AYR MODEL BOAT CLUB

Sailing and socialising combined

Gill Sherry

Take a stroll through Newton Park on a Wednesday or a Sunday afternoon and you might catch a glimpse of a Clyde Puffer or one of the RNLI’s Severn Class Lifeboats. “How is that possible?” you might ask. Well, the pond at Newton Park is home to Ayr Model Boat Club where its members meet two afternoons each week to sail their creations.

I catch up with Ken Ireland, Club Secretary, who tells me more about it.

“The Ayr Model Boat Club as it exists today started in 1982. In its original form it was just sailing boats, because back in the early 20th century there was no remote-controlled equipment as such, so people started off just with sailing yachts and it developed from there. The First and Second World Wars came along and there was disruption and members disappeared… then there was a period when it moved from one pond to another. Then in 1982 it was firmly established at the pond at Newton Park.”

The Club inherited the building located at the pond from South Ayrshire Council and continues to maintain it on the Council’s behalf.

Ken has been a member of Ayr Model Boat Club for around five years.

“I’ve been with the club fairly short term in relation to some of the members. I was in the Merchant Navy, I was captain. I’d always had an interest in model boats, but I hadn’t really had the time to pursue it at any great length, so when retirement came along, I got stuck into it. I was looking for somewhere to sail the boats, so that’s when I joined.”

The Club has a small committee. There’s the commodore (the tongue-in-cheek name given to the president), the secretary, a treasurer, plus one or two others who help out and generally keep the place tidy. It has 30 members with around 20 of those considered ‘active’ by still building models and attending on a regular basis.

“Everybody is welcome,” says Ken, “but we do encourage them to become members. It’s a token amount of £20 a year which really just covers the cost of tea and biscuits and the occasional outing.”

For those members who no longer build and sail their own boats, the social aspect becomes the main attraction.

“We meet on a Wednesday and Sunday from 1pm to 4pm. It’s there all year, although, over the winter it would depend what the weather’s like. We would still get people coming in because some of the older guys like to come in and chew the fat and have a cup of tea and a biscuit and put the world to right.”

Am I right to assume that most (if not all) members are over a certain age?

“That’s the reality of it,” admits Ken. “It’s like a lot of sports and social clubs now… trying to get younger people to come in. There are so many other distractions for them now, it’s difficult. Model boat building is definitely a niche thing, you’re either into it or you’re not.”

I suppose there’s also the fact that not everybody has the time to commit to such a hobby.

“That’s true as well. Nearly all of our members would be of retired age. Also, looking across the websites and Facebook, both in the UK and on the continent, it really is a male thing. Maybe it’s just something that’s not of interest to women. Some of the wives come along, but I haven’t seen any women who have been model boat building.”

The membership may not be as diverse as Ken would like, however, there is plenty of variety when it comes to the model boats.

“A lot of our members are still doing what I would describe as traditional boat building from scratch or semi-scratch, building from plans. Having said that, out there is a lot of 3D model printing which is a whole different game.”

There are some who may look down on this method, not considering it ‘real’ model boat building which involves skill using your hands rather than having a computer. But Ken is quick to point out that Ayr Model Boat Club encourages everything.

“We’re open-minded, it’s down to the individual and the satisfaction they get out of it.”
Being such a social activity that takes place outdoors, I would imagine it’s also good for your mental health.

“I would say it is,” agrees Ken. “It gets people out, it gives people an interest, and also you get a chance to talk to both club members and members of the public as well.”

He goes on to tell me that the boats attract plenty of interest from the public during the summer months.

“You get younger families sitting on the benches around the pond. They find it quite entertaining. In the last couple of years we’ve noticed more younger families taking an interest in what we’re doing, so we purchased some small basic remote-controlled model tugs.”

Children can operate these models during two open days held in April and September.

“Any youngsters that are interested can have a wee shot at it. And it gives us a chance to chat to the parents and see if we can get them interested.”

One thing I didn’t know before my conversation with Ken was that most model boats are replicas of real boats, be they tugboats, speedboats or sailboats.

“I have three at the minute,” Ken tells me. “My first build was called Smit Rotterdam which was a deep-sea ocean-going towing vessel. My second build is HMS Kelly which is a WWII destroyer captained by Lord Mountbattan. And the third is a Clyde fire-fighting tug called the Flying Phantom.”

Not content with three, he’s about to start his fourth build which is the Cumbrae No. 1 pilot vessel that used to operate off Greenock and was prevalent in the Clyde.

Are the models expensive to buy?

“If you’re going to buy a complete kit they range from maybe £120/£150 up to £400 or £500… and that doesn’t include your transmitter and receiver. You tend to spend as the build develops so you wouldn’t necessarily buy every single thing you need in one purchase, so it makes it a little bit easier to budget for.”

There may be a cost involved to get started, but once you’ve invested and built your model boat, I’m sure the enjoyment you get from sailing it pays you back ten-fold. Certainly, if you join Ayr Model Boat Club, you’re assured of a warm welcome, regular social interaction and, of course, tea and biscuits!

For more information on membership and the upcoming open day, visit
www.ayrmodelboatclub.org.