Participants navigate the custom-built 40' x 70' fresh water pond at the Maritime Model Expo at the Museum.The Maritime Model Expo is unlike any other event at the Museum. You can tell that as soon as you approach the Steamboat Building and encounter the huge pond constructed for fresh-water model boat demonstrations.
Scale and detail are two words emblematic of the festival. When you examine the working, radio-controlled models, or the static displays, you can't imagine the fine details that are included and precisely executed on these boats.
After you have indulged your eye for detail, both under a large tent on Foggs Landing and inside the Steamboat Building with the Washington Ship Model Society, you can sit back and enjoy the radio-controlled boat demonstrations--with steam, electric, and sail-powered models. Some of the models prefer fresh water, and use the pond. Others are built for diverse conditions, and will sail on Foggs Cove. If you want to take in these fun demonstrations, the emphasis for Saturday will be on steam-powered models, while Sunday will emphasize the sailboats. On that note, some noteworthy groups will be sailing on the cove: The Museum's Model Sailing Club with their 5'-long skipjacks, The East Coast 12-meter group, and the Victoria sailing model club. We've never had more sailboats on the docket.
If you have kids, they may have a better time than you! Our 5-year old daughter asked about the model boat show out of the blue last week, because she wanted to know if she could build and paint another model sailboat. A great group of volunteers and educators will lead children through building their choice of a small wooden sail or paddleboat; kids then paint them, and let them dry before turning them loose on a smaller custom kids' pond . In addition, Robert Forloney and Rachel Dolhanczyk, of our Education Department, will be leading storytelling Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 a.m. The Maritime Model Expo is a wonderful, kid-friendly event.
All this activity is likely to make you hungry, and the St. Michaels Volunteer Fire Department will be on hand to "douse" (sorry, couldn't resist) your hunger. They will be serving up hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries, clam strips, and more.
This festival in miniature might sound like an odd event to put together, but it doesn't surprise anyone who is around the Museum on Wednesday mornings. We have an active Model Guild group of volunteers who meet each week to build models, make kits to sell in our Museum Store, and who teach classes throughout the year. They all put a lot of work into creating such a great event, most notably volunteer Bob Mason, who has spear-headed the Model Boat Expo for each of its four years.
So how much will all this fun cost you? If you are a CBMM member, your admission to the Maritime Model Expo is free, as it is to the Museum throughout the year. If you are not a member (you should think about joining!), admission to the Museum is $13 for adults, $5 for children, and seniors and students receive discounts. Your paid admission is good for the entire day, and includes the entire Museum--10 exhibit buildings, working boat yard, the works. And if that wasn't enough, the Schooner Sultana will be dockside for the weekend, and the skipjack H.M. Krentz with Captain Ed Farley will be offering cruises, for an additional charge.
Make a point to come to the Maritime Model Expo this year, Saturday and Sunday May 19-20. Once you come once, you'll put it on your calendar every year.
--Mike Valliant, Director of Marketing
