I ended up buying four
of the pirate dinghies when they were on sale at Target for around $12.99. I put new tan spars and white intact square sails on them. I intend to use them as pirate ships and with my Romans and Egyptians as merchant or even troop ships.
I don't like the black hull, green deck, and silver hardware as much as the brown, tan, and gold in the original iteration, but I'm glad Playmobil has given us some new color choices. I do think the silver anchor is an improvement, especially if it's metal. Also, I believe this is the first time we've seen that rock formation in brown; previously it was in dark grey and light grey, I think. It's good to get some more of the French soldiers and I'm sure the kids will like the giant squid and the shark. I personally won't be purchasing this set, but if it sells for $29.99 or even $39.99, it will be a pretty good buy.
Now that Playmobil has filled out its line with the smaller vessels (e.g. this dinghy and the new larger rowboat), I'm hoping we get a giant $200 three masted man of war.
