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Thanks to Tom LaMar, visitors to the Plattsburgh,
New York
region can once again get a sense of what the USS Saratoga must have
looked like when she graced the waters of Lake Champlain during her brief,
but glorious existence.
LaMar, a dentist by trade, has been an aircraft
modeler most of his life, only occasionally working with model boats. In
the summer of 2001 he was approached about doing a scale model of
Macdonough's flagship. Photos of the dramatic result grace this page.
This remarkable vessel is brought out regularly to
participate in the Battle of Plattsburgh festivities held each year in
September. It also accompanies marching reenactors in Independence Day
parades.
The replica took about a year to build. The
Saratoga has 27 compartments. It features a central "citadel" type
construction. It has an automatic bilge pump with alarm. The ship is built
of luann plywood, fiberglassed in and out. Tom tells us on her maiden
voyage she floated right at the water line, and is quite stable, having
heaved as much as 30 degrees in a strong wind.
Thank you, Tom; for giving us an exceptional look at
a truly remarkable and historic vessel!
JPM |
