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[bradboat]

My 7 year old thoroughly enjoys sailing 'his' boats, and equally enjoys watching me build them
Our local club makes him feel equally welcome to any member of the older generation; often more so!; and actively encourage the youngsters who want to try, or just admire the vast range of boats on disply.
I hope that model boats remain one of his many interests for many years as he graduate sto build/renovate his own.

The same can't be said of my daughter however ???  Maybe it's the fact that it's her dolls that crew my Huntsman

[tigertiger]

Eee when I were a lad, we didn't 'ave...

But in all seriousness, as a lad I didn't have the money, as an adult I didn't have the time. Now I am middle aged and I have downshifted I have both.
But back in the UK access to water would have been a problem without a car.

Access to water for kids might be an issue. And then parents don't usually encourage kids to play near water.
Flying planes is not really advisable for unsupervised hooligans like wot I was.

So maybe for most parents, RC are a 'safer' bet.

Just my two cents worth.

[mike javelin]

I spent an hour writing a reply to this thread last night.
I'm new and don't want to start throwing my weight about so I'll bite my lip a bit longer.

However from a newboy's point of view this is such an insular world.
The commercial sites focus on people who are allready into models.
The MYA doesm't seem to be proactive at all.

Who in the modeling world is outward looking and working on getting people into the sport/hobby?

Some years back I remember seeing a model yacht made from a drinks bottle,
I think it was from a guy called Stollery.
This caught my attention as it did many others outside the sport but there seems to be very little of this
"lets get people involved" "its not as exspensive as you think" thinking, especially on a National scale any more.

Hense my rather clumbsy attemps at launching the MM as I am sure this would be a great way to get people involved.
Get people involved at a low level, let the bug bite and they will discover and move to other areas of marine modeling.

or am I terribly niave?

[tigertiger]

So maybe for most parents, RC are a 'safer' bet.

Sorry, I should have wrote RC Cars.

[laserblue16]

Its a sad fact that this hobby is not more openly advertised. I got into it through my wife, who builds collectors dolls houses. She couldnt find something she wanted at the right price, so, off to the hobby shop i went, bought some wood, and made her some items of furniture. This got me thinking( very selfishly) about making something for myself, so i started looking at boats, and before i bought 1 i joined this forum to find out how to go about it. I found the forum very informative and helpful, and have now purchased a billings smit nederland and have just begun construction, only for work to offer me all the overtime i can do ( very inconsiderate of them), so it now looks like this project is going to take all winter to complete, but at least i will have some spare cash to play with. I agree with Malc about the old boys, who, imho, deserve all the respect they can get( unless you are a hoody who doesnt give a flying F*** about what they did for us in the war). If it wasnt for these pioneers?? in the hobby, it would probably have never got off the ground. I think the reason ther are not many younger people getting into model boating is because it is much easier to sit on your backside in front of a ps2 or mbox and push a couple of buttons for your enjoyment??. shame, but this is the way things are heading.

[cbr900]

Doug,

Your last post regarding the kids, makes me very glad I am living over here, where at least some commonsense still prevails, what moronic twit came up with the idea that a Club needs a child representative, does the model boat fraternity in England and Europe contain a lot of priests........


Roy

[chromedome]

I used to think it was because our hobby was so expensive.for kits and things,but when i see how much my eight year old grandson  "toys" cost,I am not so sure any more.


chromedome

[RickF]

I always associate the clergy with railways - both full-size and model.

Rick

[Colin Bishop]

I always associate the clergy with railways - both full-size and model.

Quite right Rick - we boaters are a Devilish lot....

[tigertiger]

Doug,

Your last post regarding the kids, makes me very glad I am living over here, where at least some commonsense still prevails, what moronic twit came up with the idea that a Club needs a child representative, does the model boat fraternity in England and Europe contain a lot of priests........


Roy

I heard recently that the UK is the most peadophile phobic society in the world at the moment.

But we also have other problems like, clubs can't sell cups of tea without a food hygiene certificate. So you have to bring yer own. No problem really, but it is one less source of a little income for many clubs.

