When I think of summer, water and boats come to mind. Larry Schaber of the Omaha RC (remote control) Boat Club came sailing through for us (excuse the bad joke) this month. He lent us his boats for our display cases. Along with Larry, the club really pitched in and gave a demonstration at the Standing Bear Lake, which is located near our Saddlebrook Branch Library. The Omaha RC Boat Club is a group of active boat and ship modelers who believe in sharing with others their love for RC boating. If you have ever wanted to sail a sailboat or float a warship, then they are the ones you are looking for.
The club members are of all ages and walks of life, with a vast array of experience. Many of them have come from other hobbies, looking for new ways to use their talents. Their models are small-scale versions of the larger ships, and operate just the way they do. The models come in every format from ready-to-run (RTR) to a box of “sticks” that you assemble from a set of plans or instructions. The RTR boats come complete with everything you need to get in the water. These are great items for those who are not sure if boating is for them. For those who are looking for more of a challenge, and the satisfaction of seeing their creations look and act like the real thing, then kit or scratch building is the way to go. You build from basically a pile of sticks and wood, then fiberglass it, install motors and electronics, and paint. Model ship building can be as easy or challenging as you would like it to be.
The Omaha RC Boat Club is an informal group that has no monthly meetings or dues. It calls Standing Bear Lake its home, and members meet every other Sunday, weather permitting, at the boat docks at 10 am. If you would like to get on the email list for sailing notifications, please drop them a line!
Larry Schaber at 402-651-5398
In one of our cases, Larry and his brother Michael displayed a beautiful boat that their father made 25 years ago. It is the ElCO 80' PT boat.
Above are two pictures of the boat during construction.
The last boat was a Paradise Sailboat. He brought it as an example of a good boat to start with if you are thinking of building your first remote control boat. This model comes with a radio system already installed, and even the rigging has been done for you. It is factory-finished, so there is no need for sanding or painting.
On our book display table, we have some interesting ceramic fish and seaweed pieces as well as a few model boats. These items were loaned to us by our community services manager. We have about 75 people in our library building and it is truly amazing how often someone will come to me and say, "Hey, I have this or that at home. Would you like it for your display?" These items really add a nice touch.
Of course, when we do a display, we like to have the most current books available for our table. We did have some nice books on our shelves, but our collection development librarian ordered some new books about remote-control boats, and we are waiting to receive them to put on our table. We are looking forward to them.
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