Like a squirrel trapped by indecision in the center of road, I sit here wondering what coast do I want to be on in August… Ahhhh. For folks into Antique & Classic Boats there are three big shows that are a must go. One is Lake Dora FLA in March, That one’s a slam dunk. It’s the first one of the season, it’s in FLA and it’s huge…The next two are  Lake Tahoe Concours d’Elegance in California Aug 7-13th and The Antique & Classic Boat Show in Clayton NY Aug 1-3, the original one in the home of Antique & Classic boating, the 1000 Islands on the St. Lawrence River in NY and Canada. So, here I sit… cant be in two places at one time… Oh I have done the East-West coast thing for work countless times. But not for fun. No way… So for me this year it’s the East Coast. Clayton is also home to the ACBS Headquarters and Museum. The whole weekend is like going back in time. The town… the area embraces the event with pride. There is something about putting around the area by boat, and seeing antique boats still being used as… well user boats, sitting in there original boat houses. Tahoe will be next year, with it’s way over the top collection of obsessed Boaters and there boats. Nothing compares. These folks take it to the extreme. And the setting is spectacular and a photographers dream. The one of a kind boats… The weather… The clear water..  Dang… maybe I’ll go there this year… Wait, No! Oh! Noooooooooo!

I just came back from the St Michael’s Antique & Classic Boat Show in St. Michael’s Maryland. This is one of the top shows on the east coast and the big one in the mid Atlantic. I was asked to judge the Runabouts in the show. We had to strictly follow ACBS guidelines. That was fine and a great way to keep things from getting personal. Word to the wise. If you are a defensive @&#^ when the judges are probing your boat. Watch out. As a judge you start looking a little harder.. OK maybe not real judges, but newbies like me. I saw many steller boats for sure. The kind that are tucked away in the barn and cleaned with tooth picks. But surprisingly so, my favorite boat was a rough, unmolested 22 foot Utility. Being an antique furniture lover as well, I like to refer to this boats finish as having patina. There is a raging debate right now in the boating community regarding this very issue. Separate guidelines are being issued as we blog here. But this boat went beyond that. It showed its age. The wood was dark and not perfect, The white seams were yellow. A tell tale sign of old varnish. She was not the fanciest boat either. Just a clunky utility, she was true and honest. Just like someone born in 1941 would look. No boob jobs or face lifts. I hope soon that the classic boat community learns to embrace such flaws, I know I do….every morning in the mirror.

The subject of antique boats, seems to be rather a niche topic. If you go to google, you’ll find that results for antique boats are 7 times less than those for antique cars.

Photo Credit: Randy Son Of Robert

In fact, in spite of their being some good antique boat clubs around like the Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club, there just aren’t as many great resources for boats as there are for other antiques.

However, one redeeming feature for Antique boat lovers, is the Woody Classic Boat Blog. With posts starting in October 2007, ‘Woody Boater’ has posted a 183 posts! These informative articles carry around news from all over the boating world.

It has links to several resources, and it’s a one stop news source for anyone who is keen to know what is going on with regard to classic and antique boats. It’s one of the few blogs I’ve seen with posts every day, at such a personal level.

Indeed, the writing is so personal and specific, that it’s clear the author of each article is closely associated with the topic on hand, and this makes it all the more valuable. With great pictures and snaps of the boats in question, it’s really an antique boat lover’s dream come true.

The Muscatine Boat show will show antique canoes and boats from across the nation. The boats will be made of wood, fiberglass, and aluminium.

The craze of restoring and replicating antique boats, has perhaps something to do with the the old world charm of water, polished wood, and the sun. David Moritz, who is the organizer of the ‘That Was Then This is Now’ Muscatine Boat show plans to show his work on a fiberglass and wood century Restorer.

Riverview Center where the registration for boat show participants will take place

The show will run from May 16th to the 18th. The show will host actual reproductions as well as replicasl. John Hintermeister, builds replicas of old boats. He said that the difference between a replica and a reprodution, is that a replica does not use original parts.

“I enjoyed the boat show last year. It was a great family-oriented event; clean, with no loud music, wild bands and drinking going on,” Hintermeister said.

A person interested in participating in the show with an antique boat can do so by contacting Dave Moritz at 563-260-1970. Lots more info can be found at the website of The Muscatine Boat show

Here’s a bit of information for those who like to say “Hey, I didn’t know that!”. There were people who wanted to see more of the Pope when he made his outdoor appearances. To further this end, they created special popemobiles. Usually referred to cars, they are special constructions that allow the Pope to stand in an enclosed glass area, to be viewed by the public.

Of course, there are a variety of pope mobiles that allow the pope to sit, stand, those that are open air, and those that are bullet proof glass enclosed. This wide variety of vehicles, allow the Vatican to choose the appropriate one for each particular setting. This will depend on the distance the pope is at, and the speed at which he is moving.

Coronado with sliding hard top

What is even better, is that there are boat Popemobiles! The popemobile in the picture, is a beautiful antique Coronado built in 1966. What’s more, it’s it isn’t all style. It’s powered by a 426 Chrysler Inboard Engine with duel quads. That’s eight barrels! This two tone beige vinyl scheme boat, can achieve speeds of 50 MPH. The owner claims to have spent $45,000 restoring it.

