Dave Benedet has been creating miniaturized replicas of ships since he was a young lad of thirteen years, anchoring him to a hobby that has given him years of pleasure and fulfillment.
His first boat, “The Centennial”, was put together in 1967 to commemorate Canada’s hundredth birthday, establishing Dave as a master ship builder – on the miniature side, of course. Since then, he has launched 162 vessels.
“Plastic models didn’t excite me,” Dave maintains. “There was very little brain work required and not much left for the imagination.” Dave decided to take the river less travelled and dock on his own ingenuity and creativity.
The whole process from start to finish takes between four to six weeks. In the planning stage, Dave looks for a design for a ship by either obtaining the ship builder’s drawings or, if he has to, draw his own. The next step is collecting the materials and the parts for the interior. “That’s where the internet comes in handy,” Dave says. “I’ve ordered parts from England and California so I can get the interior just right.”
Dave puts in hours of research before he starts building. He determines the ship’s gross tonnage and its fuel capacity, how far it can travel, the number of crew members and other pertinent information that he shares on a data sheet with interested viewers. In this way, the ship becomes “real” and people get a better appreciation for the work that’s involved.
Although some of the ships Dave creates are replicas, he prefers to christen them with their own unique names. There’s a Great Lakes ship called “Nagochee” taken from Hubert Limbrick’s “Tales of the Tom-Tom from the Land of the Sleeping Giant”, a research vessel known as “Ellan Vannin” which is Gaelic for “Isle of Man”, and a British Protectorite called “Riduna”.
All the boats Dave creates are fashioned in a 1:32 scale since this is the same ratio of most furnishings Dave purchases, adding to the ship’s authenticity.
And the interior is where Dave excels. Even as a kid, Dave had an eye for detail. “I loved to create the insides of a place, such as a home, using an ordinary shoebox. I would work on it for hours, making sure every detail was just right.”
It’s this uncanny ability that makes Dave’s ships so memorable. He takes photos of the ships during each step so people can have a view of the ships’ rooms and gain an understanding of the work that is involved.
Then Dave takes it a little further. Each ship that sails the oceans and seas must have a certificate of good standing with the International Maritime Organization, an agency of the United Nations that regulates maritime transport. To add to his replicas’ authenticity, Dave gives each of his ships its own IMO number – using numbers that the IMO does not use, of course.
When the ship is complete, Dave brings it to the Kaministiqua River and enjoys a ceremonial launch, watching his boat set out on the waters, feeling a sense of accomplishment in a job well done.
There’s something unique and special about watching Dave’s ships take sail on the water. Instead of trying to wrap your head around a large ship that barely fits into your line of vision, you can see it all from end to end in the same exact detail, giving you an up close and personal view, as well as a better appreciation for these magnificent water vessels.
If you would like to see these amazing replicas and have a chat with Dave about his hobby, stop by the Metro Lions Train Show in October, 2025. Dave is always happy to share his skills and passion for his hobby.
You can also see his ships at the Transportation Museum of Thunder Bay, the Thunder Bay Port Authority and a few businesses including Chaltrex and Thunder Bay Fasteners and Tools, where he has graciously donated them for others to enjoy.
