NAMBA Propwash 04-2023 Web.pub

of William’s model boating life. William did whatever he could to rearrange his schedule so he could attend and compete at a national event. There was one year where William and Dave Rychalsky flew out to California to compete in NAMBA’s yearly national extravaganza. William and Dave both built wooden boxes for our scale boats for check-in on the airplane. At one National event, William entered his American Spirit scratch-built scale boat in Concours. There were a number of extremely beautiful boats in the nitro scale class, but in the end, William won First Place in Concours! Trust me when I say that NO ONE, I repeat, NO ONE was more elated than William. Understandably so, building a scratch- built scale boat takes skill, workmanship and patience. On the flight home, William pulled his Concours Award out of his carry-on bag and literally walked up and down the aisle showing every passenger and talking about model boating. I am not sure if the flight crew was impressed with William, or they just wanted him to get back to his seat, so they moved him up to first class! William talked to all of the first-class passengers about boating the entire trip and sat with his award until the plane landed in Newark, NJ. There wasn’t a happier person, or one that was prouder than William. For William, it wasn’t about being the fastest or winning every heat. It was about enjoying model boating and spending time talking with others who had the same love of this hobby. Yes, William loved model boats and it didn’t matter if he raced and won first place or raced and ended in eighth place. He was boating and enjoying life. William had built a few Unlimited boats, as well as Sport 40’s. Over the years, William scratch built the 1982 Atlas Van Lines, the 1986 Miller American, the 1988 Miller High Life, the 1991 American Spirit, and the 1994 Smokin Joe’s unlimited scale boats while a member of NAMBA. His philosophy was that it had to resemble a full-sized boat and he had to build it from scratch. Sadly, William had kept a low profile since his wife Betty passed a few years ago, but he still continued to tinker with the boats until his health failed. He was known on the east coast as well as the west coast and from Florida to Montana. We all liked William and we all loved his spirit. I speak for all of us that knew William! We miss his larger-than- life heart. Looking Back Over the Years By Alan Hobbs NAMBA Past President In the mid-1970’s, I took my family on vacation to the Washington and Oregon Coast. We stopped in Spokane, to spend a Friday night on the way to the coast. Saturday morning, Radio Controlled boats were racing in the Spokane River, next to our hotel. I spent the rest of Saturday watching the boats run and asking questions. The boaters were very friendly and explained much to me. They were holding a NAMBA District 8 race. They were having fun and helping each other to have fun. When I returned home after our vacation, I joined NAMBA. Then I was transferred to a job in Oklahoma. My two sons and I became active in NAMBA District 7, racing in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and Missouri. The 1981 NAMBA Nats in Amarillo, Texas was my first NAMBA Nats. We moved back to Montana in 1982 and began racing in Canada, NAMBA District 16. I entered other NAMBA Nats and met many boaters from different places. San Diego hosted a NAMBA Nats. I was there when a local boater told someone, “He’s from Montana. What can he know about model boats?” I decided then to get involved in the NAMBA organization, not just for racing, but for helping NAMBA grow. PROPWASH April 2023 5 In Memory of … By Dave Rychalsky and Sky Hydro Model Boat Club Sadly, we have yet another article on the passing of one of our members; William Overton. This article is a culmination of memories from four current NAMBA members and friends of William. As an enthusiast modeler living in Brooklyn, Leighton Henry’s only outlet to feed his RC boat obsession was the Radio Control Boat Modeler magazine. It was through this publication that Leighton learned that there was actual racing in Long Island. He attended a race that was hosted by a club called LIMBA (Long Island Model Boat Association). Leighton’s first racing season was in 2004 and that was when he met the members of the Sky Hydro Club. William Overton, Johnny Hightower and Bill Ruffin. They invited Leighton to join the club. This started him on the path to friendship that spanned almost 20 years, and continues today. One of the Sky Hydro members, William Overton, loved building models from scratch. The Sky Hydro Club was known for their beautiful 1/8th Nitro Scale Boats. William shared the origin of the name Sky Hydro with Leighton. William explained that all three original members, Bill, Johnny & William, had fun building airplanes and going to the RC flying fields to practice flying their models. One day, they discovered model boat building and racing. All three were drawn into the 1/8th Scale Unlimited style of boats. So the three married the former love of the “SKY” with the new love “HYDRO” and that's how Sky Hydro was formed. All three built some of the most beautiful and accurate boats that were well known. Even on the west coast. William and the guys took Leighton under their wings and taught him how to build from scratch. William had a dedicated place on his property called William’s Hobby Room where boaters hung out for countless hours discussing boats, planes, life, anything and everything. We are all happy to have known William Overton and to call him a friend. William loved to share ideas and techniques for building a model from scratch. He would chat for hours with anyone who had interest in model boating. Racing at a NAMBA National event was one of the highlights