Model Sailboats
I have always enjoyed sailboats and anything that is related to them. They’ve been my passion every since I was a child.
The first model sailboats I had were big and colorful. They weren’t really made after a particular boat, nor did they keep a coherent scale. They were meant to be toys and amuse me, not a real representation of a boat. These model sailboats were made of plastic that was resistant to bad treatment. The sails were made of the same type of cheap plastic that supermarket bags are made of, so that they could be easily replaced if torn. And boy, did I tear mine a lot.
As I grew up, I started to collect more realistic model sailboats, which were based on the sailboats I saw in the bay that was close to where I lived. Unlike my first model sailboats, these sailboats had a scale which they respected, in order to keep the proportions of a real sailboat. These sailboats weren’t they kind you had to assemble; rather, they came already assembled and ready to play. I learned later that some of these weren’t meant to be put on water. Instead they came with a base and were meant to be put on display. This was a bizarre concept to me at the time, which resulted in a few of those model sailboats sinking and being lost in the bottom of the bay.
I eventually graduated from those model sailboats to the type that I had to assemble and paint myself. They were a blast, and I had tons of fun with them. I started with simple ones and worked my way up to very complex model sailboats that included small motors and even some welding.
I guess I must not have been that bad at the hobby, as my father liked one of them so much, he put it on display on top of our chimney. I was so proud of it, and I never forgot to casually mention it whenever someone came to visit. It wasn’t until then that I understood why some model sailboats were meant for display, and not for placing them in the water.
My greatest achievement was when I managed to build one that was remote controlled. I guess it was the first sailboat in my adult life in which I enjoyed more playing with, than assembling.
I don’t assemble model sailboats anymore. I finally found a much more expensive hobby. I bough myself a real sailboat, which takes much more of my time and money that my model sailboats ever did.