This year, at Muscatine Iowa, the Old boats are going to be on display side by side with the new ones. It’s the second year in which it’s being held, and organizers are hoping that the weather this year will be as good as that of the last.

The modern boats, will cruise along at 150 mph, and David Moritz of Wilton is hoping that the public will come to see their granddad’s antique boats of classic wood, fiberglass, and aluminum.

A 1956 Chris-Craft 26-foot Continental

A Hundred and twenty boats have already registered for the show, including some classic ones such as Garwood, Chris Craft, Century, and others. The best racing boats from 1950 to the 60s are part of the show as well.

Another attraction, is that many world boat racing champions  plan to attend as well.

Boats seen last year, were Ron Walbring’s Speedlinter, and Mike Tucker’s vintage hydroplane.

It seems that a lot of people didn’t want to see the antique boats on land, as much as they wanted to see them in the water. Moritz in trying to give them that this year.

The site for the show is http://www.muscatineboatshow.com/, and participants can register their boats on this site.

It’s crazy how the new world somehow manages to get mixed up in just about everything. Here, you’re rejoicing, and can’t take your eyes off your new antique boat, and imagining yourself to be back in time, when it was made, and sailing (or rowing) off to God knows where, when a somewhat practical question brings you back to reality - Do I need to Insure it? This simple question is going to pull you away from fantasy, and take you back to reality.

Apparently, there are several unique advantages that insurance companies are willing to grant for antique boats, including increased navigational territories for people who like to take their classic boats into foreign waters, coverage for boats that are undergoing restoration, Lay-up coverage for when the boat is stored and insurance coverage for people who live on their classic boat full-time may be available for an additional rate.

The full details, on your insurance agent can tell you, but it’s certainly something worth considering, if you’re the ‘better safe than sorry’ type. Different insurance companies, have different definitions for Antique, or Classic boats, so you need to factor that into your calculations as well.

Either way, it might be something worth looking into, so go ahead and take that step if you feel it’s necessary to protect your age old classic from modern misfortunes.

Purchasing an antique boat can be quite a challenge.  Right from knowing who to approach, assessing the condition of the boat, it’s provenance, and deciding on the right price. Likewise, selling a boat can be equally of a bother, with you not knowing how much your boat is worth, and how much to sink into restoration.

Several people have learned the hard way, and finally, someone has decided to put it down in black and white. That someone is Lou Rauh from the Antique Boat Cetre along with Chris Craft of the the Antique Boat Club. Lou, is acknowledged to be one of the leading experts on purchasing and selling antique boats. A boon to all boat lovers, it will serve as a ‘Look before you leap’guide that will undoubtedly save a lot of money for amateurs and experts alike.

The book is written in a matter of fact manner without trying to sell you anything, that will appeal to readers.

The best part is, that it’s easy to get this book. Just sign up the the Chris Craft Antique Boat Club at  http://www.chris-craft.org/index.php. and get it. Easiest thing you ever saw!

If you thought that a boat over 80 years old cannot be put to good use in the modern day hectic life, think again.

The Capt. Eulice ferry, built of Mahogany as a house boat in 1920, has been leased from the Thomas family of Crisfield to ferry passengers between Hilton Head and Daufuskie islands in South Carolina. It had initially been used to transport passengers to and from Tangier Island, Va., in the Chesapeake Bay.

Island residents typically had problems getting back and forth from Daufuskie over the water. Wick Scurry, president of J & W, the company which is responsible for the enterprise, said this would make life much more convinient.

The Capt. Eulice ferry departs from Hilton Head Island every two hours from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, on all days except Sunday. The trip takes an hour each way. On Sunday, the boat leaves Hilton Head at 3:30 p.m. and returns at 8 p.m.

Charging $23 for a round trip, Daufuskie residents can ride free with gift voucher.

“For years I have wanted to put something together for the public so people could go almost when they wanted to go and come back when they wanted to come back.” Scurry said. “Now, you can just kind of come down and get on the boat.”

For the next three days, the Metropolitan Park in Jacksonville, Florida, will be a buzz of activity, as the Jacksonville International Boat Show is being held there.

The featured theme for this year of shows, is the “History of Boating”with a local touch, and will include antique boats, along with martime history displays.

Event Producer Jimmy Hill says that there will be entertainment in the form of a special code key, which can be used to decrypt a secret message. Those who accomplish this, will be eligible to win a new Honda Generator!

The history of boating, would also include Pirates(!), with the Brothers of the Coast doing demonstrations on the history of Piracy, staging black-powder shoots, and generally creating a commotion. They will also be bring their pirate ship.

The show is an ‘on-the-water’ event. Boats too large to trailer will be displayed in slips. There will also be a top-fuel hydro drag boat on display. Touted as the fastest craft, they zoom from 0 to 200 mph in 2.3 seconds.

Almost 90 manufacturers will be represented, though with the entertainment that is slated to take place along with the show, you don’t need to bring, or buy your own boat to enjoy it.