Members of the Castaways R/C Boat Worx Club in The Villages hosted 10 Camp Villages children Tuesday morning on the shaded banks of Lake Mira Mar near the golf cart bridge. The hobbyists provided remote control speedboats of various sizes, plus instruction for the youngsters on how to navigate the waters. The young boys picked up the skill pretty quickly, noting that lighter pressure on the controls usually gave them a better chance of keeping their watercraft upright.
Nicholas Dunn, and his ‘grandfather,’ Village of Belvedere resident Wayne Fester, had fun guiding a small, bright yellow speedboat through the water. After wiping out and flipping the craft a few times, Nicholas got the hang of the controls and had his boat gliding smoothly.
Meryl Boyd of The Villages Recreation Department, who usually works at La Hacienda Center, was helping organize the R/C event.
“I feel like a kid again,” Meryl said. “I’m used to working with adults every day at the rec center, so this is a big change out here with these kids. Who knew I would have so much fun in my second career!”
Andrew Hoblin, grandson of Ashland resident Art Hoblin, and Jacob Holman, along with his grandmother, Sanibel resident Terry Byers, checked out long tables lined with various sizes of speedboats. Boat Worx members, Rich and Marilyn Barrett, were on hand to explain the workings of a 26 ProBoat to the boys, and Rich helped them to sail the craft at the water’s edge.
Every year, The Villages Recreation Department organizes activities for visiting grandchildren and other young relatives of Villages residents. Indoor and outdoor sports and games, cooking demos plus arts and crafts sessions are all designed to help make the youngsters’ visit to The Villages memorable. This year’s Destination Fun’s eight weeks will run through the first day of August. For more information visit www.DistrictGov.org
