Review: 42064 Ocean Explorer Posted by FlagsNZ, 24 Dec 2016 06:30

Last month, in an article celebrating 2017 being the 40th anniversary of LEGO Technic, images of the first wave 2017 Technic sets were revealed.

Two sets in this batch of early 2017 Technic releases were immediately on my review radar: 42062 Container Yard and 42064 Ocean Explorer.

In this review, I am looking at 42064 Ocean Explorer. I have cast a very professional seaman's eye over this set as I have high expectations. In my field of work, I use model LEGO ships as props in the classroom as I teach a comprehensive range of nautical subjects to students of all grades as they further their careers at sea. Read on to see whether 42064 Ocean Explorer meets my high expectations.

The box

The front image on the box shows Ocean Explorer underway in rough seas while attempting to launch her submersible explorer. There is a helicopter, which is supporting the vessel, flying around waiting for the ship to alter course to reduce rolling and provide clearer air over the flight deck to enable safe landing.

There is a miniature image showing the principal ship dimensions.

The rear of the box shows the functions and playability of the main model. The rear of the box also shows the B Model: a tug pushing a barge ahead that is rigidly connected as a composite unit.

The B Model also has a small wind farm generator.

View image at flickr

All the sets released in 2017 have a distinctive teaser to the 40th year celebrations. The set includes a printed 3M beam celebrating the 40th anniversary.

Instructions and sticker sheet

The instructions come printed in one book and the sticker sheet is protected in the same bag.

I'll comment more on the stickers later in the review.

Parts

The parts come in three sets of numbered bags. Bag 1 makes the helicopter and submersible.

View image at flickr

Bags 2 make the hull of Ocean Explorer.

View image at flickr

Bags 3 make the ship's superstructure, crane and flight deck.

View image at flickr

The ship's topsides are coloured Earth Blue. There are several parts found in this colour for the first time.

View image at flickr

The new parts are 5M axle with end stop and 1M beam with 2 cross axles.

The underwater hull is made up of red parts to represent the anti-fouling paint.

There are eight bowed panels 3x11x2 in red. This part is currently found in three sets. The bulbous bow is made with a red deco cone; the first time this part has been made other than in clear transparent.

View image at flickrView image at flickr

There are two printed parts: the special 3M beam celebrating 40 years of Technic, and 1x1 round tile with the number 5 printed on it. There are six angular panels 3x5x3 in white for the first time.

View image at flickr

When all the various axles are put together, there is a rainbow of colours, which does make finding them a lot easier.

The build

The first bag makes the little helicopter with a clear bubble canopy. This reminds me of the Bell H13 Sioux helicopters seen in the TV series M*A*S*H during the late 1970s to early 80s.

The helicopter has a pair of float skids, which make sense since it is operating in the marine environment.

View image at flickr

The eight-tooth gear wheel under the base drives the two rotors.

This must be the smallest Technic helicopter released by LEGO. More on the two connector pegs with knobs in the cockpit later.

The submersible is also made from the first bag. The two 12-tooth gears control the mechanical arms and the propellers.

View image at flickr

The propellers would normally be counter rotating to reduce transverse thrust but they rotate in the same direction. Given the scale of the model and the limitations of LEGO parts, counter rotation would be difficult to achieve.

The Bags numbered 2 build the hull and crane pedestal.

Given the limitations of Technic panels, the hull has been made with a very elegant shape.

View image at flickr

A nice touch is placing a ship yard's plaque inside the engineering of the ship. Ship yard plaques are normally found on the engine room bulkhead and each hull built is numbered sequentially. This would indicate that this is the fifth ship from the Technic shipyard.

View image at flickr

Ocean Explorer has five wheels under the hull to allow it to be pushed around on the floor. The aft two wheels are linked to the steering gear. As the rudders turn, so does the steering wheels.

View image at flickr

Ocean Explorer has twin rudders.

View image at flickr

The third set of bags makes the superstructure.

A flight deck has been placed on the fo'c's'le and the crane boom has been added.

Here is an image before the stickers were applied.

View image at flickr

And here is the same view after the stickers have been applied. This set really needs the stickers to give it some definition. The portholes (technically - side scuttles) give the superstructure some scale.

The two 12-tooth gears on the Monkey Island slew and luff the crane.

View image at flickr

Ocean Explorer has the southern royal albatross as its emblem on the funnel. Behind the albatross is a traditional mariner's compass card on an earth blue background.

