First comment!
This looks like a cool set. There were two versions, both of which came with really rare chrome gold pieces, with the one including some of those parts in "chrome brass".

I’d like to see an official lighting kit on something like this...

Of course I would like an official lighting kit to be released period. Super happy about the news today!

@iwybs said:
"This is just the 4+ pirate ship of the era in disguise, y'all. Nothing but a fat prefab hull and a cabin. I'd love to have a new Durmstrang ship, but only if it's brick-built."

Yep, this was my first Lego ship. The entire hull is two giant pieces. It's quite juniorized.

… Can this thing float? If it can, I'll forgive the giant pieces.

I have to agree with the more critical voices above. Apart from being 'juniorised', this is quite a messy, dare I say ugly, built, especially when compared with the elegance of the source material. No surprise it is the least wanted HP set of that year.

This ship was designed by someone who didn't really understand why Black Seas Barracuda was good, but attempted to adapt it to Harry Potter nonetheless.

@iwybs said:
"This is just the 4+ pirate ship of the era in disguise, y'all. Nothing but a fat prefab hull and a cabin. I'd love to have a new Durmstrang ship, but only if it's brick-built."

The hull, foresection and masts are indeed made of the pieces from that theme. The rest of the ship, especially the cabin, is built from regular parts. Also, hull and mast parts have always been large specialized pieces.

Look up the build for this thing. The top part is even removable and splits open into a small room when you do.

I realise this is a quirk of the source material but this ship seems horribly squashed. I feel there should be way more deck to it

Did Brickset remove the "appears in" function when looking at the parts inventory of a set? I found that feature extremely useful to quickly tell which other sets a piece has appeared in before. Does anyone have any insight on this? Maybe it's just not appearing for me?

Anyone know if LEGO will remake the LOTR Pirate Ship?

Yee most hulls are large pieces, but what makes this one feel juniorized is the entire hull piece (other than a small middle segment) is filled. You can't build a bottom floor in it like other ships, because the entire hull is sealed off from access other than a small hatch in the middle.

And no... it can't float.

To answer the question on can it float - I do believe at least the hull piece can. Now whether this particular set can I'm not sure (it looks like it's got a lot of weight on the stern so would it stay upright?). I ended up with 7075 Pirate ship from a lot I bought which uses those same pieces in red, and they sure seem designed to float... though I honestly can't recall if I've ever actually tried it.

I have this set sitting on display in my LEGO room. I recently rebuilt it after about a decade. Judging from the comments its not too popular here but it has a special place in my heart since it was one of the first sets I bought after my decade long dark age.

A 4 piece Playmobile boat w/LEGO on top... interesting. Looks like a long-lost relic from Time Cruisers when the Black Falcon Knights teamed up w/the Flaming Cow Skull Knights to build an ocean-going Port-a-Potty.

I have the US-Target exclusive with the 4 additional minifigures. Did someone realize even then that the set was lacking something? It's an iconic scene from the movie but the boat really doesn't have much of an impact on the story other than, you know, magic. And the set with its lack of, well, anything kind of reflects that: it's a good looker and that's about it.

And my copy came with an old dark gray 8x8 plate, woo-hoo! I guess we know what parts had a big warehouse surplus at the time of the color changeover in the early 2000's...

@JMaster said:
"… Can this thing float? If it can, I'll forgive the giant pieces."

I floated mine. Not sure if it's supposed to or not.

I have this and I love it; but yes, I would also very much like to see a more detailed version. Harry Potter and a Ship should be a more magical combination.