“The Tahoe of the East”

SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE

by Lars Okeson

Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwest Virginia is beautiful Smith Mountain Lake. The Lake was created in 1960 when American Electric Power built a 227 ft high dam at Smith Mountain damming up the Roanoke and Blackwater Rivers, forming a 40 mile long, 23,000 acre crystal clear lake.

Sometimes referred to as the Tahoe of the East, Its five hundred miles of shoreline provide a wonderful place for year-round fishing and boating of all kinds. Currently there are more than 9000 homes on the lake with quite a bit of shoreline still undeveloped. The boathouses on Smith Mountain Lake reflect the attention to boating activity with amenities such as power lifts and cabanas being the norm. Antique boat owners can store their boats year around close to the water. It is natural to think of the elegant lines and excellent craftsmanship of a wooden boat showcased by the grandeur of a spectacular mountain lake setting.
 

The first Smith Mountain Lake Antique and Classic Boat Show was held on August 11, 1990 and was the inaugural activity for nine wooden boat enthusiasts who then formed the Smith Mountain Lake Antique and Classic Boat Club. In the years that followed, interest in classic boats grew along with the Club membership, which is now up to 50 members. The Club became a Chapter of ACBS in August of 1999 and will be celebrating its 4th anniversary this summer.
 

The purpose of our Chapter has always been to promote the restoration and preservation of antique and classic boats and the activity of antique and classic boating on Smith Mountain Lake. Chris-Craft and Century are the most popular marques in the area with many other manufacturers showing up each year. Our prized wooden classics include canoes of the 1800’s, launches from the teens and 20’s, with runabouts, utilities, outboards and cruisers thru the 60’s; the lake is home to some 60 plus wooden classics. Beyond the time devoted to our passion for wooden boats we also participate in many activities that benefit our lake community. In addition to the Chapter’s efforts to raise monies for local charities and organizations at our annual boat show, our members take part in community activities like Lake cleanup day, the Smith Mountain Lake State Park Spring Fling, the 4th of July Celebration, the Smith Mountain Lake Fall Festival and the Christmas Boat Parade. We also try to involve the members’ families in activities such as the Roanoke Area Boat Show, the Valentine’s Day Dinner, the Annual Picnic, and various tech sessions.

Finally, at our traditional Christmas Dinner/Annual Meeting, the President takes the opportunity to acknowledge the contributions made by chapter members during the past year. This year we are hoping to have some sort of wooden boat rendezvous in the fall for our Chapter members, attempting to create one more opportunity to use our boats as they are intended. We are fortunate here at Smith Mountain Lake that the water doesn’t freeze over in the winter so depending on the owners risk tolerance towards a frozen engine block, the boating season can be a nine-month affair. One strength of our Chapter is the fact that most of the members live on or near Smith Mountain Lake, which helps to increase participation at Chapter activities. We also enjoy strong regional support from neighboring Chapters which our members reciprocate whenever possible.

The Annual Boat Show is clearly our most important event and involves every member and their families; this year’s Show will be held on August 9th. We are fortunate to have a number of Chapter members and ACBS friends who return on an annual basis, frequently renting lodging on the Lake for the time around our show and who are there to help us run the Show. The show site enjoys a beautiful location at the confluence of the Roanoke and the Blackwater channels, where the Lake is at its greatest expanse. Features such as antique cars, an antique carousel, vendors with crafts, food, and nautical items, plus activities for the all the family, young and old, help to add to the fun.

Finally, the Chapter has a new webmaster who has already made vast improvements to our site with more to come. This year we hope to display our members’ boats and to have our Chapter newsletter available on line. Most importantly, you will be able to download the registration package for our Annual Boat Show directly off the web site at www.woodenboats.net. All of this thanks to Max.

Our meetings are held monthly on the second Wednesday of the month, at 7:00 PM at the Visitor’s Center at Bridgewater Plaza. For more information, contact President Lars Okeson at 540-297-8451. Other officers of the organization for 2003 include: Vice President Larry Tarves; Vice President, John Rieth; Directors, Harley Murphey, Don Smith, Don Clement; Treasurer Toni West and Secretary, Cindy Okeson. Visit us on our website, www.woodenboats.net