It’s been fifteen years since a steamboat sailed on Emmarentia Dam. The original club used to have boats up and down the water but many of the younger residents might not even remember this.
Now, the Gauteng Model Boat Club has resurfaced as the new club with club grounds at the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens.
One member has built a completely working scale steam boat from a set of plans only. In the model boating world, this is known as ‘scratch built’- not from a kit or ready-made model.
This model is a scale version of Victorian era motorboats that would cruise up and down the rivers in England and many other European countries at the time. They were used for transport and recreation. The model not only looks like the real deal, but actually works the same way too; it runs using a real miniature steam engine and has a remote control system that steers and manages the speed.
Bring your friends and family and come and witness this Victorian era boat on the Emmarentia Dam and find out more about how steam was used on a regular basis. From 2pm till 4pm on the 29 September. Details: at www.gmbc.wozaonline.co.za
