Nautical Milestones
“It’s all about the hunt,” says Bill Timmerman who, along with business partner Bob Stone, travels 30,000 miles a year searching antique stores, auctions, and salvage sales for nautical antiques and marine memorabilia. Bill, the one with the extra stripe on his shoulder, and Bob have amassed quite a collection of treasures at The Cargo Net, a 3,000-squarefoot showroom in Put-in-Bay, Ohio. And the two octogenarians don’t plan on giving up the hunt anytime soon.
Both the store, and its owners, have reputations that precede them. The shop is known for having some of the finest and most unique antiques and collectibles in the country. The wooden walls are covered with artwork, antique advertising signs, ship bell clocks, and intricate reproductions of ship figureheads. Scattered throughout the store are lanterns, telescopes, and a miscellany of historic maritime collectibles and ship furniture such as two captain’s desks that the men painstakingly restored. Other spaces are filled with bits of Americana—a restored Texaco gas pump, a 1957 electric golf cart, slot machines, and more.
The charm of the items is further brought to life by Bill and Bob, who tell the tales of many of the objects. There’s the 1868 vanity table that Captain J.O. Norton brought back from Europe as a gift to his wife; and a wood bar from a South American paddle wheel steamer that went on to serve patrons at “the oldest whorehouse in Buenos Aires.” They restored the bar back to its original condition and have since sold it.
The story of their 60-year friendship is as intriguing as the items’ history. The men met in Singapore at the end of World War II. Bill served in the Navy—Bob in the Army. Their partnership began when they heard the news that three cruise ships were being salvaged. They purchased items from the ships and put them into storage (for 30 years) while they pursued other business ventures, which included a filling station in Cleveland, the Snowbird Lodge in the Smoky Mountains, and a gift shop in Put-in-Bay, before opening The Cargo Net.
The nautical and nostalgia business seems to be a perfect fit for the two men, who have encyclopedic knowledge of the antiques they restore. In showing an 1875 whaling gun to a customer, Bill remembers they found it in York, Maine. He goes on to relate the entire history of whaling guns. Even at 80, he can recount the minutiae, and it certainly comes in handy when identifying valuable items, even when they’re in pieces. For example, the Bluenose II, a ship model of the original schooner, the Bluenose, was discovered at an auction in California. They brought it back in two boxes and restored it in their shop. It’s now considered a museum piece valued at $9,500.
Put-in-Bay residents Jan and Michele Graves revel in the finds Bill and Bob bring back from their travels each year. “Our home is filled with items from The Cargo Net,” says Michele, listing Liberty ship benches, a ship’s wheel, and numerous other nautical devices. Of course, there’s always room for more as Jan points to a rare whaling harpoon and a blunderbuss, an 1850s ship gun used during battle.
The Graves, like island residents Peter and Jill Junkin, say their relationship with the men has moved from customers to friends over the years. “These two have become a beloved institution on the island,” says Jill. “We look forward to hearing their captivating stories.”
And it appears there will be many years of stories to come. Bill and Bob did try retirement in 2007, but it lasted for exactly one month. Bill says at a board meeting over a two-martini lunch, they concluded retirement was boring. They instead decided to reopen, but to cut their hours by one hour. That didn’t last long either. You’ll find The Cargo Net open from noon to 5 p.m. daily until Labor Day, when they once again prepare to travel the world in search of nautical antiques. You can contact The Cargo Net guys at (419) 285-4231. It will most likely be Bill who answers the phone—that’s why he gets the extra stripe on his shirt.
More info at thecargonet.com