By Randy Fletcher, Thousand Islands Chapter The float started as a 1947 GarWood Ensign that we were going to put a new bottom on. As the project advanced, it needed more than a bottom, she needed a total all wood replacement to make her seaworthy again. The decision was to scrap the project, sell off…
by Jeff Waco, Rocky Mountain Classics It seems whenever a new Bilge Pump comes out, I highlight a particular boat builder or company. For this issue I am going to highlight the Ditchburn Boats. The Ditchburn Pleasure Boats Ltd was established in 1871 on Lake Muskoka by Henry Ditchburn to build wooden pleasure boats and…
By Grace Gluck, Lake Hopatcong Chapter Photos by Bob and Grace Gluck As we drove north on the morning of Sunday, September 14th, the fall colors were just startng to turn with yellows and oranges through the Poconos and central New York, which made our trip to the 1000 Islands all the more memorable. We…
By Dan Ritchey, North Coast Ohio Chapter The America’s River Roots Festival took place October 8-12, 2025, along the riverfronts of Cincinnati, Ohio and Northern Kentucky (Covington & Newport). The festival featured nine majestic riverboats from seven historic river-cities, offering brunch and dinner cruises, and other themed riverboat events. Riverboats in attendance were the NATCHEZ…
Our final boat show of the season brought the Rocky Mountain Classics chapter high into the Rockies—literally—to Dillon, Colorado, home of Lake Dillon, one of the highest navigable lakes in the country. Nestled among towering peaks and blue alpine skies, it’s a fitting place to close the season, where the thin air makes every engine…
In 1948, the Hacker Boat Company built a boat for the City of Detroit to operate as a police patrol boat on the Detroit River. She’s special, and not just because Hacker produced only 10,000 custom boats during the company’s existence. They named her Fireball. Originally, she had twin Chrysler straight 8 engines, but in…
You got a great boat… or maybe just a great deal, and you’ve trailered it to your garage. Now what? If you live in Florida, and are a member of the ACBS Sunnyland Chapter, you attend the Adult SCAMPY Program and enjoy hands-on learning while restoring a Chris-Craft Rocket. SCAMPY stands for Sunnyland Chapter Apprentice…
Tin Can Sailor By Susan Bullington, Mississippi Valley Chapter Glenn E Folkerts Branch – Navy USS Everet F Larson Rank – RM 3 ( radioman 3rd class .- dot dash guy) Years of Service – 1948 to 1952 Korean war Home Port – Newport, Rhode Island 1948 Boston: Pizza was a new word and food for Glen. He pronounced it as Pisza as…
By Jim Barrick, Blue Ridge Chapter Well, as a member of the ACBS, this organization has given me great exposure to boating history. I’ve been a history guy most of my life and started boating when I was a lad. I was amazed at how great and dependable the Evinrude outboard motor was—never letting us…
By Judy Hills, NCC&P Chapter In the July 2024 North Carolina & Coastal Piedmont Newsletter, Messing About in Boats, the chapter featured an article on the ACBS Port Captain program. Port Captains offer ACBS member who wants to visit a new place where other ACBS members live to connect. The hosts might provide a tour…
Photos by Forrest Bryant & Recap by Kathy Parker The Grand Finale of the Heartland Classics Seven Event Season is at Grand Lake o’ the Cherokees in northeast Oklahoma. As a Chapter, Heartland Classics is 27 years old, however this was the 32nd Annual Mahogany & Chrome Boat Show because it was started earlier by…
By John Coffman On Saturday, October 11, 2025, four boats and a brave band of nine humans (plus one canine with an impressive résumé as boat club security) launched the SML-ACBS boat club for the annual fall cruise. Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia is often called the “Lake Tahoe of the East,” and in 1991,…