Celebrating 50 Years of ACBS: Memories of Vintage Boat Week

By Grace Gluck, Lake Hopatcong Chapter
Photos by Bob and Grace Gluck

As we drove north on the morning of Sunday, September 14th, the fall colors were just startng to turn with yellows and oranges through the Poconos and central New York, which made our trip to the 1000 Islands all the more memorable. We were attending the 50th Anniversary of the Antque and Classic Boat Society’s Annual Meeting. The Antque Boat Museum was hosting the event, and it was sure to be a great show.

Bob Gluck preps the Airstream for a great week ahead.

As the land flatened out near the St. Lawrence River, many farms came into view followed by boats at every garage. This area is known for the best boating anywhere. From the mouth of the River at Lake Ontario, boaters can navigate through more than 1800 islands – some not more than some rocks and a small house to others that are large enough to have several communites. The last ice age left the region with myriads of granite outcrops giving us this wonderful playland that has attracted the rich and famous to people that just love boating and fishing. Not only is it wonderful for recreation, but since 1959 when the Eisenhower Lock in Massena, NY opened up the River to shipping traffic, it has enabled big freighter ships to ply the waters when it became the St. Lawrence Seaway.

With excitement of the many gorgeous boats we would see at the show, we were looking forward to it all, from a ride on the river seeing the gigantic freighters to the small fishing craft that we would see cruising among the islands.

We arrived in Clayton about 1:30 in the afternoon and settled in our campground, less than 2 miles from the museum. We chose to camp with our Airstream when we could not get reservations at the host hotel, the 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel, which worked out much better than expected. That evening we found a wonderful restaurant, Foxy’s at Fishers Landing. Being right on the water, people could come in by boat, and we had a lovely view of the water.

The next day, Monday, we registered at the ACBS headquarters up the street from the Antique Boat Museum, then had a delightful lunch on the outside deck of the Wooden Boat Brewery across the street. Following our lunch, we enjoyed watching the many boats backing down the ramp to slide their boat into the water and find their slip at the museum’s docks.

It was such an impressive sight seeing all the boats waiting in the bay for the museum boats to lead them through some of the islands, winding in small channels seeing boat houses and cottages as well as passing under one of the spans of the Thousand Islands Bridge.

The first cruise of the week was held that afternoon. We arrived at the Captain’s meeting at the museum – we had signed up for a ride and were lucky to be assigned to one of the museum’s boats named Zipper, a 42’ Staudacher/Purdy Commuting Cruiser. We sat in the forward cockpit where the sound of the engines was hardly audible as Zipper sped through the water, weaving through the islands. The day was beautiful – it felt so good to be out on the water! And to those that brought a boat, it was a great “shake down” cruise for an hour followed by a traditional 1000 Islands Shore Dinner held at the Riverside Tent of the museum prepared by the Clayton Fishing Guides.

Bob & Grace in the cockpit of Zipper.

Tuesday morning dawned bright and sunny as had the last two days. We’d rode over to the museum and met everyone at the Captain’s meeting. There was a much bigger crowd for boat rides, so we decided to tour the museum in the morning and cruise in the afternoon.

From its humble beginnings as a riverside gathering of antique boat enthusiasts in the 1960s, the Antique Boat Museum has evolved into a national institution, becoming the premier freshwater boating museum in North America. It has 10 buildings including six areas on its 4.5 acre campus that feature exhibits that span close to 150 years of recreational boating history. The buildings contain all types of watercraft from small canoes to mahogany runabouts to sleek racing boats. In addition, they have 20,000 square feet of storage space a short distance from the main campus. The docks of the museum are open to visitors as well as housing their permanent boats in the water. Along with the small crafts, the houseboat, La Duchesse was donated to the museum by the McNally family of Wellesley Island and is on display at their docks. This 106’ houseboat was built by the hotelier, George Boldt in 1903 and is now open for visitors.

ABM docks full of ACBS boats with La Duchesse in the background.

Bob and I viewed some of the museum’s collection as well as seeing the many boats in the water by the participants of the ACBS Show. I also took a tour of La Duchesse and was as impressed as I was the first time I visited it a few years prior. When everyone returned, lunch was enjoyed at the Riverside Tent, prepared by the Clipper Inn, a local restaurant. In the afternoon, the second cruise set out, and we were able to get our ride again on Zipper, siIng in the forward cockpit, thanks to Captain Bruce. Zipper was one of the lead boats, so we had a following of many boats behind us. The Captain led us between islands, large and small, each with their own special character. It was a great afternoon. That evening we decided to go to the Clipper Inn for dinner and we weren’t disappointed – it was a fantastic meal!