[OneBladeMissing]

"clubs can't sell cups of tea without a food hygiene certificate"
Sadly, it's that sort of legislation from the "powers that be" which have affected model boating in this country. There used to be park lakes all over the place where model boats of all types could be run. IC engined boats got the elbow because of environmental concerns (noise, pollution, etc.). Some lakes became unusable because they were allowed to become run-down (no money you see, plenty for councillors expenses though).
When I got involved in IC R/C boats again I found that the only suitable places to run them were Redcar Tarn at Keighley (64 mile round trip and I really need to be a member of Keighley club to use the lake, which I'm not really interested in doing as I'm only boating for fun) or Rother Valley Country Park near Sheffield (52 mile round trip and it costs £2.50 to get into the park and £1.50 to run a boat !!!!! No way Jose !!!).
I now run my electric hydros on a "private testing facility". Very little noise, no pollution, and no hassle.

[OneBladeMissing]

On the subject of "child representatives" and yougsters in the hobby generally. Because of media hysteria there is an undercurrent of feeling in this country (UK) that all strangers are potential unpleasant types. I recall a R/C flyer once telling me of a bloke and his son who were flying at their club field one time. They needed something from the local shop, and the lad said he'd be ok while his dad popped down to the shop. "If I'm going to the shop you're coming with me!" he said loudly, casting unpleasant glances at the rest of the flyers present. They were just the usual bunch of club members out for their weekend afternoon flying session.
As far as I'm concerned people like that bloke can just f**k off, and take their kids with them.

[grasshopper]

You're right Chromedome, it's not the cost of the hobby that is prohibitive - things seem cheaper than when I started radio control, two channel RC sets are still the same number of pounds as they were in the early 70s, around £40. not a lot now, a fortune then.

Oneblademissing, you can't blame the parent for being afraid for his child, unfortunately that's the society that we have all created - and the other way of looking at it, was it just the fact he didn't trust the child to behave?

It seems that the model boat scene is just not in vogue, these things happen, kids just succumb to advertising. And at the moment it that says that mobile phones and ipods are the things to be into as well as as body piercing and tattoes.

Another train of thought, someone has already commented on the easy access to water, some young people who want to go boating ( or any other hobby ) are often dependent upon parents for transport and finance, if the parent isn't interested (or too busy, or can't afford it) what chance has the child got?

[Bartapuss]

The answer is YES,

old men love them it also gives them a chance to be impolite, grump and totally unhelpfull to anyone yonger than them who even show the slitest interest in the hobby.

Oh, and to smell of wee!!!

[MikeK]

The answer is YES,

old men love them it also gives them a chance to be impolite, grump and totally unhelpfull to anyone yonger than them who even show the slitest interest in the hobby.

Oh, and to smell of wee!!!

Was the last bit added to get a reaction ?? If so it sure as hell worked  >:( >:( I 'm sure I speak for umpteen 'old farts' on this forum that  find it offensive to have aspersions cast on our personal hygiene. Hope the words weren't too long for you 

MikeK

[Youngat65]

Well said Mike

[Doc]

I've found that over here (USA), if you have to spend time building something and not 'playing' with it,  it usually doesn't sell very well.  So, the time factor has something to do with it.  If it doesn't cost a fortune, it isn't any good, is another 'factor' it seems, sort of.  Then there's the, "if it bites, burns, makes loud noises, isn't my idea of pretty, insults me in some way, or just provides an opportunity to make some money, I will sue you!" thingy.  And then there's the, "It's so 'old fashioned'!", thingy.  Or the, "It's dangerous!".  (Being protective does have limits.  Unfortunately, lots of people don't know where that 'limit' begins, or ends.) 
Sound familiar?  It would to Moses, or King Henry, or Washington too.  Modeling (except for females) isn't the 'thing' anymore.  Requires some thought, work, and time.  All of which seems to be in shorter supply now (another 'old fart' sort of attitude).
 - 'Doc

Nothing 'new' in this post at all.  Lots of re-stating what's been said before, just a different way of stating it.  ...  @#$ ... another one of them 'old fart' thingys...
[By the way.  I'll admit to the 'fart' part, but I ain't old yet!]

[MCAT]

The answer is YES,

old men love them it also gives them a chance to be impolite, grump and totally unhelpful to anyone younger than them who even show the slitest interest in the hobby.

Oh, and to smell of wee!!!

 Bartapuss     I suppose you are so young, you can still remember smelling of wee and far worse
                   ( theres not as long between the cycle comming round again as you think)  
                   good to see you only have 6 posts  don't make it 7  unless you show a bit of respect
                   for other people on this site.

as the subject of young people comming into our hobby is most important to its survival  
well must pop of for a peee know.

