News and Announcements

Longtime member Roger Cole passed peacefully on Friday January 11, 2019 in his 82nd year after a short illness. Reunited with his beloved wife Jean Cole (nee Roberts). Lovingly remembered by his daughter Wendy (Jeff), his son David (Debbie), his daughter Heather, and his son Brian (Shelly). Much adored "Grandpa" of Andrew, Brendan, Sarah, Mackenzie, Jessica, Matthew and Nickolas. Funeral Service were held on Wednesday, January 16th. Donations to The Scott Mission or Covenant House would be appreciated by the family.

Roger, as he was known to all in the NRG, joined the NRG in 1976 and during his 43 years of membership he wrote numerous articles for the Nautical Research Journal and spoke at many Guild conferences and symposiums.

I first became aware of Roger through his writing for Model Ship Builder magazine and Ships in Scale magazine when he was a regular contributor to both magazines. Roger wrote a 14-part series in Model Ship Builder on building the Lizzie J. Cox a Chesapeake Bay Bugeye that concluded in the N/D 1988 issue. Roger authored approximately eighty-five articles in the Nautical Research Journal, Model Shipbuilder Magazine, Ships in Scale Magazine and others.

Roger and Jean were a sort of unofficial welcoming team who sought out NRG members attending their first conference, which was easy to do – look for the startled deer look in the newbies eyes when exposed to their first NRG conference. Roger and Jean would “adopt” the newbie and take them around making introductions and making them feel at home and accepted. This was repeated conference after conference and the friendships made at previous conferences were brought up to date. Those who were “adoptees” in most cases became their life-long friends. We know of many who tell their story about being “adopted” by Roger and Jean. Three who were “adopted” went on to become NRG Directors. Bill Maxwell, Mitch Michelson and Kurt Van Dahm are the referenced three but there were many others fortunate enough to have experienced the team of Roger and Jean “adopting” them and making their introduction to the NRG so memorable.

Roger’s modeling skills were world class. He is a featured model builder in the on-line Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum in Carlsbad, CA established by The Joe Martin Foundation for Exceptional Craftsmanship (Sherline’s founder). https://www.craftsmanshipmuseum.com/Cole.htm

As a member of the Nautical Research Guild's Technical Assistance Network (TAN) Roger answered many questions for the Guild. He also answered questions for individuals that far outnumbered the TAN replies. Many NRG members have related that asking a question of Roger led to a long-time personal relationship. Freely offering his expertise, Roger spoke at NRG Conferences in 1985, 1989, 1993, 1995, 2005 and 2010.

Roger’s health kept him from attending conferences after 2010 but he was always willing to share his knowledge with others. Several times he assisted us in providing information an NRG member needed. I could always call Roger and explain the problem and he would invariably say “give him my phone number, I will be glad to help”. He was a tremendous asset to the Guild, a good friend to me and many other NRG members and he will be missed.

The following is a listing of articles Roger wrote in the Journal:

Though lightly attended the 2018 Conference received good reviews from those who attended.  Read the entire recap and view photos from the event on the 2018 NRG Conference page.

The Board has proposed the following change to ARTICLE IX - SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS - Section 2 of the bylaws. The text in black is the existing wording. The text in green is proposed to be added to the existing text of

The Secretary's Newsletter (SNL) shall be prepared by the Secretary and distributed to each Member. Contents may include, but are not limited to, notices, ballots, election results, Board comments, Officer's comments and other time dated information. The SNL's publication method and distribution frequency shall be determined by the Board of Directors as they deem necessary to keep the membership informed of Guild activities.

The Board has proposed the following change to ARTICLE IV - DUTIES - SECTION 3 - Appointed Officers and Assistants

A. Secretary

The Secretary shall record and maintain the minutes of all meetings of the Board of Directors unless the Board meets in executive session. In said case, one of the Directors will be assigned to take the minutes of the executive session. In addition, the Secretary shall prepare ballots, supervise elections of Directors, prepare the Secretary's Newsletter (SNL) and undertake related responsibilities as assigned by the Board of Directors.

Reason for the suggested change to Section 3A: Not relevant to Secretary's duties as the Secretary does not attend an executive session.

The vote is either a single YES or NO on the proposed changes.

Votes must be received by 5 pm CST on December 21, 2018. 

The Nautical Research Guild is excited to announce that the Nautical Research Journal is now available in a digital format, in addition to the traditional printed format. The digital edition can be viewed on any computer, tablet, or mobile phone. Check out the Autumn 2018 digital edition for free!

How it Works

The digital edition is easy to use right in your web browser!  Click here to try it for free.

