Come experience maritime in miniature at the Oxford Community Center’s Model Boat Show on Saturday, Nov. 11, from 10am to 4pm. The event, now in its fifth year, is free and open to the public. It has become one of OCC’s most popular events.
There are as many as 40 model builders from throughout the Mid-Atlantic region with their work on display. Visitors to the show are treated to diverse and detailed models, which include Chesapeake Bay workboats, classic yachts and historic vessels of all kinds. Modelers from the Washington Ship Model Society and the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum Model Guild are attending. Take this opportunity to talk with modelers and learn about this rewarding craft.
Special this year will be real skiffs built as part of the YMCA of the Chesapeake’s “Take the Helm” boat building program and the CBMM “Rising Tide” Program. “Take the Helm” is a boat-building program designed to engage high-school students in a hands-on, skill-based enrichment program that utilizes the art of wooden boat building to strengthen student’s self-confidence, sense of community and teamwork, and to empower them to achieve their dreams. “Rising Tide” teaches students basic boatbuilding skills in a welcoming, relaxed environment. The program works to inspire participants to develop a sense of self-confidence and pride, and facilitates mentorships that provide guidance and support. Boat builders and participants from the programs will be on hand to share their experiences.
This free event includes a Kid’s Corner with children’s activities, a scavenger hunt, and a demonstration on how to caulk a leaky boat! The Oxford Radio-Control Laser Fleet will display boats and materials. Items for sale include books from Mystery Loves Company and models and related materials. And take a chance on one or more of the three raffle items —a carved skipjack half-hull under sail created by local shipwright and modeler Jeremy Smith; a model kit for beginners; and a model kit for experienced modelers.
A nearby wooden boatbuilder’s workshop will be open so visitors can see his latest project, a 26 foot American FolkBoat sailboat, and talk with him about the rewards and challenges of building your own wooden boat.
Cutts & Case Shipyard, Oxford’s renowned wooden boat builders, will be hosting an open house. A short drive through the historic town of Oxford will bring visitors to Cutts & Case for self-guided tours of a working boatyard and the world of wooden boat building.
The Model Boat Show is supported in part by a grant from Talbot County Arts Council with funds from the Maryland State Arts Council. The show is sponsored by Cutts & Case Shipyard, Brewer Oxford Boat Yard and Marina, Campbell’s Boat Yards, Mathews Brothers, LLC, Miles River Marine, The Oxford Market, Ron and Sandy Kaufman, Beth Trujillo, and Ken and Wendy Gibson. OCC is located at 200 Oxford Road. For more information about the show, call OCC at 410-226-5904 or Ray Munsch at (215) 356-2481.
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