Today we're taking a quick look at the contents of the LEGO Bricklink Designer Program 910046 Merchant Boat set , a box of 2180 pieces which will be available for pre-order from February 4, 2025 on the Bricklink platform at a public price of €169,99.
This set will be one of five that will seek to collect the 3000 pre-orders necessary for their passage into production, it is the cheapest and undoubtedly the most original proposition of the 4th wave of products from the Bricklink Designer Program.
This rather unusual boat is the work of Nicolas Carlier ( CARLIERTI ), a fan designer who had already successfully sold set 910032 Parisian Street during the first wave of the program. For those who remember, he is also the one who, along with his brother Thomas ( BRICK PROJECT ) , repeatedly submitted the now infamous, but ultimately rejected, Ratatouille project to the LEGO IDEAS platform.
This time, we have the right to a merchant ship and LEGO sent me a very preliminary copy without a box or instruction booklet, with an inventory sorted into random bags, unfinished instructions in digital format and a provisional sheet of stickers. The instructions provided were already at a sufficiently advanced stage to limit errors and other inversions of sequences, even if there is still work to be done and it will have been necessary to show a little deduction for certain steps with poorly managed angles, pieces that disappear between two steps, etc.
It is important to note that LEGO did not intervene in the construction itself and that the product remains the one imagined by its designer with a few parts replaced for logistical and availability reasons. We are therefore faced with a product that may disturb some fans accustomed to "official" boxes whose contents have passed through the hands of the Billund designers who must comply with very demanding specifications.
Indeed, some techniques may seem a little unusual and some assemblies may seem a little fragile. But as I have already said, the Carlier brothers know their subject inside out and over time they have acquired experience that allows them to offer a finished product that is pleasant to assemble.
The hull of the boat is attached to a chassis of unfailing strength which also includes the mechanism which will set the paddle wheels in motion when the machine moves. The boat obviously does not float but it rolls which prevents it from resting on the ground thanks to the integration of wheels whose thickness of the tires ensures a space between the hull and the ground.
The rest of the boat is then assembled from the bottom up, using the various modules. It's almost like a floating modular building , with its easily accessible interior spaces, fittings, and removable blocks that allow you to explore the boat's internal structure. The roof can also be removed, although this requires detaching the two connection points that join the panels to the frame.
As I said above, the technical approach here is different from that of the Billund designers. There remains the concern to balance the different phases of construction by alternating between the assembly of the hull sections or the walls of the different levels and the installation of the furniture and finishing details, we do not get bored even if some phases are logically a little repetitive.
We feel during certain phases that the solidity of the product is not always the main concern and that aesthetics remains a priority. Nothing penalizing for those who are used to these products, the others will have to be extra vigilant especially when it comes to embed the module of the first floor on the ground floor with walls that may have to be straightened a little so that the connection is effective without forcing.
The furniture in the various interior spaces is largely on par with what you'd find in official Modular Buildings , with a well-equipped kitchen, a few beds, and a table and stools. There's still room to place minifigures, and the space-to-size ratio is good.
Staircase fundamentalists will be pleased to note that circulation between floors is provided via an external staircase and landing that provide access to the first floor as well as via a ladder allowing access to the attic, all without unreasonably encroaching on internal space.
The craft being a merchant ship, there is a slew of goods ready to be sold via numerous crates stored where there is room. It is dense without being too cluttered, and we really have the impression of dealing with the means of locomotion of a traveling merchant who goes from village to village on his flat-bottomed barge. Concerning the style of the construction, I hesitate between the slightly medieval atmosphere that emerges from the whole and the almost retrofuturistic side of the thing. It will be up to each person to appreciate the theme developed here.
The figurines here are enough to bring a little life to the main construction with the captain of the boat, his family, a mechanic and a few pets. There are three stickers to stick on, two for the paintings installed on the ground floor and the one that takes place on the bow of the boat. I'm not a fan of the BL-1998 mention on a white background at the front, I would have rather seen a real name for this boat on a background of painted boards. As it is, it's ugly.
The most observant will have noticed that the big black chimney is installed right in the captain's field of vision, nothing dramatic in itself and you can in any case remove it easily if you consider it superfluous.
Upon arrival, I think this offering remains within the comfort zone in which the Bricklink Designer Program has evolved over the years, with its medieval-themed sets, large builds reminiscent of Modular Buildings , and trains. Aside from the few more original offerings present in each wave of the program, it openly targets AFOLs (Adult Fans of LEGO) who crave sets based on their favorite themes, a need rarely met by the LEGO IDEAS program or the manufacturer's official catalog.
In my opinion, this barge fits into the medieval theme that is very popular with fans without being satisfied with the usual few walls and it is able to give a little pep to a very classic diorama that could really use a little fun.
The Bricklink Designer Program has become over time a refuge for the most nostalgic AFOLs who probably prefer castles to flowers and trains to the frankly lifestyle turn undertaken by the manufacturer, this barge is in my opinion a good compromise which can make the link between the two approaches with a reassuring atmosphere and a big touch of originality on the verge of risk-taking, given the context of the program, which should be welcomed.
It now remains to be seen whether the thing appeals to the 3000 fans ready to pre-order it today to allow this product to be marketed, we know that the LEGO fan is often quick to get carried away as soon as a product is announced before coming to his senses at the time of its marketing, whether for purely budgetary or more philosophical reasons.
Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO , is, as usual, up for grabs. The deadline is February 14, 2025, at 23:59 PM. Simply leave a comment below the article to participate. Your entry will be considered regardless of your opinion. Please avoid comments like "I'm participating" or "I'm trying my luck"—we already know that's what you're doing.
Update: The winner has been drawn and notified by email; their username is shown below.
| Sushi2b - Comment posted the 04/02/2025 at 21:11 |
