Where else could you get cruiseliners, navy ships, model yachts, and even Captain Jack Sparrow’s ship ‘The Black Pearl’ in the west coast of Scotland?

Recreating life on an ocean wave is the Largs Model Boat Club who use Aubery boating pond for showcasing their impressive miniature vessels.

On Saturday morning, some members took the opportunity of the spring sunshine to get out and use their radio controlled vessels in the good weather.

The detail which goes into the model boats are impressive, right down to additional sound effects provided including engine noises, and even seagulls!

The constructions are impressive including cruiseliners with tennis courts, fishing boats with a full wheelhouse and instruments, and even ‘The Black Pearl’ from Pirates of the Caribbean.

Model making kits are purchased through an agent in England from China for some of the impressive yachts, while some of the vessels are completely handmade by the members.

“The Black Pearl’ was made by one of the members of the club from Paisley.

Long term member Jim Martin, 77, said: “We have about 80 members. I have been in different posts in the club, but I am happy now for some of the younger guys to take on the positions. We have one or two junior members but it is very hard to keep the junior members.

“I only started this a couple of years before I retired. Most of the members are from Largs, but we have a couple from Greenock, and three or four from Kilbirnie, Ardrossan and Dalry, so we cover a wide base.” The boat club acquire beech wood. “It is not the best of things for working with, but it makes a brilliant boat when it is made,” explained Jim.

There are different methods of making boats. A plank of wood is used with a series of frames, and they are all made exactly to a plan, and they all have marks, with a dead centre, and you line them up.

He explained: “All the planks are different lengths. You have the deck and the keel, stern and bow, and sternpost, and there are various grooves. Normally you would soften the wood, but you can buy wood for modelling.

“In a kit, it would be a softer wood, it would probably be lime. It takes around three months to make a boat, with a wee bit of experience.” The Model Boat Club would like to get local schools involved in some of the boatbuilding as a project. Most people buy a kit and the hull is already made for you, and you build the rails and cabins, and other details, but normally you get a plan with it.

Jim added: “There is some talk about council re-development - and we were a wee bit worried as there was no mention of a pond, just mention of a play area, but we assured by the council it is only very preliminary, and it is a long term thing that might take two or three years to come to fruition.

“We have an appointment with some of the council people to discuss matters further. I am quite sure a lot of people in Largs would not like to see the boating pond being lost as it is a very busy place in the good weather, and normally we invite people into the clubhouse to have a look at the boats if they wish, so everyone is made welcome. We even have a Viking boat as well!” And Jim has said that the Largs Model Boat Club would welcome school involvement in the Largs area to take boatbuilding up as a project for pupils.

He said: “We have a lot of expertise in the model making of the boats, so some joinery work up at the schools could help, and we’d be happy to visit local schools. There was a very good project that Glasgow University designed ‘A Wee Nip’ - it is a very small yacht, cheap to build and, it is ideal for schools as that is what it was designed for, and we have one of them at the club.

“They only have one sail and it costs £40 to build - it is very cheap to build and construct - with a bit of supervision anybody who knows a bit about woodwork at all can follow the plans.” * Come along and see the Largs Model Boat Club sail their boats every Sunday (weather permitting) at Aubery Pond at the north end of the prom in Largs between 1 and 4pm.