Couple's model ship hobby turns into seafaring joy.
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Ron and Shirley Culver, living in River Terrace Apartments, discovered that nothing evokes the sea quite like model ship building.  The shipmates' small apartment is now a miniature shipyard.  "I started out making model airplanes with my son. We flew them with radio controls but many of them crashed," Ron said. After retiring, in 1987, the couple downsized and moved to South Haven from the Cadillac area. They left behind their spacious family home, which they designed and built themselves. (A model that Ron built is hanging on their apartment wall.)

Needing something more to do besides enjoying the rolling blue waters of Lake Michigan, Ron took up building model ships complete with exact details of their originals -seaming parts together like a huge jigsaw puzzle. Unlike planes, these ships would not tumble to the ground and splinter when guided by radio controls.

Ron chose the "Lobster Lady" for his first project. The "Lady" is a replica of one of the original lobster boats known as the icon of the Maine Coast. "I like making boats that mean something to me and are widely known," Ron reflected.  "The original boat was 30 feet long and my model is exactly 30 inches long," he noted, proudly displaying his detailed miniature version built to special scale. Lobster boats owe their graceful lines, stability and speed to generations of other Maine fishing vessels that plied the Gulf of Maine, said Ron. (Photos of the "Lobster Lady" will be posted in future months.)

Ron's next building venture was the "African Queen". In the film Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart chugged down the River in the "African Queen" known as "a cranky tramp steamer." "It took me six months to construct her," said Ron. She is also steam powered just like the original steamer. The couple launched their "African Queen" in a swimming pool's warm, rippling water to test her sea legs. Steam engine chugging, Ron guided her by radio control much to the delight of spectators. Ron said the original "African Queen" still exists and is docked in Key Largo, Florida.

For the next boat, Ron chose the PT-109. John F. Kennedy took command of the PT-109 in April of 1943. During his watch, the boat was hit by a Japanese Destroyer and was severely damaged. Kennedy was later awarded the Navy and Marine Corps medal for his heroics in the rescue of the crew of the PT-109. Ron explained that building this boat took a lot of modification and he was grateful for the assistance of his co-captain Shirley. Together, they completed the PT-109 last August. "It's harder for me to work on model ships because of my eyesight," observed Ron. (Photos of the "PT-109" will be posted in future months.)

Now, Ron and his co-shipwright are tackling the USS Constitution - known as "Old Ironsides."  The original USS Constitution was launched in 1797 (before the War of 1812) under an Act of Congress authorizing the building or purchase of six war vessels. She derived her nickname "Old Ironsides" when a seaman saw the ship's wooden side fall into the sea after a direct hit in battle. He shouted, "Hurrah, her sides are made of iron!" The battered, old ship earned a special place in history and is now dry-docked at Hartt Shipyard in Boston. The couple haven't set a date for completion but they won't quit until "Old Ironsides" is sitting in a special place with the other models.  "This hobby brings us a lot of joy," said Ron, his smiley eyes crinkling with pride.