Sea-Fever blog

In the category of “some people have the damnedest hobbies,” John Asmussen of Germany and William Terra of Maine have certainly each found one that suits them.

Mr. Asmussen created a fascinating and comprehensive website, Bizmark & Tirpitz, the purpose of which is “to give the visitors a detailed and informative place on the Internet related to the history of the battleships of the Bismarck Class.” His “criteria of success:”

I want to make a website that I would like to find myself if I want information about Bismarck and Tirpitz. I hope to have many visitors who’ll find this website useful and informative. Whether you like a website like this or not, (the level of details, design etc) is more or less a matter of taste.

Four years in the making and a few more needed to “complete” the project, Mr. Terra built a 1:20 scale, 30′, navigating model of the World War II German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee. (Wikipedia entry) Per Bizmark & Tirpitz:

• The model is scratch built like a canoe using 2,54 - 10,16 cm (1 - 4 in) bass wood strips and then covered with fiberglass.
• Estimated weight 318 kg (700 lbs).
• The beam is 1,32 meter (52 in).
• The length is about 9,1 meter (30 foot).
• It can carry 2 persons.
• The model is powered by a 15 hp (11,2 kw) outboard engine under rear gun turret.
• It can sail 24 kilometer per hour (15 mph).
• Furthermore the model has a music system build in.
• While William Terra cruise the lakes of Maine he enjoys listening to Wagner.
• The Commander-in-Chief in the photographs is William Terra.
• William Terra would like to see more models build in this scale.

Pretty amazing projects by 2 very dedicated individuals. (understatement)

Technorati tags: ship model, World War II, Admiral Graf Spee, William Terra, Bizmark & Tirpitz, John Asmussen