| Issue #49, March 16, 2007 |
Hey, I Know That Boat
Greenport Model Boat Maker Gets A Surprise
By T.J. Clemente
Greenport has a long nautical history due to its location as the pearl of the North Fork. Long time Greenport residents, Otto and June Schoenstein, who will be celebrating their 55th wedding anniversary this June, have a unique niche in that history. The Schoenstein’s are residents of Greenport for the last 25 years in which they have raised two sons who have given them four grandchildren and one great grandson.
Otto, who was originally from College Point in Queens, spent a long successful career as a builder of many wonderful homes. He also meticulously restored pleasure crafts including a thirty-six foot 1946 Boston Whaler which he still uses to this day.
Since being retired, Otto Schoenstein has taken to re-creating classic model ships using cedar, balsa, and basswoods. His collection at present time is just over thirty models, some up to over a yard long. A few years ago at a yard sale, Otto came upon the blueprints for a sixty-nine foot luxury yacht for Colonel H.H. Rogers, a president of Standard Oil for the Rockefellers.
The detailed blueprints in half-inch scale, the actual blueprints that would have been used to construct the vessel were all Otto needed to make a model, however, Otto researched and could not determine if the boat had ever been built. Therefore, he went about the chore of constructing and crafting the yacht design to scale. When he completed it, the model, mostly cedar and basswood, had a length of 34 inches. Otto also installed two electric engines and radio controls. He would entertain his grandchildren and great grandson by powering the model of the luxury yacht in swimming pools.
While reading the March 2nd issue of Dan’s Papers, Otto came across an article that mentioned some yachts of Colonel H.H. Rogers. With the article was a photograph of Colonel Rogers “Charming Polly,” which Otto recognized as the model he constructed from the blueprints. Delighted, Otto finally discovered that the blueprints of the model were used for the construction of the yacht.
This is not the first time that a coincidence like this has happened with Otto and his model boats. The pride of Otto Schoenstein’s model boat collection is a 1941 YTL Tugboat. He told me a wonderful story about an incident that happened to him several years ago. Otto and his son almost purchased the actual tugboat at a sale in New Jersey. The tugboat, built in Hawaii and entered into service in August of 1941, survived the Pearl Harbor attack and, in fact, was instrumental in rescue efforts. To this day, the actual tugboat displays a specific flag that only naval vessels that survived the Pearl Harbor attack are allowed to fly.
Using photographs and memory, Otto started from scratch and accepted the challenge to build the tug. Speaking with him, it seems there was an instant connection between Otto Schoenstein and that tug. In a labor of love, many hours were spent crafting the fittings and detailed components of the historic boat. Otto is extremely proud of the finished product, which he named the YTL Pearl Harbor.
While being retired, Otto Schoenstein does volunteer work at Hallocksville Farms using his skills for both restoration and repairs. He expressed joy in being able to contribute to the North Fork community. Otto and June Schoenstein are just another wonderful thread to the fabric of Greenport, the wonderful jewel of the North Fork.
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