Celebrating 50 Years of ACBS: Lake Champlain Chapter

LCACBS: The Early Years

It was in 1985 that a group of people from New York and Vermont, who were interested in boats, joined together to start the Lake Champlain Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society (LCACBS).

Location defined our chapter because Lake Champlain borders both New York and Vermont. We look north to Canada, further west to the Adirondack region and east to other New England waterways; a vast area to embrace our love of the out-of-doors and the pleasures of boating.

In October of 1984, Gary Wilson met Adirondack Chapter members Bill Ladue, Jay Higgins and Tom & Larry Turcotte at the annual meeting in Alexandria Bay, NY. They considered the idea of a separate chapter to represent Lake Champlain Basin.

While the seed may have been planted for a separate chapter for Lake Champlain in October of 1984, it really germinated in the summer of 1985. Bill Miller of Willsboro, NY, a collector, and restorer of wooden boats on Lake Champlain, conferred with Bill and John Ladue and they collectively decided that it was time that Lake Champlain had an antique boat show. They coordinated with the Walsh family (Joe, Patty, Tom and Marsha), the proprietors of the Indian Bay Marina, and created an informal boat show consisting of more than 25 antique and classic boats. The variety of boats was outstanding and the enthusiasm of the owners and spectators was contagious. If there was ever a doubt whether antique boaters would gather for a show on Lake Champlain, it was resolved on that July weekend. After that boat show, there was no longer any question of support for an ACBS Chapter on Lake Champlain. 

Numerous organizational meetings followed and early meetings were fun and well attended. As a result of those meetings a steering committee was organized to explore the requirements of forming a chapter. The members of that committee were: William Miller, William Stewart, Howard R. Wilson, Jack Porier, Harry Rezzemini, Stephen Ladue, Todd Burley and Gary Wilson. In consultation with ACBS member Jay Higgins and other officers of the ACBS, it was determined that a potential chapter should petition the ACBS Board of Directors for approval.  

Gary Wilson, one of those committee members and the initiator of the process, reflects on the trip that made the Lake Champlain Chapter a reality:  

As a birthday gift, my parents arranged for me to travel to Lake Tahoe for the annual meeting to be held in October 1985 at Granlibakken Resort in Tahoe City, CA. I prepared the Proposed Constitution and By-Laws for the Chapter and my mom, Lorraine Wilson, commenced her long and dedicated service as the first Secretary of the Chapter, by typing them on her IBM Selectric typewriter.  

Two Charter members of the Lake Champlain Chapter, who were brought into the fold by my father, were Ray and Spencer Jenkins. At that time, Spencer was a young craftsman/designer who was employed by an entrepreneur named Carter. They had started the Carter boat company in Upper Saranac Lake, NY. The Jenkins, and apparently Mr. Carter, too, thought that the Lake Tahoe event would be an ideal forum to showcase the “Carter” boat. Ray and Spencer commenced the long trip across the country and over the mountains and were at the meeting to support the new Lake Champlain Chapter. 

At the ACBS International meeting in Lake Tahoe in October 1985, the Lake Champlain Chapter was approved. We returned to Westport with thoughts of organizing our first year as a chapter.

The first Chapter Officers and Directors were: 

• President: Gary Wilson 
• First Vice President: William R. Miller 
• Second Vice President: Todd Burley 
• Secretary: Lorraine Wilson 
• Treasurer: John Poirier 
• Directors: Howard Wilson, William Ladue, Harry Rezzemini, William Stewart,
• Thomas Walsh, Larry Turcotte

Other individuals and families that were “there from the beginning or almost from the beginning” were: the Ladue Family (Bill, Emily and their three sons Winslow, Stephen and Peter), Don and Jan Dean and Clem and Patti Couture.

The chapter elected to endorse Basin Harbor Club as the first show location. Resort owners Bob Beach Sr. & Jr., and David Beach, all enthusiastically welcomed the show. Black walnut plaques were awarded for the boat which came the furthest distance (The Gulliver Award), for the oldest boat, Participant’s Choice, and People’s Choice. By all accounts the show was a resounding success.

There were approximately 50 antique and classic boats registered coming by water from marinas on Lake Champlain, Montreal and trailered from New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Albany, New York. The final activity was a banquet where boat show awards were presented and the chapter presented Robert Beach with an engraved silver plate commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Basin Harbor Resort.

During those formative years, a number of long-standing boat show features were developed. Every type of wood boat was represented, including a “rocker boat,” an 1891 Rushton canoe, 1899 Elco electric launch, 1899 steam launch, 1911 Mullins inboard Runabout, 1928 Racing boat and many 1929 & 1930 Chris Crafts and Runabouts. After 8 successful years on the Vermont side of Lake Champlain, a decision was made to move the show to the New York side of the lake. Thus the 1994 boat show was held in Westport, NY and in 1996 in Essex, NY.

A close relationship with both Basin Harbor and the near-by Maritime Museum has continued through to present day. This is the first example of many relationships that follow in the history of our chapter.

LCACBS: Present Day

In 2022, ACBS held its first international show in Burlington, VT along the pristine shores of Lake Champlain which overlooks the Adirondack mountains of New York. Our chapter did an excellent job in hosting the event, with preparations beginning as early as 2017. Given the historic significance Lake Champlain played during the formative years of the United States, the LCACBS titled the show “Boating Along The Great Warpath” since there were so many forts and fleets built and lost along the lake, and what happened here determined the history of our nation.  Our chapter wanted to remind and educate boaters and visitors coming to Burlington what a unique and special part of the country this is, and what an ideal location to host an antique and classic international boat show for both domestic and international attendees.

All the hard work the chapter put into the show paid off! An extremely successful auction benefited both our local Maritime Museum and the ACBS boat building schools. The show attendance was high and the weather was perfect. The Lake Champlain Chapter hosted several pre-show events which included a Southern River Cruise from Albany, NY to Burlington, VT, along with a Northern River Cruise from Montreal, QC Canada to Burlington, VT. Both were well received and many boats participated in both cruises. LCACBS also sponsored numerous additional events on both sides of Lake Champlain, culminating in a Dinner Cruise sponsored by LCACBS on the Ethan Allen, a triple deck luxury tour boat.

Join the Lake Champlain Chapter in Burlington, Vermont on July 19, 2025 for their annual boat show! More information is found on their website: https://www.lcacbs.com/calendar/2024/7/27/lcacbs-annual-boat-show

Thanks to Holly Weber photography for all the great photos!