Groton — Christopher Jenkins built a wooden submarine for himself, after he cut out the Pinewood Derby designs for his daughter and a friend’s 10-year-old son.

“It only took me about an hour and a half,” Jenkins said of his replica of the USS Flying Fish, a World War II submarine. He sliced off part of the wood lengthwise to create a thin, flat surface, glued together two scrap pieces of crown molding for the submarine, fashioned a small sail from wood and hammered in nails for periscopes.

“The nail idea was pretty good, Dad,” said his daughter, Kylie Jenkins, 10.

The Groton Parks and Recreation Department is running a series of events this week as part of Connecticut’s Submarine Century, a yearlong celebration of the 100th anniversary of the first submarines arriving at the Naval Submarine Base.

The CT Submarine Century Pinewood Derby starts at 4 p.m. on Friday at Poquonnock Plains Park, and has categories for seniors and adults as well as children of different ages.

Jenkins, who retired from the Navy after 22 years and works at Electric Boat and part time at the submarine base, registered for the derby along with his daughter.

He also helped Miles Mitchell, 10, with his sub. Miles’ dad, Antavius Mitchell, is serving on the USS Oklahoma City, stationed in Guam. He returned home Friday to visit his family for the holiday weekend.

“Really, I just wanted to do (the derby submarine) to make something that I would enjoy and really have fun,” Miles said.

The town has packed the week with activities after the July 4 parade. On Tuesday at 5:15 p.m., recreation staff will gather a crowd at the football field at Robert E. Fitch Senior High School to have the group stand in the shape of a submarine, then send two drones above the field to capture the image.

“We’re going to make a huge human submarine,” said Jerry Lokken, recreation services manager.

A softball game will follow at 6 p.m. on Tuesday at the Fitch ball field, between Groton’s elected officials and employees and members of the submarine base. Mayor Bruce Flax will start as pitcher.

On Wednesday, the Mystic Schooners will play a game honoring submariners at 6:05 p.m. at the Fitch ball field. At 7 p.m., the U.S. Coast Guard Band will give a free concert, including songs such as “Anchors Aweigh,” on the lawn of the Branford House at the University of Connecticut at Avery Point.

On Thursday, the Groton Public Library is setting up a “StoryWalk” along the walking trail at Poquonnock Plains Park, where families can walk together and look at large, posted pages of the children’s picture book “Super Submarines” by Tony Mitton and Ant Parker. Members of the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps will be stationed at each page at 10 a.m.

The Pinewood Derby “subs” will race from 4 until 8 p.m. on Friday. Lokken hopes families will stay after the event or arrive later for a showing at dark of “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.”

d.straszheim@theday.com