Best in show

Radio Control Boat Modeler, Oct 2004 by Fryant, John

The 50th outing of the Toledo Weak Signals R/C Expo held on April 2,3 and 4 at the Seagate Center in Toledo, OH, was truly an uplifting experience for scale RC boaters. In contrast with the sparse number of entries in other recent shows, there were many, many boat models exhibited this year-more than I have seen in the past 10 years. This was very encouraging! In the past, I have urged scale boaters to consider participating in this event. Either my advice was heeded, or entries increased because it was the event's 50th anniversary. At any rate, it was wonderful to see so many models exhibited. Let's keep it up! Before the noon Saturday deadline for entries, I counted at least 22 models entered in the scale categories.

Scratch-builders ruled! The three top places in each of the scale boat categories were all won by scratch-built models. Take note of this if you plan to enter the Toledo event.

First place in the Working Vessel, Unarmed category went to a magnificent ocean salvage tug model by Phil Dewsnap of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Phil's 1/32-scale scratch-built model of the Foundation Franklin features a molded fiberglass hull, for which Phil made his own master plug. The wooden master was built using the plank-on-bulkhead technique and was then covered with 0.015-inch styrene strips cut to the specific size of each hull plate. Phil spent six months making the master, the fiberglass mold and the final molded hull. An additional fiberglass mold was made to reproduce the two identical smokestacks. The model is just loaded with details, including deckhands at work and a motorized lifeboat complete with a detailed engine. Each deck winch consists of more than 70 pieces of brass, most of them lathe-turned. RTV rubber molds were made for the cowl vents, portholes, scuppers, anchors and most other deck fittings, all of which were cast in resin. The entire project took a little more than a year, and Phil says that the lessons he learned during the mold-making process are priceless. This model will soon be available as a semi-kit from Loyalhanna Dockyard.

The Foundation Franklin was the subject of one of the best sea stories I have ever read: "The Gray Seas Under" by Parley Mowatt. Phil told me that this book inspired him to build the model. The book is probably out of print now, but if you ever stumble across a used copy, be sure to grab it.

I earned a second-place award with my Army Corps of Engineers river towboat "Chicot"-a model of an old workboat used by the Corps on the lower Mississippi River. Built to 1/24 scale, it features RC-activated lights, an electronic whistle, a smoke generator and a working capstan; some of the construction techniques were featured in my August 2004 column. You may wonder why, since the government owned it, the Chicot was not classified as a military vessel. The answer is that the boat was not armed and was manned by civilian crews, thereby qualifying it as a Working Vessel, Unarmed. [Editors' note: check out "Final Moorings" for an in-depth look at John's Chicot and a roundup of his scale-modeling resume.]

The third-place winner was a scratch-built steam fishing trawler by John Hennebry of Kitchener, Canada. The 1/48-scale "Bayflower" is a model of a trawler built in 1933 in Yorkshire, UK. It fished in the North Atlantic and Icelandic Oceans. The Bayflower's hull is made of plank-on-frame construction covered with thin aluminum plates to simulate the hull plating. The rivets were individually applied using dressmaker's pins-approximately 6,340 of them! In addition to the many details on the deck, the wheelhouse is fully furnished and illuminated.

Moving to the Pleasure Boat category, first place was again awarded to Jack Kipfer of Waterloo, Canada, with his model of the "Algoma," a 1930 Barnes Long Deck Launch. Jack's models always exemplify miniature perfection. As I like to say, "They are the real boat-shrunk." This is the 12th year in a row that Jack has won first place in this class. The Algoma also took third place in the Best Finish category.

Second place went to Gregory Rice of Ft. Wayne, IN, with his scratch-built, 1/24-scale Principia motor yacht. This model has participated in the past two Great Lakes Scale Regattas, and photos of it have appeared in previous "Scale Views" columns. Again, it features a molded-fiberglass hull for which the builder made the master and subsequent hull moldings. The cabins' interiors are fully furnished and are complete with etched-glass windows on the working doors. It was impossible to photograph the interior, but peeked inside and can assure you that all the furnishings were there.

Third place in Pleasure Boat was awarded to Rich Roll's beautiful 1/10-scale, scratch-built 1963 Lyman 25-foot "Soft Top Sleeper." This immaculate model features full interior details with working lights and horn. Rich is the owner of M.A.C.K. Products Model Marine, and he plans to release the Lyman as a kit in his upcoming new Legend Model Boats series.

In the Military category, first place went to Tom Foller of York, PA, for his LST, which was completely loaded with 1/72-scale military vehicles. Tom is a member of the Task Force 50 club, which sponsors the well-known annual scale regatta held on the third Sunday of August at Lake Redman, on the outskirts of York.