins need it?).
Right next to the working area, there's a kitchenette with a stove, oven, sink, and the all-important coffee maker.
The other side of this tight space is a rest area. Ther are two beds and a loveseat couched in this area. Also notice the enormous sandwich on the table (where is this stored? There's certainly not enough room for it in the oven), and the 50 SPF sunscreen.
The bathroom takes up the rest of the space on this level, and while it has a door, it can also be accessed by a flip up hatch.
It's a tight space, but there's always space for visitors.
(Note: sea-faring sloths not included in this set.)
Overall thoughts
Friends boats are typically excellent sets, and this one is no exception. Friends sets are including more environmental themes, and I like that this set not only focuses on wildlife rescue, but also cleaning the environment.
I like the trend of having more minidolls in the sets - it's nice to have two of the Friends and two other supporting characters in an $80 set. Apparently Aliya and Nova find out they have more in common than they think on this expedition, and it's nice to see Nova without her gaming gear!
There's a lot packed in a small space on the inside of the boat, with plenty of fun details, including the slide from the upper level to get to the water. The small submarine adds more fun and something else for the Friends to do. I'm a little surprised that more animals weren't included in the set, but the new dolphins are quite nice.
The pricing seems a little inconsistent across countries, but I think the US price of $80 is reasonable considering the size of the build and the play value.
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29 comments on this article
I think the model looks better without those stickers on the hull, but apart from that its a great set.
@MeganL I think those propellers are different sizes. It seems like one is four wide on the airplane, and the sub one is 3 wide.
I would have preferred a poop-deck instead of that lavatory, but all jokes aside, this looks like an extremely fun set for kids to build and play with. Lots of great parts.
FINALLY. I can recreate the climactic scene where Mayor Stephanie rediscovers the jaguar shark and tearfully comes to terms with the beauty of mortality while recognizing that the people who surround her are what make life truly a beautiful adventure.
Great review! I love the dark blue dolphins in particular. That said, I think 41378 also has a baby dolphin in it, although I'm not sure if this one is different.
Great review! I love boat sets especially when they have well-designed interiors, and the Friends theme continues to knock it out of the park in that respect. The set seems packed with detail and the color scheme of lavender, orange, white, teal, and neon yellow is striking but surprisingly harmonious.
This ship's purpose (porpoise?) of retrieving floating ocean debris also seems well-designed, relying on human labor to sort out trash so as not to simultaneously disturb the ecosystem of floating marine life like jellyfish, snails, and other floating marine organisms that ride the same ocean currents as plastic pollution. Bycatch like that is a real issue with many proposed methods of removing plastic pollution from oceans, so it's good that the Friends design team is aware of this and choosing to showcase methods of ocean cleanup that don't compromise the goal of conservation.
@Lyichir said:
"The set seems packed with detail and the color scheme of lavender, orange, white, teal, and neon yellow is striking but surprisingly harmonious."
Irony? Sarcasm?
To me the colour scheme could not be more disharmonious. Nothing seems to fit together. It's so stressful on the eyes.
Thankfully my daughters have outgrown LEGO. There's no way in hell I'm going to buy any set from this theme.
So is this the new colour, reddish orange? I've only heard of it on another website.
That yellow sloth is definitely eyeing up that big sandwich!
@Wrecknbuild said:
"So is this the new colour, reddish orange? I've only heard of it on another website."
No, the new colour arrives with 80054 Megapolis City next year. It can be seen most clearly in this image, on the pavilion roof:
https://images.brickset.com/sets/AdditionalImages/80054-1/80054_alt7.jpg
I like this set a bit, but I can't help but feel that there have been better friends watercraft. That crane seems designed to lift the sub to the deck behind it, but it would have to either flop it up or yank it so hard centrifugal force keeps it from flopping down. Not a great design.
And for an ocean cleaning vessel it doesn't seem very effective. Although a net would probably harm fish, surely the scale of the vessel would warrant something larger than a butterfly net?
Also, it's nice to see tubing again :)
"Aliya has a very bright orange wetsuit with a zip up front."
Ehm... that's coral. A neon pinkish red color. I know you love to use your own terminology on colors, but I don't see how this is orange. Unless it was the point of your comment that it's nothing like orange or something, of course.
And what happened with the comment on the sub's propellor being the same size as the one from the plane?
@AustinPowers said:
" @Lyichir said:
"the color scheme of lavender, orange, white, teal, and neon yellow is striking but surprisingly harmonious."
Irony? Sarcasm?"
American :-)
@Wrecknbuild said:
"So is this the new colour, reddish orange? I've only heard of it on another website."
No, I think this is just regular orange, otherwise Megan would have pointed it out. The new reddish orange will make its debut either in December or January in the Friends theme(and I think a lunar new Year set?). Although this orange does look more red from the pictures.
@CapnRex101 said:
" @Wrecknbuild said:
"So is this the new colour, reddish orange? I've only heard of it on another website."
No, the new colour arrives with 80054 Megapolis City next year. It can be seen most clearly in this image, on the pavilion roof:
https://images.brickset.com/sets/AdditionalImages/80054-1/80054_alt7.jpg "
This colour looks like dark coral in these pictures, can't wait to see it in person!
