Ortonville – If this model ship could just speak’the tales it could tell.
That’s the message from village resident, Lorne Best, 77, who discovered the sailboat in disarray on the sidewalk of an antique store in 1988. Since then, he has worked to restore and renovate the intricate craft.
Best said the hull of the model, a brigantine schooner named ‘Gina Marie,? was found by Lou Bizzaro in 1945.
Bizzaro was reportedly the full-time limousine driver for President Dwight D. Eisenhower during his entire term of office.
‘Mr. Bizzaro was the driver and valet for President Eisenhower from the first time he was an army captain until he died,? Best said. ‘He was with him 24-hours-a- day.?
The hull of the model ship was built circa 1923. Best said Bizzaro found the hull following a walk in the woods near Clearwater, Fla.
‘Some children asked Mr. Bizzaro to help retrieve the hull from a swampy gully, half submerged,? said Best. ‘One-third of the planking was missing and several ribs were broken and the boys were disappointed in the condition. However, Mr. Bizzaro salvaged the remains, even though he could not find the original deck.?
Best said President Eisenhower watched for many months as Bizzaro renovated the ship.
Because Bizzaro was President Eisenhower’s limousine driver, he said Bizzaro had the time to work on it.
‘As a limousine driver for a president, you are alone, away from the hustle and bustle, so you sit around for 95 percent of the day,? Best said. ‘His hobby was to carve the men and he also carved the wheelhouse. The wheelhouse, or the main cabin, was made from two cigar boxes and the crane was made from a can-opener.?
Best said there are 10,000 parts on the boat, and said Bizzaro carved them in teak wood while he waited for President Eisenhower to return.
In the mid-1980s, Bizzaro sent the sailboat to ‘Chandler’s Passage,? a nautical antique store in Charleston, SC.
The story about how Best finally became the owner of the ‘Gina Marie? is strange, he said. He and his wife were visiting the antique store.
‘I saw the model on the sidewalk, but the owner of the store, Jiles Lovelace, was asking too high a price for it, so I didn’t buy it,? Best said. ‘My wife went into the antique store to buy something and that is how the antique store got my name and address. Several years later, Hurricane Hugo was predicted to hit the area where his antique store was located. So the owner closed down his store and shipped the model to me in Naples, Fla. at no charge, for safekeeping.?
When Lovelace was having trouble paying his doctor bills, Best said he agreed to send him $5,000 for medicine and his care. Three or four weeks later, Best sent another $5,000. The check arrived the same day Lovelace died. ‘So originally, I paid $10,000 for the sailboat,? said Best.
Best began the restoration of the boat himself but his son-in-law, William Miller, a toolmaker, saw he needed help and accepted the challenge to help rebuild it.
‘My son-in-law had the experience because he had already built many model ships,? Bets said. ‘Every part on the ship was reworked, including a new motor, rigging, and planing to repair dry-rot. A total cleanup and remanufacturing of many parts was required. It took months of painstaking work on nights and weekends.?
A fully functional Chesapeake Bay workboat from the turn of the 19th century, the boat can be launched in the water and operated with a remote control system he developed.
An electrical engineer, Best worked at, and eventually became an owner of, Brighton-based National Elements. ‘We electrified the model so everything was operated by wireless remote control. There is a motor, a crane and a drop anchor. The mast can also be twisted for a change of wind. It takes two people to control the ship because it has so many controls.?
Sailing has always been of interest to Best, but it wasn’t until he was 42-years-old that someone took him sailing at a yacht club. He loved it so much that, in 1971, he ordered his first sailboat.
‘I sailed at the Bayview Yacht Club in Detroit for many years,? Best said. ‘The manufacturer of the boat was Etchells. I have sailed in over 100 yacht club races. Races like the Port Hurton to Mackinac race, and I have raced the Chicago to Mac several times. I have also raced in Newport Beach, California, Ontario, Canada just to name a few. I have been crewing for others ever since.?
Best said he loves navigating a sailboat. ‘One of the biggest secrets to good navigation is understanding the angles and the course of the wind to determine which way the wind is going to come from,? he said. ‘You must concentrate or you will lose your life. I have been on sailboats worth 12 million dollars.?
Sailing, Best said, is very calming. ‘When I sail, I forget about business and everyday routines. It is so magnificent when the water glistens from the moon.?