Preserving maritime heritage through scale boating

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1 Preserving maritime heritage through scale boating WSBA member Bill Pelky with his scale tugboat model Michael David. photo Sheila Julson From the bluffs overlooking Lake Michigan in Sheridan Park in Cudahy, one can spot sailboats gliding across the water, or a speedboat making waves. Occasionally a freighter can be seen in the distance, or a U.S. Coast Guard vessel. Miniature versions of these watercraft can also be spotted on Sunday afternoons on a pond on the South Shore. Wisconsin Scale Boating Association, Ltd. (WSBA) is a group of scale boating enthusiasts who run radio-controlled (RC) or wind-powered model boats built from scratch or from kits. The group meets informally at Sheridan Park on Sunday afternoons. Members share an interest in nautical history and meticulous attention to detail, which result in scale model sailboats,

2 speedboats, fishing boats, tug boats, barges, military fleets, and Mississippi River paddle boats all with authentic embellishments. WSBA has 60 members whose ages range from 40 to 80 +, said president Rich Sterle. The organization encompasses people of all skill levels and interests. The group owns its own pier that they set out at the pond in spring, as soon as weather permits. They operate during the summer months and remove the pier in fall for winter storage. When confined indoors during winter, Sterle said members work on their models. WSBA also participates in events including the Milwaukee Boat Show, the Pewaukee Antique Boat Show, events at Discovery World and Mitchell Park Domes, and in contests and demonstrations. WSBA members add meticulous details to their scale boats, such as this crewmember painting. Scale boats are constructed from fiberglass, plastic, or wood. Instruction guides included with replica model kits indicate what colors the vessels were painted during certain time periods. Some members follow kit instructions, while others create their own designs from photos of real boats.

3 Jack Dietz poses with his scale model barge. photos Sheila Julson Bill Pelky, who has been a WSBA member since 1987, displayed his 1/24 scale tugboat Michael David named after his nephew that he designed himself from a photograph he took of a full-size tugboat. I liked the look of the pilothouse on that boat, he said. I ve always had an interest in maritime aspects. As a youth, he enjoyed watching the SS Milwaukee Clipper dock. It made an impression on me, Pelky said. He s working on a replica of the SS Badger, the ferry that runs from Manitowoc to Ludington, Mich. Leftover wood or parts from other projects can be useful, and action figures found at toy stores can be modified for use as crewmembers or passengers. Dollhouse furniture also comes in handy for little details on model ships. You never throw

4 anything away, Pelky said. Sterle used a 35mm film canister to shape flat, dampened sticks into cages for his scale lobster boat. Other members have used film roll canisters to replicate smokestacks on models. Jack Dietz watched his Mississippi paddle wheeler Carol-Ann glide across the pond. He named the vessel after his wife. It even has Mississippi music, Dietz said, as a festive mixture of calliope and Dixieland jazz was heard from the boat crossing the lagoon, thanks to the Power POD 360 speaker mounted inside the scale boat. Dietz s boat is detailed with a horn, Confederate-era flags, figures, and cargo. The paddle ships were used to transport people and cargo, he explained. He also has incense cones he drops into the smokestacks to simulate steam. Dietz purchased his boat from the wife of a WSBA member who died, and he continued the work begun by the former owner. He hasn t calculated how many hours of labor went into it, but he said it s never finished. He keeps adding new things.

5 Jack Dietz s replica of a Mississippi River paddleboat Carol-Ann has historical details such as cargo boxes and period flags. photo Sheila Julson Ray Wolf also purchased his U.S. Coast Guard scale model from the wife of a WSBA member who passed away. He cleaned and touched up the boat and added lead weight ballasts. Wolf, a model train enthusiast before he developed an interest in boats, praised his fellow club members and their willingness to help. Someone always knows something. The sharing of knowledge is what s really nice about the club, he said. Rich Andrews is fairly new to scale boating. During the 1960s, his father had a 48-inch Sterling Chris Craft Corvette model. Andrews visited the WSBA stand at the Milwaukee Boat Show in January, which piqued his interest in resuming work on the project. That really sparked my enthusiasm, he said. History WSBA was started in 1979 as the RC Hobby Guild by a group of RC boat modelers. The group adopted its current name in 1982 and incorporated as a nonprofit in Membership dues go toward the annual park permit, events, and special purchases such as a trailer to transport models to shows and events. Pelky said the group also has to have liability insurance. WSBA meets once a month at Greenfield News & Hobby, 6815 W. Layton Ave. They have regional locations in Manitowoc and the Racine/Kenosha vicinity. Previously, WSBA has used lagoons at Juneau, Jackson, and Humboldt parks. Issues such as surface algae on Jackson pond and weeds in the Humboldt lagoon eventually sent the group to Sheridan Park, a choice that brought scale boating home again. Sheridan s lagoon was originally constructed during the 1920s for wind-sailed model boats, Pelky said. Regattas were also held here before World War II. We ve been fortunate with our

6 Milwaukee County Parks system. We couldn t be happier with our relationship with the parks, he said. A device that is shaped like an X is propped against a picnic table, its metal frame covered with foam pool noodles. It is a rescue device that gets cast into the water to help boats that get stuck or lose power. There is some wreckage at the bottom of the Sheridan pond. We ve lost a couple that sunk over the years, Pelky said. We like flat water, Sterle added. Waves screw us up. Ray Wolf s U.S. Coast Guard scale model. photo Sheila Julson Keeping Interest In the Hobby WSBA hopes to attract younger members. But it s hard to compete with ipads and cell phones, Sterle said. Some members bring children and grandchildren who develop an interest in the hobby. Pelky noted that movies such as Titanic can pique interest in the younger set.

7 With Milwaukee s location on Lake Michigan, rivers throughout the city, and Lake Superior and the Mississippi River within driving distance, Wisconsin is rich with maritime history. Scale boating is a tribute to that, Pelky said, and it can be a fun family activity. It teaches so much; the historical aspects, and the reading of blueprints and instructions, and helps build a skill set, he said.