Dave Stevens knows how to push the boat out when it comes to choosing a hobby, discovers Caroline Lindsay
Dave Stevens is a study in concentration as he steers a magnificent boat towards the shore. One false move and the Shetland Trader could crash into another vessel or, worse, get sunk by a swan.
A member of Dundee Model Boat Club for the last two years, Dave meets other club members every Tuesday and Sunday afternoons at Stobsmuir Ponds (known locally as the Swannie Ponds) to indulge their passion for boats big and small.
“I used to make model railways with my grandson but when he started to lose interest, I thought I’d look for a new hobby,” Dave explains.
“I’d always fancied model boats so I approached a friend who was in the club and joined soon after.”
Dave owns several boats, the largest of which is 39 inches long, built to a scale of 1:50. He has already constructed one vessel from scratch and is currently refurbishing one he bought at auction. “I already have two fishing boats, a coaster (the Shetland Trader), a tug, a Royal Navy dive tender, and a Club 500, which is a small speedboat. I’m also in the process of building another fishing boat.
“When you buy a kit, the bulk of it is already built in fibreglass and the rest comes in pieces of flat plasticard,” he explains.
Once it’s built, Dave gives it a undercoat and rubs it down, and then repeats the process before applying the top coat, using car paint from Halfords.
“For the tiny pieces like the handrails, I use a wee paintbrush although it’s a bit of a job masking it all off,” the former lorry driver admits.
“You definitely need a lot of patience – it can be stressful fiddling with the little bits that won’t go in.”
The electrics and other technical parts are supplied by a company down south and kits can cost anything from £250 to £1,000, depending on their size. Ready-made boats are also available, which then just require a battery to get them going.
The club is Scotland’s oldest model boat club, founded 128 years ago, and is in demand at events across Courier Country all year round. Many of its 60 members are ex-Royal and Merchant Navy, and there are also two female members and some junior participants.
The club also hosts courses on model boat skills including steering and docking, and guiding a tanker with tugs.
“I’ve learned so much since I joined and I love the camaraderie of the club,” Dave smiles. “There’s a great social side but more importantly, we all help each other out and share skills and advice.”
“We try to meet in all weathers but with the pond being so open it can take a fair battering from the wind, and that can make it tricky controlling the boats.”
Other hazards include an ongoing battle with pond weed, which can cause engines to burn out if a boat gets caught. And, of course, the pond isn’t known as the Swannie Ponds for nothing: “One of the boats got sunk by a male swan,” Dave recalls. “The owner lost the signal and the boat ended up heading towards some cygnets. A huge swan reared up out of the water and sank it in one go!”
With winter just around the corner, the prospect of a frozen pond will temporarily put paid to the club’s activities.
“Mind you,” Dave quips, “one of our members has a model ice breaker – perhaps we should put it to work!”
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