Getting in a maritime frame of mind Getting in a maritime frame of mind (April 06, 2005)

It's easy to imagine yourself manning a gun or an oar or making sail on a ship of the line when you have a stunningly detailed, accurate and fairly large model in front of you.

Such opportunities and other sea-going and model-making activities will be open to kids of all ages between noon and 3 p.m. Saturday, April 9, at the San Mateo County History Museum.

Museum docents will be on hand to talk about the 23 model ships on display, each the handiwork of Charles Parsons, a former resident of San Carlos who died last year. Suzanne Parsons, his wife of 62 years, will be there for a ceremony honoring her husband.

Sea Scouts will demonstrate how to tie various knots, how to sew a sail, and how to splice a line. Kids can make model boats. There will be navigation charts and signal flag codes to look at, and a show-and-tell on how to use a compass and a sexton.

The museum is located at 777 Hamilton St. at Broadway in Redwood City. Admission is $4 for adults, $2 for children, and free for children under 5.

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