Makeing water??

Hi Guys, This is my first post on the forum, And i could use some help, I am building a dio and want to show a ships mast above water with the rest of the ship sunk beneath, I need to know how to make water look like it is flowing past the mast, How best to make a ripple effect?? And i could use some advise on what to use for water, I plan to make this dio about and inch deep if that will help answer my questions?? Thanks For looking.................Don