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,…
By Larry Tarves, Smith Mountain Lake Chapter Let me introduce you to the Queen Mother of all runabouts. It has ten cockpits, seating for 125 passengers and three engines under the deck; must be a runabout! The Flying Saucer operated out of the docks of Chris’ Seafood Restaurant on the bay front in Ocean City,…
Our Chapter History Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia is a beautiful, 20,000-acre, man-made lake with over 500 miles of shoreline. It is nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains of western Virginia between the cities of Roanoke and Lynchburg. The lake first reached full pond in 1966, making it 25 years old when our…
From John Seal, Publicity Chairman SML Chapter ACBS The Smith Mountain Lake Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society recently held their annual fall workshop at Bill and Sue Garrecht’s incredible shop in Huddleston, VA. The 26 members and guests in attendance learned from other local club members about 3 topics that are useful…
From John Seal, Publicity Chairman SML Chapter ACBS The Smith Mountain Lake Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society recently held its 31st Annual Antique and Classic Boat Show at Crazy Horse Marina. A total of 43 antique and classic boats were on display, providing an up-close look for those attending this annual free…
By: Kristin Dunker – originally published in The Current | www.thecurrentsml.com On a tranquil late-summer evening, my husband and I boarded a magical wooden vessel…a relic from a gentler time…sunset bound. The engine of the 1948 22ft Chris-Craft Custom Sedan roared to life (directly in front of us no less as we settled in on…
Photo Credit: Domenic Bottino On Saturday September 16, 2023, please plan to attend the Smith Mountain Lake Antique and Classic Boat Society 31st Annual Antique and Classic Boat Show. This free event will be held from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at Crazy Horse Marina in Moneta, Virginia. There will be over 40 beautiful antique…
From John Seal, Smith Mountain Lake Chapter The Smith Mountain Lake Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society recently held our Spring Snoop Tour, where over 15 club members snooped around the workshops of 4 of our members to see their various projects and treasures. Our first stop was in Wirtz at Bob Pennoyer’s…
From John Seal, Publicity Chairman, Smith Mountain Lake Chapter The SML Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society recently held their annual winter workshop at the home of Alan and Jean Frederick. The 39 members and guests in attendance learned from subject matter experts about 4 topics that are useful in restoring and maintaining…
By John Seal, Publicity Chairman, Smith Mountain Lake Chapter Photo Credits: Steve Miller and John Coffman The SML Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society recently held a Snoop Tour, where over 20 of our members snooped around the workshops of 3 of our members to see their various projects and treasures. Our first…
By Jason Dunovant, Laker Weekly Hidden away in a lakeside workshop in Wirtz,Virginia, Alan Frederick has spent the last year and a half working on his dream project. A unique and massive 35-foot runabout is starting to take shape that he hopes to one day put into Smith Mountain Lake. Frederick, a member of the…
By William Goold, Smith Mountain Lake Chapter Red Velvet is the name of a 17 foot Chris-Craft Sportsman. This Chris-Craft has lived almost all of its life on the fresh waters of Smith Mountain Lake, in Virginia. The 1956 mahogany and white oak boat has all of its original wood. The second owner of the…