When a new issue of the Journal is available, digital members will receive an email from the NRG with details on how to access your digital edition. You'll just click a link and enter your personal login.

To view on a tablet or mobile phone, just enter the link in your device's web browser. There's nothing to download or install.

The digital edition is available when you choose a digital membership option with the Nautical Research Guild. New and renewing members can select this when signing up, and current members can easily add a digital edition to their existing membership by contacting the NRG.

Click here to learn more about the digital edition.

We recently sent out an email to the membership asking for help from the membership for assistance with marketing and for a new Director to fill a vacancy. We are happy to say that the response to both was great and that we thank all who responded.

However, we failed to mention who had stepped down as a Director causing us to look for a replacement. For this oversight we are truly sorry.

Bill Maxwell had to step down from the board for some personal issues that are taking up his time and he felt that he couldn't devote the necessary time to the NRG. Bill is a hard worker and valuable member of the board who contributed up to the last minute as his retirement was announced to the board at the conclusion of our May meeting. Bill had previously notified Chairman Mitch Michelson of his need to step down but that he wished to do it after the meeting was concluded so that he could assist the board through the meeting. This is typical of Bill's consideration for others and the business of the NRG.

We thank Bill for his service and wish him the very best going forward.

Several members responded concerning the open Director position and after consideration of the information submitted by these members, the board has appointed David Eddy of Austin, TX to the open Director position. Per the provisions of Article III of the bylaws, Dave will fill out the remaining term of Bill Maxwell and run for election at the end of Bill's term of office.

Dave has 20+ years of experience running a tech company whose main demographic is the 'retired crowd', so he has experience working with our kind of group. Dave's experience with operations, marketing, website development, application coding and digital publishing was exactly what we were looking for. This type of experience will certainly help us modernize as needed to ensure we attract new members that are so essential to the growth of the NRG. For our members who frequent MSW Dave is known there as GenericDave.

Welcome aboard Dave.

The Nautical Research Guild (NRG) is saddened to see Ships in Scale Magazine end its long and amazing tenure supporting our hobby of model ship building. The loss of Ships in Scale has left a void for the beginning and intermediate ship modelers.

In response to this news, the NRG Board of Directors has decided to make some changes to the Nautical Research Journal to offer former Ships in Scale subscribers somewhere to continue their journey into model ship building. First, the Journal will be expanded to provide more room for ship modeling articles for modelers of all skill levels without diminishing our commitment to nautical research. Secondly, articles started, but not completed, in Ships in Scale will be continued in the Journal to ensure that these valuable series are completed. Installments of these articles already published in Ships in Scale have been posted on the NRG website to allow non-SIS subscribers the opportunity to appreciate the entire series. Click here to see these previous installments of Ships in Scale articles.

The Guild has also purchased the intellectual property of Seaways Publishing. This means that CD sets for Ships in Scale and Model Ship Builder will continue to be available as well as the plans and Practicums published by Seaways Publishing.

The Guild did not purchase Seaways Publishing or Ships in Scale. We are simply filling the void left by their ceasing publication. Any questions regarding Ships in Scale subscriptions must be directed to Seaways Publishing, not to the NRG.

To encourage former SIS subscribers to join the NRG, all subscribers who are not already Guild members will receive a free issue of the Fall edition of the Journal. The Board is confident that when SIS subscribers see the quality and content of the NRG's Journal, they will enthusiastically join the NRG and experience the benefits of this organization

We hope that all NRG members will welcome the SIS Subscribers to our Guild and realize that adding their numbers to ours will allow us to offer even more modeling content in the Journal.

Questions and comments are welcome, but please direct them to our Board of Directors, not our office staff. Emails may be sent to info@thenauticalresearchguld.org and will be forwarded to our Board from there.

Anticipating some of your questions we have set up some FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS below.

Help us ensure that the hobby lasts far into the future - encourage your fellow modelers to join the NRG.

Did the NRG purchase Ships in Scale Magazine (SIS)?

No. We purchased the back issue CD sets of Model Ship Builder Magazine (MSB) and all iterations of SIS Magazine and all rights to sell these items as well as develop a new CD to include the 2010 to Summer 2018 back issues.

Will the NRG be printing SIS Magazine?

No. The magazine's last issue has been printed.

Will my NRG membership fee be going up because of this?

No. The anticipated growth in NRG memberships from the former SIS subscribers signing up will allow us to produce the expanded Journal for close to the same cost. There is economy in printing more copies so the unit cost comes down.

How many pages are being added to the Nautical Research Journal (Journal or NRJ)?

We are adding 16 full color pages starting with the Fall (63.3) issue.

I pay for First Class delivery of the Journal. Will I have to pay more for delivery of the expanded Journal?

Not for your current membership period. When you renew, the additional First Class fee will be higher due to the increased weight of the Journal. The increase will be only for the added weight.

SIS subscribers are getting a free copy of the next Journal. I am a NRG member and a SIS subscriber. Do I get the next issue free?

No. This is a promotion to enlist new members.

How will this change impact the future direction of the NRG?

The anticipated increased membership numbers will allow the expanded Journal to not result in an increase in membership fees.The anticipated increase in membership will allow future expansion of the Journal beyond the initial expansion. The anticipated increase in membership is essential to the expansion of the Journal. Without the anticipated growth we can't fund further expansion so it is up to the modeling community to encourage SIS subscribers and others to join the NRG.

What is the NRG and the NRJ?

Founded in 1948, the Nautical Research Guild is an IRS 501(c)(3) approved nonprofit educational organization with an international membership of historians, ship model makers, artists and laypersons with a common interest in the history, beauty and technical sophistication of ships and their models. Read more about the NRG here.

NRG membership is mentioned many times. Can I just subscribe to the NRJ without being a member?

No. The Journal is available only to members, but if you are more comfortable with a subscription just think of the membership as an added bonus. Members get discounts on the products we sell which will soon include the SIS back issue CDs.

Isn't the NRJ more of an academic magazine?

Yes in that we offer more research oriented articles than SIS or MSB did. However the Journal has always included modeling content. The modeling content was increased several years ago and is being increased by 16 pages now. The research articles are primarily aimed at "Advancing Ship Modeling Through Research".

Is the NRG for beginners or advanced modelers?

Both. In the past the majority of Journal modeling articles were aimed at the intermediate to advanced modeler. We relied on SIS and before that MSB and SIS to serve the beginners. We will be providing more content for the beginners and intermediates going forward - without forgetting the advanced modelers.

How can I subscribe to the NRJ?

The Journal is only available to NRG members. Joining the NRG includes a subscription to the Nautical Research Journal along with other benefits. You can join the NRG online or by phone. See below of information on how to join the NRG at a special discounted rate!

Will back issues of SiS be available?

Back issues will be available on CDs or flash drives soon. We will not have printed copies. Back issues may be purchased from the NRG store.

Who do I contact about a refund of my Ships in Scale subscription money?

Contact Seaways Publishing. All subscribers with subscription issues remaining should be receiving a check from Seaways. See the Editorial in the last SIS issue.

NRG LIFE MEMBER John H. Harland passed away on May 11 at age 95. John was a frequent contributor to the Journal and author of five books. Over the years John was always willing to assist us when we needed to get questions answered that needed an expert. He was always willing and able to help. When the Board bestowed Life Membership to John he was very honored and emotional in his thanks to the NRG and said he wished he had been able to do more for us and the hobby.

The following is the family's announcement.

HARLAND, John Harford

May 8, 1923 - May 11, 2018

John developed an intense interest in ships and sailors at an early age; and enjoyed visiting the Belfast docklands as a boy and making ship models.

He enrolled as a medical student at Queen's University in Belfast in 1940, but after two years of medical school, volunteered to join the Royal Navy in December 1942. After a time at sea on a coal burning minesweeper he was promoted Sub-Lieutenant and served on Motor Launches in West Africa and in South Africa where he sailed motor fishing vessels from Capetown to Durban and served at the Naval Air Station in Capetown. Leaving the Navy as a Lieutenant he returned to university and graduated as a doctor in December 1949. He married Janet Morrison just after graduation, and they immigrated to Kamloops, BC in February 1951 where he worked as a family physician. He trained for his Fellowship in Anesthesiology at Vancouver and Duke University in North Carolina. Joining Underhill Clinic in Kelowna in 1960 as a general practitioner and working as an anesthesiologist at the Kelowna General Hospital, John retired in 1986.

During naval service he developed a special interest in sailing warships and steam whale catchers, which later resulted in book research and publication. John authored five books on maritime history:

Seamanship in the Age of Sail with Mark Myers (1984) Catchers and Corvettes: The Steam Whale Catcher in Peace And War 1860-1960 (with John McKay 1992) The Flower Class Corvette HMCS Agassiz with John McKay (1993) Ships And Seamanship: The Maritime Prints of JJ Baugean (2000) Captains And Windlasses: An Illustrated History of their use at Sea (2003).

Translating Peter Kirsch's Fireship: The Terror Weapon of the Age of Sail (2009) from German to English and contributing many articles to nautical journals.

Always a prolific reader; in the course of fieldwork he became familiar with several foreign languages reading German and speaking French and Norwegian.

On April 10, 2017 John was presented with the SS Beaver Award by the Victoria-based Maritime Museum of BC, he was recognized for his internationally respected maritime publications that feature advanced knowledge about sailing ship technology.

John has donated his entire library of books to the Naval Marine Archive Canadian Collection in Picton, Ontario.

Janet and John were happily married for 68 years. Janet and John travelled much of Europe and Greece from 1970-1990 enjoying memorable holidays. Janet was the love of John's life.

John was an intelligent and talented man in the breadth and width of his interests and pursuits including a passion for X-country skiing. John was a true gentleman and a scholar; he was a remarkable researcher, historian and writer and a fascinating person to talk to. John led a long and interesting life and will be missed by family and friends.

Three children: Jan and (Joe), Chris and (Stuart), Jack and (Lise), four grandchildren: Christina and (Dom), Jillian and (Ivo), Ian and Matthew and three great grandchildren: Harlow, Stevie and Leo will never forget this inspirational member of the family.

THANK YOU to the nurses and staff at Central Okanagan Hospice House for their kindness and the comforting surroundings.

"May he have fair winds and a following sea wherever he's bound we shall sorely miss him."

The NRG seeks a new Director and individuals willing to help with special projects.

As the result of a recent resignation, the Nautical Research Guild is actively recruiting for a new Director to help lead the NRG now and into the future. And you may just be the perfect person to help the NRG remain the premier ship modeling organization in the world.

We are seeking a motivated individual, in touch with the hobby, with some great ideas who is willing to pitch in and help to improve the Nautical Research Guild and to further advance the hobby of model ship building. The Board has many needs, including help with business administration; annual conference planning; membership recruitment and promotion; a variety of special projects; and many, many more activities. Currently, our biggest need is an individual with a background in marketing. If you have marketing experience, we need to talk! Your relative skill level as a model builder is not a factor in serving as a Director; we only seek motivated individuals with a keen interest in the hobby and a commitment to help continually improve the NRG.

Now, some of you might be saying to yourselves you wouldn't mind helping out the NRG board with one or more of its needs, but you really don't want to become a Director at this time. And that's just fine from our perspective. We would welcome your help with one or more special projects without the full commitment of becoming a Director.

If you are interested in serving in this exciting opportunity, or just want more information about this position or the activities the NRG needs help with, please contact the Board Chair, Mitch Michelson, nrgmkm@gmail.com or (210-860-1587) no later than Friday, May 25th. We guarantee this is an opportunity you'll be glad and proud for which you stepped up and volunteered.

Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you soon. You won't regret it!

THE GENERIC EAST COAST OYSTER SHARPIE - LATE 19TH CENTURY

The plans and monograph are now available to build a late 19th century, Generic East Coast Oyster Sharpie.  Visit the NRG store to see more or purchase today!

The eleven sheets of CAD plans and the 277-page, step-by-step monograph are designed as an introduction to scratch building a small work boat in a miniature version of a full-size board for board build. This project was created primarily for modelers of intermediate level of skill or experience with special instructions for those with limited access to power tools. This project will also appeal to all work boat fans and those wanting a change from long-term projects.

The project was designed and written for the NRG by William "Bill" Strachan with the plans were done by Al Saubermann, both members of the NRG and the CT Marine Model Society.

Bill Strachan is a retired Enrolled Agent and an avid miniaturist. Early in the 1980's he was the Comptroller for an architectural firm and had the opportunity to build all their architectural models. In the 1990's he joined the SW FL Shipmodeler's Guild. He served the Guild as Bosun and Newsletter Editor. Retirement meant moving to CT, and he became Secretary and Newsletter editor for the CT Marine Model Society he also served as Vice President of CMMS until last fall. Bill and his wife Sue live in Wolcott, CT.

Al Saubermann is a retired physician whose career in academic medicine spanned 45 years. He's been building model ships for over 35 years including scratch building for the last 10. He recently completed a board model of the USS Peacock (1813) built from the original plans conserved in the National Archives. He currently serves as Secretary for the Connecticut Marine Model Society. Al and his wife Olga live in Deep River Connecticut.

Plans from Mystic Seaport and the Mariners' Museum and books by Howard Chapelle and others are the reference sources for this 3/4" = 1'0" scale model, and presents three options to choose from to complete your model.

The 277 page, monograph contains 441 color photographs and diagrams to guide the builder. Referenced and quoted sources are footnoted for the modeler and a bibliography is provided. The monograph is provided as a free PDF download from the NRG web site. They are also available on a flash drive for an additional charge.

The plans are shipped rolled in a sturdy box.