Mike Amicone
My fascination with sailing ships began over 60 years ago. I grew up in a suburb of Boston and one Saturday morning my father took me on a trip to see the U.S.S. Constitution, the oldest commissioned warship in the United States. This early exposure to the world of “square rigged” sailing ships created an interest that has held my attention ever since.
When I finished my education and had some disposable income, I purchased a small sailing dingy. The combination of my fascination with sailing ships and my engineering background was a good match as the propulsion on a sailing vessel is all about physics, vectors, drag, etc. Over the following years, I sailed boats along the New England coast, much of the Caribbean and most of the Aegean Sea in Greece. Unfortunately, I was never able to sail on a classic square rigged ship.
When not sailing I used my spare time reading about and building model ships. My interests focused on the “sticks and thread” variety as some refer to sail boats with my preference being early 19th century and older designs. Having built model ships over the past 30 years, I’ve accumulated approximately 30 models. A couple years ago, my wife said there were no more tables or places to put boats in the house. She didn’t expect me to stop building more any time soon. So, I built a room over the garage to house my collection.
My room is now finished, and among the many varieties of models ships my favorite remains the U.S.S. Constitution, the kit which I purchased at auction in my very first meeting of The Hampton Roads Ship Model Society many years ago.