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.
by Denny Trooien member of the Bob Speltz Land-O-Lakes chapter The year was 1982. My wife Sue Ahlcrona and I had a 22’, 1948 Chris-Craft utility that we used on White Bear Lake, Minnesota. We also had a six-month-old son, who was our first child. As a young lawyer I did not have much extra…
By Leeann Wickens member of the Michigan chapter The Nicodemus is a John’s Bay Lobster Picnic Yacht that was built in Maine in 1996. The builder, Peter Kass, specializes in commercial lobster boats and this was one of the first custom pleasure boats he constructed. While in Charlevoix, Michigan for a wedding, we met with…
By Erika Kleckner of the Southern California Chapter. My 1964 Glasspar Seafair Sedan was purchased from my “Grandpa”, Jack Armistead, whom we fondly refer to as Salty. While boating with our friends on the California Delta, Jack invited us aboard his Seafair for a cruise. Little did I know, Jack was looking to sell his…
by Dwain & Ginny Schuette members of the Bob Speltz Land-O-Lakes In September of 2003, while looking for a classic wood boat to purchase, I came across a farmer that had an old boat sitting behind his barn. During our conversation, he asked if I would like to see his boat collection. The next day,…
by Mike Garrigan member of the Blue Ridge chapter In 1970, my dad purchased a lakefront home in Vermilion, Ohio on the beautiful Lake Erie coast. He purchased a boat for the family, a 1969 Boston Whaler (Eastport). He used the Whaler for one summer and then passed away the following winter leaving behind, my…
by Joe Lucchesi member of the Finger Lakes chapter Growing up I was fortunate to have spent the first 18 summers of my life at our cottage on Cayuga Lake, one of the largest of New York’s Finger Lakes. Our cottage was directly across the lake from Castelli’s Marina (as it was known in the…
by Tuck Elfman member of the Mid-Atlantic chapter In 1939 my Grandfather Augestus C. Elfman bought a bay front property in Surf City NJ., and had a house built. In 1941 in his shop in Doylestown PA, he built a 26′ Garvey witha cabin, which he powered with a 8cyl Packard. It ran smooth and…
by David Martin member of the Northern California/Lake Tahoe chapter As a child of the 70’s, some of my happiest summer vacations were spent at Clearlake and Lake Berryessa in California with our 1959 Wizard Marlin Imperial when I learned to water ski at 6 years of age. I always loved going boating, but our…
by David Kanally member of the Southwest chapter From time to time, the Wooden Boat Association of North Texas (WBA) is honored to receive a donated boat that deserves to be nurtured back to health. When Scott Reichardt offered us his 1948 Hafer Phantom 75, we jumped at the chance. The poor little runabout had…
by Gary & Darlene Millpointer members of the Glacier Lakes chapter Purchased in 2013 from Delavan Lake Boat Shed as a project boat. It was a 1st for me in a boat restoration, as cars were my past experience. Project work started with a fully sandblasted trailer and all bung supports replaced with new steel…
by Tom-Hanford member of the Finger Lakes chapter The Lord Jeff is a 22’1928 Chris-Craft Cadet,hull #1491. The boat was purchased by my grandfather,Saxe Hanford and his sister,Josephine Hanford Arnot. It was named based on the nickname of Amherst College,the Lord Jeffs,after Major General Jeffery Amherst,British commander in the French and Indian War.At the time…
by Joe Oliver member of the Penn NE/Harveys Lake chapter I grew up at Lake Winola, a 185-acre lake in Northeast Pennsylvania where I still live today, in the late 1950’s. I didn’t consider our family boats antique. There was our old Penn Yan with an Evinrude outboard, a plywood sailfish, an Old Town canoe,…