After cleaning out his father-in-law's garage 20 years ago, Jim Cox, president of Victoria Model Shipbuilding Society (VMSS), found a model boat, which has been his passion ever since. 

The group will meet at Langford Lake, in Langford, near the Westhills YMCA or at the Harrison Model Yacht Pond on Dallas Road at Government Street.

"We call ourselves the Langford Lake Navy," Cox said.

On Langford Lake, the group will mostly use model sailboats, as the lake offers better conditions for sailing as there is less stress and more wind.

The group was founded in 1978 with six members and the boats mostly used gasoline. Nowadays, a mixture of wind power and batteries is used. 

"Most of the guys have been here for 10 years."

Now, VMSS has a membership of around 25 people, most of whom are retired but passionate about model building. The group is mostly made of retirees, from all walks of life.

There was some controversy a few years ago as the group was part of a much larger organization that scheduled large events where racing and competitions would take place, but squabbles over-rules and procedure ruined it, according to Cox. 

At Langford Lake, the group will have pre-schoolers and families watching with curiosity, and the group welcomes people asking them questions while they are sailing. "Now we have a strict no-racing rule," he said. 

According to Cox, the model boats are mostly built by starter kits and can range from $300 to $500. They can resemble traditional racing sailboats, motorboats, submarines, and more.

"You can get a used model from me for $25," he said.

They used to sail closer to Starlight Stadium, but the installation of the aluminum walkway posed a problem trying to put the boats into the water.

"Trying to haul a boat over a metre long over a four-foot fence was not fun," Cox said.

Over the years, the dramatic price drop for radio technology has made model building more accessible. In the beginning, the club purchased only one lone radio. 

"We all had turns," Cox said.

The boat's steering takes a while to get used to, as it requires good hand control for the radio and keeping an eye on the boat to avoid collisions with the marina or other boats."Your hands need to control the radio, but your mind needs to be on the boat," said Cox.