The late Eddie Scott created a model of the Titus on the Brac
A scale model version of one of the largest vessels in the world built by the late Eddie Scott of Cayman Brac has been reunited with his family and is again on display for all to enjoy.
The tanker, known as the Titus, was docked off the coast of Cayman Brac, where Mr. Scott lived and was known as a boat builder, teacher, businessman, musician and someone who could do just about anything he put his hand to.
“The boat was made between 1978 and 1979 during the time I was training to be a police in Barbados,” said Mr. Scott’s son, Burman.
“This was a super tanker and at that time was the third-largest ship in the world. She was based off Cayman Brac for refuelling of Cayman Energy.”
Burman Scott said the Titus was so large that she could be seen from quite far inland, “especially when she was empty and she would be high out of the water.”
Eddie Scott was a carpenter for most of his life and worked as a craft teacher in Cayman Brac. As his son recalls, “He always made clock models and woodwork.”
In fact, Eddie Scott started his career in carving and sculpting from coral stone when he was just five years old. His works became so popular that in 1964 he was commissioned by the Cayman Islands Government to create the official gift commemorating the 1994 Royal visit of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Eddie Scott eventually became friends with the captain of the tanker, after he came ashore and visited his jewellery store. The captain asked Mr. Scott to make a piece of jewellery for him using black coral. As a result of the ensuing friendship that developed between the men, Mr. Scott was invited on board the Titus.
Once there, he asked the captain whether there was a scale model of the boat that he could make a model from and as the saying goes, the rest is history.
The elder Mr. Scott wasted no time getting to work fashioning the craft from natural materials, including white pine and other resources found on the Island.
When the model of the Titus was complete, the piece was displayed in Mr. Scott’s jewellery store.
Years later, after the store was closed, the boat was sold to Eldon Kirkconnell, who displayed it in the Kirk Freeport stores on Cayman Brac.
Following his father’s death in January, Burman said he was curious about what had happened to the boat and so he visited the Kirk Freeport store, where he was told that the model was in storage.
“I waited to get back to Cayman after the funeral and gave Mr. Eldon Kirkconnel a call and before I could even finish telling him what my plans were for the model tanker, he told me that I could get have it back free of charge. Considering he paid around $3,000 for it, that was an extremely gracious and heartfelt gesture on his part and we – the family – want to express our thanks publicly to Mr. Kirkconnell,” said Mr. Scott.
He added that the boat will be at his mother’s residence in Stake Bay, which also houses Mr. Eddie’s Restaurant, for anyone who would like to view it.
In the summer arrangements will be made for the tanker to be displayed at the museum in Cayman Brac.
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