[crazy yank]

H E double toothpicks, no.  It's not an old fart's hobby.  I'm only 64 years young and I'll be doin' this 'til somebody snuffs out me candle, and with Heaven's help, I'll find me a dark basement with an old stereo record player and keep making parts 'til somebody brings in a holy man to exorcise what keeps me hangin' round....and then it will be a fight.

As an encore to this statement, let me say this.  I've a 10 year old grandson, who thinks it super that his grand dad still plays with and makes toys like these.  When we go to a campground with he and his sister and their folks, one of the first things he asks, if there's a pond or lake, " Grandpa, did you bring your boat?"  So it's not an old fogey's hobby.  The kids just aren't old enough to build them, but they buy the remote control toys with their allowances and have every bit as much enjoyment as this old duffer.

Crazy Yank

[Shipmate60]

Most of the older members are grandparents, so it does surprise me at times at their attitude to youngsters.
We must look to ourselves as to why it isnt as popular as it was.
How many look down on RTR models.
OK we havent built them, but surely this is an entry point for youngsters.
The attitudes I have seen at the pondside do annoy me at times. The "I am here for me" attitude, oh yes and "I will keep the peg in my pocket in case I want to sail again".
The sad part is we All know people with this attitude.
I can understand a youngster not wanting to spend all winter in a shed, I didnt when I made my first diesel powered boat at 11, but times have changed.
We either move with the times or die out (literally unfortunately).
Most of my model boating friends are retired, there are some younger ones I am glad to say, and these should be encouraged, yes it might even cost some time and a little money!!

Bob

[weatherwatcher]

The world is changing and we have to understand that. Lots of youngsters need their parents to get involved in a hobby if that hobby is something like model boats or any sort of hobby that requires parents to take the children miles to sail them then it is more than likely it will be granddad who does the modeling and traveling. Dad works, dad has his own hobbies be it football or whatever then unless dad has been brought up with a hobby be it any hobby not just boats then if dad ids not interested then the poor wee ones will never participate in the hobby until he is old enough to do something about it himself. By then he is the age his dad was and working and finding the time is hard. Either to make the model or to go and sail it.
Most youngsters wouldn't be seen dead at the side of a pond sailing a boat. They would have their leg pulled by their mates something rotten. Not good for your street cred as they say. It seems that the hobby nowadays is to sit in front of a screen in your centrally heated bedroom with your latest offering for your new XBox 360 shooting and killing.
It only goes to show with youngsters round our way all the local churches have no choir boys or choirs for that matter. The Boys Brigade has been disbanded, the local Scouts Group is struggling for members. All the area's youth clubs have ceased to be because the Kids just didn't turn up in enough numbers to keep them open. So it is not anything to do with the hobby. And then they have the nerve to turn round and say they have got nothing to do. It is there if they just get up off their bums and go out and do something about it.
Now me, I know what it is like, my parents wouldn't let me have a hobby that meant any involvement by them. So when I started work as an engineer, it meant long hours seven days a week. It was not until I was taken critically ill at the age of 49 and had to finish work that I found lots of spare time on my hands. I got back into Model Railways. Yes it was something that you could do at home when you was my age and didn't involve your parents. It no one worried about street Cred.   
This year my oldest Granson was 6 and he did give two hoots about my model railway the youngest who is 2 said his first word it was Choo Choo. So we sat down and we decided on building a boat and yes Granddad built it. All from odds and ends left over from the railway and the electronics from an amphibious car boat thing that my mum brought him and got left on his back yard for 5 month. So it has now got a new lease of life.
So out and out it is up to us old un's and at 55 I don't see myself as to old to do something for the younger generation, to get them into a hobby. Lets get out there and try and get the kids to join in.
To hell with sitting in front of the telly or cleaning the car on a Sunday afternoon and going to play football in the Sunday league with the lads. Let us respect us old un's because if it wasn't for us then lots and lots of hobbies would have been lost and long gone.
I look on myself as a treasure chest of information, information gathered over 55 years and information I am only two willing to pass on to my Two Grandson. Even if it is from out of a wheelchair now. Yes I need a hobby sitting by the side of a pond or just watching my trains go by otherwise I would go soft in the head.
So come on Dads come on Grandads and Mums and Grandmas for that get the little ones involved. I know I am doing my bit for the future of the hobby.