By Jim Barrick, Wine Country Chapter I have to give some credit to the a couple of ACBS wine country members who started this crazy facebook page called Propeller Fellers some two years ago. It has taken off with 1,400 followers from Italy, Spain, Australia, Canada, Sweden and Vietnam we just love wood boats, boating…
From Thomas Gruenauer, Wine Country and Niagara Frontier Chapters I purchased my 1928 Chris Smith and Sons Boat Company runabout in 1989. It is a 24-foot Model 3 triple cockpit runabout. It is powered by an original type Chrysler Imperial LMC marine engine. I acquired the boat from a professional restoration shop located in Massachusetts.…
From John Vyverberg, Chief Judge, Wine Country Classic Boats/ACBS At our Wine Country Classic Boats’ 40th Annual Show on Saturday July 15, 2023, in Hammondsport, New York, we made the new Resto-Mod category an official judging category for the first time. I am please to announce that the Resto-Mod Award Winner was a 1964 15′…
From James Barrick, Wine Country Chapter Oliver Outboards: In 1953, the Chris-Craft Boat Company closed their kicker division and sold out to the Oliver Tractor and Farm Equipment Company. Oliver replaced the Chris- Craft 5 1/2 hp Challenger with a completely modernized 5 1/2 outboard of their own. Some were painted in rich blues as shown here. They…
By Jim Barrick, Wine Country Chapter Pictures by Ed Dominiak, Niagara Frontier & Wine Country Chapters Who would have thought the Evinrude Elto story would begin in a rowboat, a love story where Ole Evinrude is rowing his bride, Bess, across the river for ice cream on a hot summer day. And the rest is…
Wine Country Classic Boat Chapter – 2022 Fall Trip Written/Submitted by: Dave Bornholdt, Wine Country Classic Boat Chapter Photo credits: Kent O. Smith JR (KAOS Imagery) and floatographer John “Kadi-Camera-mik” along with other assorted shots from Pam Gratzer and Dave Bornholdt. Members from the Wine Country Classic Boat (WCCB) Chapter of ACBS based in Hammondsport,…
On December 4th, Wine Country Classic Boats, Inc. on Keuka Lake in the heart of the Finger Lakes Region of New York State held their Annual Meeting and Christmas Party. A highlight of the event is the awarding on the Annual John Ford Spirit of Boating Award that was presented by Bill Olmsted, Commodore of…
By Ted Hall member of the Wine Country chapter My Great Grandfather, George W. Hall built approximately 40+ boats in the 1920’s and 30’s on Keuka Lake, in Branchport, NY. He and his wife, Carrie Campbell operated Campbell’s Beach with cottages for rent and George Hall “trout boats” for each cottage. Campbell’s Beach today is…
By Kevin Stephani member of the Wine Country chapter The wood boat bug bit me as a 10-year-old child in 1968 in dad’s 1958 Chris-Craft. Always taking a Monday morning fishing trip on Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey. A memory well cherished. Fast forward to the summer of 1992 while as a newlywed, and vacationing on…
Back on December 8th, Wine Country Classic Boats held their Annual Board of Director’s Meeting/Christmas Party. At the conclusion of our meeting, I presented the President’s Award. This year I presented it Connie McNamara who is also a Director at Large for Wine Country. Each year at our boat show on Keuka Lake in Hammondsport,…
by Bill Olmsted member of the Wine Country chapter I first got interested in wood boats when I was a teenager in the late 50’s in North Tonawanda, NY. As it happened, we lived next door to a guy who was building a marina on the Niagara River, and I spent as much time there…
By Domenica Burns member of the Wine Country chapter Back to the garage in Hamburg, once the wood was replaced, the specific dark red paint was coated perfectly inside. This left a clean visual as the wiring followed through the boat in preparation for the lights, gauges, engine, ignition etc. Again everything labelled on paper…