View image at flickr

The 20-tooth gear wheel behind the funnel controls the steering gear.

Carving Note

When a ship is first registered, or subsequently changes registry, a Carving Note is issued by the relevant maritime authorities. The ship's name must be permanently marked (carved, although today welding is more common) on each of its bows, the name and port of registry must be marked on its stern and the IMO Number must me marked where it can be seen from the air.

At the same time, draught marks and the load lines are also marked on the hull.

This is the starboard bow of Ocean Explorer. The ship's name, forward draught marks and a bulbous bow symbol have been marked. The forward draught marks measure the depth of the hull at the forward perpendicular.

View image at flickr

Here is the ship's name, port of registry and aft draught marks at the stern. The aft perpendicular is measured at the centre of the rudder stock.

View image at flickr

The IMO Number is a seven digit identity number which was introduced to improve safety and security and to reduce maritime fraud. Ocean Explorer's IMO number is the five digit set number 42064.

There is also Safety First, a sign which can be found on the front an increasing number of ships' superstructures.

View image at flickr

The LEGO designers have put a lot of effort into replicating the legal markings on Ocean Explorer.

Unfortunately, the load line stickers have been placed on the wrong side of the hull. Sticker No 2 must be placed on the starboard (right) side of the hull at instruction 48, and sticker No 4 must be placed on the port (left) side of the hull at instruction 49. If you have put the stickers on the wrong side, it is easy to switch the parts around later.

View image at flickr

The load lines are always forward of the load line disk and the fresh water load lines - TF and F - always point aft.

The box art and all the images in the instructions after number 48 are wrong as the load lines are on the wrong sides.

The letters have the following meanings:

T - tropical,

S - summer,

W - winter,

WNA - winter North Atlantic

TF - tropical fresh, and

F - fresh

View image at flickr

I'm guessing the B MP are the initials of the set designer, allthough I have not been able to find any LEGO designers that match these initials. Normally the two letters on the load line disk represent the classification society that assigned the load lines (such as LR for Lloyds Register or GL for Gemanisher LLoyd, etc).

A vessel loaded down to her F or TF line when floating in fresh water will rise to S or T line when the vessel enters salt water. The distance between S to F load lines is called the Fresh Water Allowance.

Load lines are there for crew safety. In shipping zones of good weather, the vessel can load deeper in the water, but in areas of poor weather, the ship must have more freeboard and, therefore, load less cargo.

Ocean Explorer has two 3M orange lifeboats and next to the entrances to the accommodation there is some fire equipment.

View image at flickr

Minifigures

While not part of the set, I wondered why there were two disused connector pegs with knobs in the cockpits of the helicopter and submersible.

I used some minifigures from the Deep Sea Explorers sets and found they fit quite nicely in the vehicles.

The view from the bridge is obscured when the helicopter has landed on the flight deck; however, the helicopter pilot will benefit from having clear air over the flight deck during take-offs and landings.

You can also see the forward masthead navigation light forward of the flight deck. This is at the same height of the port and starboard side lights. The side lights must be at a height above the hull not greater than three quarters of that of the forward masthead light.

View image at flickr

I will be modifying my model by placing the side lights just below the 2nd deck portholes.

In the image above, you can just see the hatch pontoon forward of the accommodation that, when removed, reveals a small cargo hold.

Playability

The set comes with multiple areas of play.

The two vehicles are fun to play with in their own right. The small helicopter has great swooshability.

Launching and retrieving the submersible with the crane can be a bit awkward. It would have been more realistic to have an A-frame gantry over the stern.

Ocean Explorer's steering responds realistically. The ships reacts like a real ship when underway when pushed around on the floor.

Verdict

This was a much-anticipated set for me. I welcome any opportunity to use LEGO as a teaching aid during my nautical lectures.

I like the fact the minifigures can be easily incorporated into the set which also gives the set a sense of scale.

The model captures many features of a real research vessel and is a great build; the crane could be designed better and it does not plumb over the forward cargo hold.

It is disappointing that the load lines are placed the wrong way around. This fault will be picked up by any professional merchant seafarer. This mistake is simple to fix though.

The navigation lights could be placed in more accurate locations but this fault is unlikely to be noticed by most people.

Overall, I like the set, the minor faults are easily fixed.View image at flickr

View image at flickr

View image at flickr