4295 Spanish Treasure Rowboat

[Martin Milner]

Although we had an excellent review of the 4294 Lighthouse nearly two years ago from Sir Gareth, somehow the 4295 set has been overlooked, so here's my review.



The first thing to note is that the box front picture has been photoshopped to extend the left oar handle, and it is actually impossible for one klicky to sit in the boat and hold both oars. I don't think this deliberate misrepresentation of the contents works in Playmobil's favour, because it obscures the fact that this is the first Playmobil dingy that can hold four klickies, and requires two rowers, and we needed a bigger rowboat to fill the gaps in the Playmobil fleet.



The back picture is necessarily more honest and shows the contents accurately. A BIG rowboat with four seating positions, two of them oarsmen, two klickies, one a fatbody, the other the same design as one of the lighthouse crew but with different hair, a treasure chest with two plastic bags of gold coins which half fill it, two small barrels (possibly of gunpowder) and a rum bottle.



The boat sports an ensign which bears a close similarity to the Spanish royal coat of arms. The two non-rower positions have handholds for the klickies.

[Martin Milner]

The two klickies make a good pairing, the older wiser man and the foolish eager youth. Both are armed with rapiers on a shoulder sling. It's difficult to leave these on when the figures are rowing, but that is only really as it should be. The armoured klicky has front and back printing, and is to my eye one of the handsomest klickies yet produced.



All the coins together only half fill the treasure chest leaving room for the two kegs and the rum bottle.



Loading the treasure. Like all chests, this can be carried nicely by two klickies, and it'd have to be because gold is very heavy.

[Martin Milner]

The chest is a little awkward to fit into the boat, which is perhaps why in the box cover it has slipped as is shedding its contents. The best position I found was longways on the back seat (which is not how it is in this picture!), where it can sit between the two handholds, but even here it tends to slide forwards into the rowers' feet. It cannot sit on the front seat as that doesn't leave room for the rowers backs.

Overall I like this set very much. The price is right for the contents, and with the new boat and the fat klicky there are some unique parts. The only thing missing is one or two muskets or blunderbusses for the soldiers, but these are easily added from general stock.

Like all the best sets there is a little story going on. The two Spanish soldiers load their boat and set off across the harbour to put the treasure aboard a galleon, but due to a rogue wave, or perhaps overapplication of the rum bottle, the chest slips and the treasure starts to spill out.

Do they recover it, disguise their mistake, or get in trouble with the Captain?

[Martin Milner]

The Historical Accuracy (as I see it)

These two klickies and their rowboat form a tiny link in the Spanish chain of a gold relocation which carried on for over 200 years.

From 1566 to 1790 treasure fleets were filled with gold, gems and other riches in ports on the Spanish Main, and sailed across the atlantic to fill the Spanish Royal coffers. They became a prime target for buccanneers, pirates, privateers and rival nations, primarily England, France, and Holland.

Naturally during that long period of time both military and civilian costumes changed a great deal, so it would be impossible to represent everything accurately. I think Playmobil have done a very good job; nobody looking at these figures should be in doubt as to what they are meant to be.

Combining these two figures with the lighthouse figures gives us five different styles to mix, and the addition of a ruff collar or changing of a hat to something contemporary to a chosen period is a small detail. The Spanish units make a great protagonist force to combat or be attacked by the pirates, and it is to be hoped that the other nations involved eventually get a couple of new sets of their own. 

[playmovictorian]

Thank you Martin  for this excellent analysis and putting this item back in its historical context.

For those interested about the rise of the Spanish Empire and the series of events that changed History - for the better for some and the worst for others - I highly recommend :



Rivers of Gold: The Rise of the Spanish Empire, from Columbus to Magellan (Paperback)by Hugh Thomas 

This book is available from Amazon.com and gives an excellent account on one of the most fascinating, epic and bloody episode in the World History.

[playmofire]

A truly excellent review, Martin, both in written content and photography; thank you.  I only wish I had the space, time and money to take in sets such as these; they are Playmobil at its traditional best.

[Justindo]

Great review, Martin!  I like the set a lot too, and it's nice to finally have some conquistadors.

[Jimbo]

Thanks for the great review, Martin.

The boat looks better in "real life", than on the cover of the box.

Best regards,
Jimbo

[Rasputin]

Thank you for bringing up this set . We found that 4 person boat really useful and may need to get another one . It is a great way to add soilders to the light house, you get a boat and who does not need more gold .

 Great review and information .

[Gepetto]

Thank you for the review and photos Martin, this is another set that I had passed on because I did not need another dinghy and there didn't seem to be enough value there. Time to re-examine because I do like the spanish figures.



Gepetto