All posts by Robert Wood

2021 RC Scale Boat Events

Events, Scale,

Dust off your boats and brush off those pandemic cobwebs. Time to start prepping for these upcoming, awesome RC scale boating events!

We’ve created a series of themed events.  Bring your themed RC scale boats, and let’s have some fun!  For more information see our Facebook page or contact the Scale Division Vice Commodore. Download our 2021 Scale Division Event Flyer (PDF)

Saturday, June 05, 2021 – “Scale Regatta & Tug Fest”

  • Join the SDA Scale Division’s popular Tug Fest to match your Tug’s pulling power against our contestants’ heavy hauler of the sea. Charge up your batteries and put on your biggest prop to show the other crews who has what it takes to keep the sea lanes open and the cargo moving. All scale boats are welcome for free running, including scale sailboats. (no entry or registration fees)
  • 8:00am-6:00pm

Saturday, July 17, 2021 – “Age of Steam”

Shine up your brass, tighten your fittings, fire up your boiler, and get up a full head of steam to show the world the ways that having a raging fire in a boat can actually work (most of the time).
Bring your steamers and favorite stories to share in this exciting hobby. Feel free to show off your stationary engines as well.

  • Static displays and live steam demonstrations welcome!
  • 8:00am-6:00pm

Saturday, August 28, 2021 – “Gray Day & Commodore’s Lunch”

It’s your day to “Bring out the Gray” to join our fleet of battleships, aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers, and other military vessels for a great day of sailing these classic warships. Be warned, however, that there may well be some subs, and a Bismarck or a Yamato lurking in the waters along with a German Schnell Boat, just to keep it interesting.
SDA Members – Please Join Us for Lunch – Members of SDA can all join us for our Commodore’s Lunch in which we host our members for a sandwich and chips meal on the green at the pond when the smoke of battle settles down for a brief cease fire.

  • 8:00am-6:00pm

Saturday, December 18, 2021 – “2021 Model Boat Festival of Lights”

  • Come celebrate the holiday spirit with the San Diego Argonauts Scale Division Model Boat Festival of Lights inspired by San Diego’s popular annual event. Bring the family, some lawn chairs, some hot chocolate, and a camera to get big time enjoyment from this small scale festival of lights.
  • 4:00pm-8:00pm

Pete Law: A Master Model Boat Craftsman

News, Photos, Sail, Scale
Kerry Law donating dad’s boats

I want to offer a shout out to Kerry Law, who reached out to our fearless leader with a generous offer to donate some beautiful RC boats made by her extremely talented dad. All of the boats appear to be meticulously crafted and engineered, needing only some minor maintenance and radio gear to get them ready for the pond. This was a fabulous gift, and it will boost our recruitment efforts when they are brought to the pond and run. Shown are the two scale models I received today. To my right is a Coast Guard utility boat, and to my left is a German Wasserschutzpolizei boat. These boats patrol the waterways, lakes and harbors of Germany around the clock. –Rob Wood

Rob Wood: To my right is a Coast Guard utility boat, and to my left is a German Wasserschutzpolizei boat.

Kerry, a huge thanks to your family. Your dad was clearly a master craftsman. I spent much of the weekend with a smile on my face as I updated two with modern running gear, cleaned, greased, and tested them.

Berkeley Chris Craft Cobra (Built by Pete Law 1994) 1:8 Scale (1 1/2″ = 1′) Length: 31″ Beam: 10 3/8″

Sterling Chris Craft 63′ Motor Yacht (Built by Pete Law 1984) Sterling kit B-11M 1:19 Scale Length: 40″ Beam: 10 1/4″

A huge thanks from Mark Weber! (Check out Mark’s video if their first test run.)

Originally, club member Ken Wilson planned on picking up the Sterling 63′ Motor Yacht. However, that quickly turned into a trade for Mark Weber’s dusty Emma C Berry RC sailboat (Built by Ed Sayres). In other words, the donated boats indirectly got other models into the right hands to make sure they see the sun and Pond again.

Ken Wilson with Emma C Berry RC sailboat (Built by Ed Sayres)

Other overjoyed recipients!

  • Mark Shaw w the Crockett an Asheville class gun boat.
  • Sean O’Conner
  • Mike Butts

Thanks Kerry! We have the upmost respect to your dad Pete Law, a master craftsman.

Aquatic Wonderland

Videos, , ,

Curious about the history of San Diego’s incredible Mission Bay Park? Here’s a glimpse into it’s original vision in a film called Aquatic Wonderland.

Starting video at San Diego Model Yacht Club

“1950s Film – AQUATIC WONDERLAND – Mission Bay Park, San Diego, CA. Promotional film for the newly improved Mission Bay Park. From an old Umatic video tape from Jack White’s estate, transferred from an original copy of the film sometime in the 1970s probably.” —peahix on YouTube

Produced by Joe Maestro Film Productions

Voice by Bob Regan

Script by John Clement

Full video

Thank You Bill Edwards

News, Sail, Scale,

The San Diego Argonauts would like to thank Bill Edwards and his family for remembering the club after he passed.

Family donated quite a number of beautifully crafted hulls, supplies and tools. Bill’s talent for wood working is clear from these hulls. Each quickly found new homes with club members who will carry on Bill’s passion for RC model boating.

Thank you Argonauts member Bill Edwards, daughter Joauna, and grandson Anthony.

A service for Bill Edwards will be held at Miramar cemetery February 12 at 11:30AM.

PS…anyone who got one of Bill’s hulls on 1/25/2020 and is looking for the plans, we’ve found those those. Contact Webmaster@sandiegoargonauts.com for more info.

  • Bill Edwards (Left) Daughter Joauna (Right)
  • A lifetime of crafsmanship
  • Our “youngest” member excitedly claims two projects.
  • Bill put smiles on faces at the Pond.