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.
Every once in a while, the stars align for an ACBS Chapter where dynamic leadership and enthusiastic participation take things from ho-hum to WOW! Judy and Alan Hills, at the helm of the North Carolina Coastal & Piedmont Chapter, are working hard to create engaging opportunities for classic boating enthusiasts. Judy, a Florida native, has…
By Rob and Maggi Cassell, SoCal Chapter Quite a number of years ago at an ACBS show, we overheard restorers comparing projects in their shops. These can be passionate conversations, and the description of one of the last Chris-Craft 19’ racing runabouts having the deck cut out so she could be turned into a utility/ski…
by Kathryn Klos, Michigan Chapter The Island Calls. Hog Island it was once called; a place where pigs ran freely and fattened without falling prey to anyone or anything. Today, Belle Isle as it is now known, sits in the middle of the Detroit River with the city of Detroit on one side and…
By Lew Dobbins, Northern California/Lake Tahoe Chapter The Model K and M series are the most commonly used engines built. The number of variations are staggering. The Model K is built on the Hercules QXD and QXLD series of blocks. The Model K was introduced in 1937 as a 221.4 cubic inch six cylinder. It…
By Lew Dobbins, Northern California/Lake Tahoe Chapter Most of our club members are familiar with Chris-Craft, Century, Hacker Craft and GarWood boats, being the most common in our boating world. And a few are familiar with some of their engines. But even as common as these engines are, the varied model names, numbers and letters…
By Hank Reiser, Niagara Frontier Chapter In the spring 2024 we had a 24 Fiberglass Lyman for sale at our boat repair and sales operation just south of Annapolis. One day, a fellow named Tom Martins stopped by to look at the boat. We did not make the sale, but during our conversation, Tom mentioned…
By Capt. Mark Manes, Northern California Lake Tahoe Chapter Let’s just say that you have just spent all winter getting your boat ready for the season. Countless hours of sanding, varnishing, cleaning, and painting – and your girl is now finally ready for the show. After easing her gently down the launch ramp into the…
By Bill Berger, Michigan Chapter In March 2004, my home phone rang. “Hello,” I said. The answer: “Do you still want to buy my boat?” I did not understand, so the caller tried again. “This Don Diem. Do you still want to buy my boat?” I still did not know who this was and what…
By Ted W. Hall – Great-Grandson of George W. Hall, Finger Lakes Boating Museum, Wine Country Classic Boats, Finger Lakes and North Coast Ohio Chapter of ACBS Member In the Finger Lakes Boating Museum’s Copper Nail issue from Fall 2021, I wrote about my Great Grandfather, George W. Hall. He built approximately 40+ boats in…
By Vickie Rutkowski, Rocky Mountain Classics Chapter Late in the 1800s, the great Paris fashion houses had a clever way of selling their creations. Every spring and fall they hired the most beautiful young women they could find. They would dress these mannequins, as they were called, in the best of their collections and send…
By Lew Dobbins, Northern California Lake Tahoe Chapter Like your car, we need to change the oil and filter regularly. Most of our older boats do not have oil filters but one can be retrofitted if you desire. Re- gardless of filter, your oil should be changed seasonally. Every engine has a little bit of…
By Lew Dobbins, Northern California/Lake Tahoe Chapter Several people have recently asked me questions about winterizing boat engines, so, let’s discuss some of the issues and what we need to do to protect our boat engines and get a long life out of them. Like most things in life, there are a multitude of varying…