Sean Maloon
I was born and raised in Maine. My modeling adventures started when I was six. My dad bought and helped me make two models, a F4U Corsair and a Coast Guard Cutter. My love of ship modeling had begun and I was hooked for life. As a teenager, I would ride my ten speed bike into town to the local hardware store where they had a small section of model kits, glue and paint. Much of my mowing allowance went to that store. My first attempt at scratch building a model was also during this time. My step dad took me to see the Queen Elizabeth 2 in Bar Harbor. I came home from that trip, borrowed some 2×12’s and proceeded to build my version of the luxury liner. The results taught me a valuable lesson in negative metacentric height. My attempt had so much upper structure and nails that as soon as I launched it; it rolled right over and sank.
As a young adult, I joined the Down East Shipmodelers Guild when it first started in Bath, Maine. The experience introduced me to a whole new world of modeling and helped provide me with the confidence to start scratch building scale models. Many of the techniques that the experienced modelers taught me, I still use today.
When my career as a ship designer led me to Hampton Roads, a very good friend, John Cheevers, introduced me to the Hampton Roads Ship Model Society. I have been a member now since 2011. I continue to learn new techniques from my fellow modelers.
My ship modeling interests are mostly US Navy subjects focusing on the sailing warships during the 1799-1820s and US battle-ships and cruisers of WW1 and WW2. My interests have grown beyond just modeling. I enjoy learning about the history of the subjects that I model and learning about how they were actually built.
I want to thank the members of the Hampton Roads Ship Model Society for all of the encouragement and advice that they have given me over the years. I specifically wish to thank John Cheevers, Tom Saunders, Bill Clarke and Tim Woods for all the road trips and adventures.