by Chris Bloswick
1/60 United States Lighthouse Tender "Maple" W-234 (Scratchbuilt)
This is my scratch-built model of the United States Lighthouse Tender "Maple" W-234 as she appeared just after commissioning. It measures over 2 feet long and was built mostly from paper, cardboard, and wood. The Maple was the last ship built for the US Lighthouse Service in 1939 just before the service became a part of the Coast Guard. She also served for a time as the research vessel "Roger Simons" for the EPA. In the 1990's I helped to restore her as a museum for the Great Lakes Center for Marine History. She has since passed into private ownership and remains operational to this day.
