DATE: Sunday, August 10, 1997               TAG: 9708080117

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY ROY A. BAHLS, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   87 lines

MINIATURE FLEET RULES THE RIPPLES DESPITE SIZE, VESSELS ARE AN AWESOME SIGHT AT MOUNT TRASHMORE

A FLEET OF SHIPS heading out on maneuvers is a familiar sight around here. But when the Elite Fleet shoves off from the shores of Mount Trashmore Lake in Virginia Beach, it's a different story.

On almost any Sunday, most of the fleet's 45-plus members take command of a corner of the lake with their radio-controlled, miniature aircraft carriers, battleships, submarines, speedboats, PT boats, work boats and sailboats.

There's even a 33-inch handmade rowboat with a little wooden man manning the oars. It comes complete with fishing poles and a black Lab at the bow wagging its tail.

``Most of the members get into this because of the engineering involved,'' said Dennis Allen, the club's commanding officer, as he guided his speedy PT boat between some other slower-moving craft.

``It's a challenge. You've got a small boat and you want to make as many things operate on it as possible. And you've got to figure out how to get them to work and still keep your boat afloat.''

Some members are out for a leisurely cruise; others join in friendly races while zipping around their favorite spots on the lake - Trashmore Harbor (near the boat docks) and Independence Roads Harbor (next to the Boulevard). Most often, it's the captains of sleek destroyers and silent subs who get into the cat-and-mouse games.

While some of the boats are from easy-to-construct kits, many are original, handmade creations with smoking smokestacks, sirens and bells, working lights and anchors that drop and retract.

``One-hundred dollars or $150 will get you on the water,'' said Allen, an electrical instructor. ``There's no limit on the upper end.''

The Elite Feet, which boasts more than 100 boats, has no membership fee.

``We all come out here just to relax and have a good time,'' said Allen, 38.

But every once in a while one of the boats ends up DIW - dead in the water.

``Batteries run out, water gets in or a motor burns up,'' said Petty Officer 2nd Class Ray Taylor, who is stationed on the USS Typhoon.

Taylor, the club's harbor master, owns a sturdy work boat, which he often uses to bring in stranded boats. ``We have plenty of rescue missions. About every time I've been out here I've had to rescue someone.''

Richard Warder, 63, has five radio-controlled ships, including the Coral Sea II aircraft carrier and the New Jersey II battleship. A retired Navy chief, he built his first ship in 1985.

``I just enjoy building and running them,'' said Warder. ``I've been fascinated with boats since I was a kid. Now I'm commanding officer of my own little fleet. There's still a little boy left in me.''

Stephen Vick, a Navy quartermaster and executive officer of the Elite Fleet, said about half the members are active or retired Navy men.

``But we also have architects, a pilot for USAir and people from just a wide variety of jobs,'' he said.

Although the club was made official only three years ago, Vick said some members have been running their boats for more than 10 years.

``We race each other, chase each other and exchange information,'' Vick said. ``If one guy gets a gadget going on their boat - a gun rotating or an anchor dropping or whatever - almost everybody wants it.

``So we talk to each other about how it was done and help each other from making the same mistakes.''

Vick, 28, likes the camaraderie of the club. The interested spectators are another plus.

``Children follow us like the pied piper. Oh, and people just go nuts over `Pokey,' '' he said, pointing to the handmade rowboat paddling by.

``Pokey'' is the brainchild of Jimmy Dunn, a 72-year-old retired civil servant from Norfolk. He's been building and running boats for three years.

``It took about three months of scribbling to figure out the mechanism for the rowboat,'' he said, ``and about two weeks to build it.''

Dunn has a few other ideas, including an old crab boat.

``I do this to keep out of trouble,'' he said.

Pam Libbey and her sons Brandon, 7, and Bryan, 12, come out regularly to watch the fleet in action.

``This is the first thing we do when we come here,'' Libbey said. ``Brandon is so enthusiastic about the boats. Both of them want one now.''

Possible future members of the Elite Fleet?

``I have a feeling that they'll both be joining soon,'' she said. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

ROY BAHLS

Jimmy Dunn...

Photo

ROY A. BAHLS

Danny Paniza commands his radio-controlled model of the aircraft

carrier Enterprise.

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu