The flags on the ship were ordered from a specialist in Germany. And while Laney is meticulous in following the plans for each model — the intricate rigging on most of the ships would be enough ...

Williams is a member of the Sun City Model Builders Club and has completed 17 ships, nearly all of them old sailing ships with tall masts and plenty of rigging. They can take months to complete.

Last year, Lou Husser was handed a heap of wood, thread and canvas and asked to make a sailing ship from it. This was both easier than it sounds and more difficult. Easier because the materials ...