Good review! I've also been really impressed with Friends boats in the past, and while this is smaller than some of those other examples, the designers still managed to do a LOT with its more compact living and working space! Like some of those other sets, it manages to fit two beds, a kitchenette, a bathroom, a shower, and even some scientific equipment. Obviously, it has a smaller "common area" than pleasure boats like 41015 and 41317, but I feel that's to be expected for a boat like this with a more specialized purpose.
And speaking of porpoise (how's that for a segue?)… the new dolphins look quite nice! Their darker coloration and mottled pattern seem to be based on the Atlantic Spotted Dolphin rather than the Common Bottlenose Dolphin which previous LEGO Friends dolphins were modeled on. Of course, the existing dolphin calf pattern still works for this species, since for their first few years they are a lighter color with few or no spots.
The boat's SNOTted pontoon construction is also very clever, and I appreciate how it can glide smoothly over the water collecting litter! I know in recent years there have been some heavily hyped salvage boats that haul floating garbage up in big nets to sort out back on land instead of corralling it to sift through manually, but this approach is much more environmentally friendly since it prevents scooping up ecologically important marine surface organisms as bycatch.
I quite like the high-visibility color scheme of the sea rescue fleet and minidoll uniforms! The use of colors that we've previously seen used for City rescue and coast guard sets really helps to signal the important rescue work being done in these sets, as opposed to the mellow tropical colors we often see on the theme's leisure watercraft. And they're arranged in a very thoughtful manner: bright orange for functional components like lights and pontoons, bright bluish green and lavender for structural elements like walls and roofs, and vibrant yellow for safety markings on the wall perimeter, guard rails, and slide.
The submarine is kind of cartoony, but unlike some of the awkwardly-proportioned helicopters in the Friends theme, it's not so unrealistic that it's hard to imagine as a working vehicle. And it manages to fit a mini-doll pilot (along with some armrest-mounted gauges and controls) quite comfortably despite its compact size. With its rounded shape, articulated arms, and large circular floodlights, it's an easy gadget to anthropomorphize, almost like our good friend Zobo! And it reminds me fondly of set 6125 from my own childhood.
Thanks so much for reviewing these sets! Like some of the others this year, they've really shown that even past Friends subthemes can be brought into this new generation with fresh enough designs and imaginative enough concepts to make them feel brand new. It definitely has me very excited to see what sorts of places future waves of sets might take our new protagonists!
@Binnekamp said:
"And what happened with the comment on the sub's propellor being the same size as the one from the plane?"
It's not the same. I pointed it out, and they removed it from the review.
Looks like the Ubrikkian 9000 has been repurposed as a submarine.
@Murdoch17 said:
" @Binnekamp said:
"And what happened with the comment on the sub's propellor being the same size as the one from the plane?"
It's not the same. I pointed it out, and they removed it from the review."
It's still in the review, and your previous comment is still there.
@AustinPowers said:
" @Lyichir said:
"The set seems packed with detail and the color scheme of lavender, orange, white, teal, and neon yellow is striking but surprisingly harmonious."
Irony? Sarcasm?
To me the colour scheme could not be more disharmonious. Nothing seems to fit together. It's so stressful on the eyes.
Thankfully my daughters have outgrown LEGO. There's no way in hell I'm going to buy any set from this theme. "
Neither irony or sarcasm, thank you very much. I'm as surprised as anyone that they could make so many boldly different colors work well together, but I feel like the boldness of the orange and neon yellow balance the coolness of the lavender and teal extremely well. It certainly helps that the colors are well-organized with methodical color blocking (for example, the orange being used primarily on the floats and the neon yellow being used for accents and high-visibility features like the railings and slide).
I really like to do custom mash-up designs using Friends boats and Star Wars ships. In the Rogue Squadron novels called starfighter mash-up designs "Uglies". My Houseboat/Y-wing mash-up is anything but ugly, and this new set is definitely my bag, baby.
Just once it'd be nice if there was a review and it said that the sloths were included in the set!
@sjr60 said:
" @AustinPowers said:
" @Lyichir said:
"the color scheme of lavender, orange, white, teal, and neon yellow is striking but surprisingly harmonious."
Irony? Sarcasm?"
American :-)"
ROFL
That's brilliant. I guess you have to be European to understand that one ;-)
"a much more pedantic way of gaining access"
Doubtless I'm being pedantic, but I don't think that word means what you think it means.
my older brother's name is Gunnar, and I think he'll be none too pleased to hear that friends is plagiarising his name, lol.
Also, is the captain "Gunnar" bare foot? or is he just wearing flesh colored boots? and if he is barefoot, is that the first barefoot minidoll?
@SDlgo9 said:
""a much more pedantic way of gaining access"
Doubtless I'm being pedantic, but I don't think that word means what you think it means."
I think she meant "mundane"
Currently half-price at Amazon in the UK.
The FRIENDS theme has been so well consistently since the reboot. The building techniques and shapes in this model are great, however I can’t help but feel let down by the colour scheme. There’s nothing harmonious about it and the colours don’t compliment each other. Can’t wait to see what FRIENDS has to offer next year, the recently revealed sets are very promising so far!
@AustinPowers said:
" @SDlgo9 said:
""a much more pedantic way of gaining access"
Doubtless I'm being pedantic, but I don't think that word means what you think it means."
I think she meant "mundane" "
Or "pedestrian", perhaps.
Is this LEGO? It looks seriously bad. Like some cheap Chinese knock-off toy. The colourscheme is obnoxious, the figures look like Kinder egg toys and the model itself is the ugliest boat I've ever seen.