Browse news articles, stories and media for the the Antique & Classic Boat Society; including photographs and stories related to ACBS International and it’s chapters.
Frizzy Atwell was in charge of all new yacht construction at Trumpy’s. Jim Emmeric headed the plumbing shop, Frank Thomas, the joiner shop, Rob Childs, the electrical shop, Ed Norton, the mill shop, Frank Wagner, the carpenter shop and Bunky Durham, the boat building shop. The division of labor was well defined at the Trumpy…
by Forrest Bryant, edited by David Vickers, Heartland Classics Chapter Photos by Forrest Bryant As a young-ish advertising executive, I spent most summer weekends in the 1970s and ‘80s at Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. Back then, Tan-Tar-A Resort was the place to see and be seen, and I attended Lake of the Ozarks…
Capt. Mark Manes, Northern California/Lake Tahoe Chapter I wrote the bulk of this article before I made a fool out of myself at the Concours in 2025. That’s right, your education and safe boating rep almost had a collision in front of the entire world, right at the bridge at Obexers. I was using another…
By Brian Thalhammer Sponsored Content Few endeavors feel more tied to the eternal dialog between man and the sea than restoring a wooden boat. Maybe it’s the aroma of varnished mahogany in a warm workshop, the glimmer of chrome beneath marina lights, or the moment an old inboard awakens from decades of silence with…
By Gene Dangel, Northern California/Lake Tahoe Brothers Bob and Billy Campbell became commercial fisherman after WWII and settled on Catalina Island in 1948 living aboard their boat. Applying knowledge and experience gained in all types of boats navigating the blue waters off of the California coast, taught them valuable lessons about performance, seaworthiness, and functional…
By Brian Thalhammer Sponsored Content Ask any seasoned restorer what truly brings a wooden boat back to life, and the answer goes beyond varnish lines and polished chrome. It lies beneath the floorboards, where cast iron, brass and impressive engineering await a second chance. As beautiful as a wooden hull may be, it’s the engine…
By Mark Manes, Northern California/Lake Tahoe Chapter As a child, I knew that I wanted a job that I would truly enjoy, and I think I found it. Many of you may have no idea what a San Francisco Bar Pilot even is…basically we drive ships for a living! A Marine Pilot is essentially a…
By Brian Thalhammer Sponsored Content by Mecum Auctions Wooden boat restoration is one of those niche pursuits that, once discovered, tends to become a lasting fixation. Those familiar with it know that with two hands, abundant ambition and some extra project space, a unique opportunity exists to navigate sculpted lumber back into the shimmering expanse…
Will you be attending the Chesapeake Bay Chapter’s boat shows this season? If so, you may be interested in a two-part story on the history of the John Trumpy & Sons Boat Company that for decades graced the shores of the Eastport peninsula, not far from Annapolis. For more than a century beginning in…
By Brian Thalhammer Content Sponsored by Mecum Auctions For many dedicated collectors, there are certain auctions that rise above the swells—special occasions that feel less like bidding transactions and more like the christening of a new ship. It’s a sentiment that’s proven prolific within the wooden boat community, where the reward isn’t just in ownership,…
By Lew Dobbins, Northern California Lake Tahoe Chapter Warning: Once again you are entering “The Gear-Head Zone”. Not recommended for the faint of heart. Clean finger nails not guaranteed! Hot Tanking parts: A caustic hot bath that cleans and eats paint, grease sludge etc. This leaves the engine internal and external surfaces almost ready for machine work.…
By Frank Robinson, Columbia Willamette Chapter If you’ve seen a gleaming 1928 Dodge Watercar at the docks, it just might be a boat with a long history in Frank Robinson’s family that started when his father purchased it from his boss for twenty-five dollars in September 1937. Here’s Frank’s story… The new watercar didn’t have…