Started voluteer docent work on U.S.S. Pampanito, getting some kit models!

[Guest]

Five thursdays ago, I started my volunteer work as a docent aboard the WWII Balao Class Fleet Submarine, U.S.S. Pampanito (SS-383). I welcome visitors aboard, and ask if they have any questions about the Pampanito. Thursdays are the least busiest, but we do get a good little crowd of visitors. I've talked to folks from England, Australia, Korea, Japan ... even Americans!

I've been working on lighting for my sub miniature, and have found a Tamiya universal gearbox that looks promising for the periscope hoist. I also picked up the Squadron Signal Publications UI.S. Navy Flying Boats and Amphibians in World War II, and then I went back to look at the sale shelf. I found the MINICRAFT PBY 5/5a Catalina kit (1:144), with $10.00 (USD) off the regular price of $24.99; that I could go for, and bought it. I haven't put a plastic kit together in half a century, so this should be interesting!

My Pampanito volunteer Caretaker/Driver, and good friend, Jeremy, has surprised me by ordering the Guillow's 2004 1:28 PBY5/5A balsa kit as a gift for me, which I've been eyeing for a while now. My lastest health check today suggests the Guillow's kit may not wait until I am bedridden (I had thought to keep it for building when I'm housebound and near-bedridden), as the Nurse-Practitioner who examined me today suggested I'm a long way from there (I had thought I'd be down and out of it a lot sooner, but there have been some good turns for my overall health situation lately). The Guillow's kit has not shipped yet, but is scheduled for delivery between March 8 and March 13.

My order for areial gunnery gun-mount manual pages from the Smithsonian came back labeled "Cannot Identify"! Our P.O. is going down hill when they can't find the Smithsonian! I'll try again, but this was Jan 10 when I mailed it, and it's 6 to 8 weeks for Smithsonian to fill print orders! I'm really feeling frustrated!

Regards, Johnpipe

[Guest]

Hi John, from seeing your excellent scratchbuilds I would think your volunteer work on a sub must be a dream come true!!!!

Cheers, Andrew

[Guest]

Hi Andrew,

Definitely! I can recall my first Fleet Sub image, in one of the volumes of The New Wonder World, 1932 edition; it was the V1, later named Barracuda, with its distinct shark-nosed bow! My health was not up to military standards, and I would never have passed the tough requirements for the sub service. Besides, it was the WWII sub that I grew up learning about, watching The Silent Service television show religiously every Sunday evening. Naturally, I saw every sub movie that I could, whether oldies on the telly, or first-runs at the cinema.

Being aboard a Fleet Sub, and the Pampanito is considered to be the best restored sub in the entire Historic Ships Association Fleet, is great! I was given access to the galley last thursday, and have made up the basic shell and shelf for the dish storage over the counter, and took measurements on the galley electric ranges, etc, and hope to get those started soon. Whenever the visitor traffic is slow, I study and measure bits of the boat!

When I look in Alden at the price that some of the WWII boats sold for scrap, I wish I could have had one; would have made a great clubhouse! Some of them went pretty low, in the $20,000 to $60,000 (USD) range; a few went over $100,000, and a couple went for under $10K!

But now I have my own, in 1:24, slowly growing, and as long as my strength holds out, I'll be there aboard the Pampanito every thursday (except on the sometimes occasions when they close early at 3:PM Pacific Time for special educational programs for the school system).

This is the kind of thing I've been waiting for for most of my life, and it's grand!

Thanks, regards, John