On Wednesday, another beautiful day, we met at the Riverside Tent at 9:15 in preparation of another cruise on the river, this time traveling east to Boldt Castle on Heart Island, opposite Alexandria Bay. Because of not enough dock space on Heart Island, some boats toured Boldt Castle first while others toured the islands in Canadian waters, then we exchanged places. Our boat toured the islands first, going through some remarkable areas with lovely homes and boat houses – it was a beautiul tour. We had a box lunch which we ate along the way before we stopped at the Castle for our self-guided tour.

Built of stone and rising to the sky, Boldt Castle has all the ingre- dients of romantic times eons ago. From the arches to the deck promenade and round turrets, the restoration is magnificent and a true testament to what the wishes were of George Boldt over a hundred years ago.

The dome consists of over 6,000 pieces of hand-cut art glass leaded into 48 individual sec- ons, using over one mile of lead came. From plan- ning and negoaons to the final installaon it took nearly a year to complete, with over 3 months spent on artwork and design and an equal amount of me to cut the glass and build the panels. Installaon took li=le more than two weeks. The dome cost $214,000 and was completed in June 2001.

Visiting the magnificent Boldt Castle offers a glimpse into one of the most compelling love stories in history. At the turn of the 20th century, George C. Boldt, millionaire proprietor of the world-famous Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, set out to build a full-sized Rhineland castle in Alexandria Bay, on picturesque Heart Island. The grandiose structure was to be a display of love for his wife, Louise. Beginning in 1900, Boldt’s family shared four glorious summers on Wellesley Island while 300 workers, stonemasons, carpenters and artists fashioned the six story, 120 room castle, complete with tun- nels, a powerhouse, Italian gardens, a drawbridge and a dovecote. Not a single detail or expense was spared.

Docking on Heart Island, we saw the Boldt Yacht House across the way on Wellesley Island.

In 1904, tragedy struck. Boldt telegrammed the island and commanded the workers to immediately “stop all construction.” Louise had died suddenly. A broken hearted Boldt could not imagine his dream castle without his beloved. Three hundred workers laid down their tools. Boldt never returned to the island, lea ing behind the structure as a monument of his love.

For 73 years, the castle remained eerily vacant, left to the mercy of the wind, rain, ice, snow and vandals. Sometime in the early 1950s, my family traveled to the Thousand Islands, and we were able to take a boat to Boldt Castle. I can remember the castle was dark and foreboding, then seeing the grand staircase inside with cobwebs and dust everywhere, it gave you the impression that you were walking into a live version of Charles Dick- en’s Great Expectations and Miss Havisham’s mansion.

The Thousand Islands Bridge Authority assumed ownership in 1977, determined to preserve Boldt’s legacy for the enjoyment of present and future generations. Since then, millions of dollars have been invested into the restoration of the stunning Heart Island structures and, more recently, the exquisite Boldt Yacht House on Wellesley Island.

 

Colorful homes and boathouses dotting the shore of Thousand Islands Park.

When we arrived at the dock, we walked up the curved pathway with lovely gardens on our way to tour the 120 room castle, which rises 6 stories from the foundation. It is most impressive, a far cry from the memory I have of the building of the 50s that was in great disrepair. It is a magnificent monument to one man’s love for his wife, as well as a wonderful tourist attraction in the area.

Boats docked and ready for judging.

Reboarding Zipper we cruised back to Clayton along the main channel of the St. Lawrence River, docked at the ABM and thanked Captain Bruce for a wonderful day. We then returned to the trailer and got ready for the evening reception at the 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel. Because of the number of participants, the event was held outside under a big tent overlooking the river. It was a lovely night, and everyone enjoyed meeting new people and seeing old friends. A few awards were presented by the officers of the ACBS during the evening as we snacked on the goodies presented by the hotel.

Thursday, September 18th, was set aside for club meetings. The first was the ACBS Chapter Round Table accompanied by coffee and pastries. Bob and I went to this meeting as we were representing the Lake Hopatcong Chapter. It was a different format than expected, but we learned a lot and heard from several Chapters and their concerns.

Boats docked and ready for judging.

After the meeting, the chest that had been packed with Chapter news and memorabilia from 25 years ago was opened and reviewed. There were many memories and amusing items that would be saved to be looked at again in 25 years. Ad- ditional items were requested from the chapters to add to the memory chest. Following a brief recess, the Annual Board meeting was held. The Board members sat around a large square of tables and the rest of the people present sat along the sides listening to the discussions and prob- lems the club was facing for the future. A luncheon buffet was served after the meeting, then the rest of the afternoon was on your own to enjoy as you pleased.

On Friday and Saturday, we arranged for a service to drive and pick us up as we expected many more people and parking would be difficult. Boats were judged and the hundreds of spectators enjoyed seeing the many spectacular varietyes of boats from across the country as well as Canada, France and New Zealand. We sat along the river in the beautiful sunshine and watched the people and boats coming and going. Lunch was again served in the Riverside Tent and was as enjoyable as before. Shuttle buses were provided for spectators to see the Doebler Storage facility a few miles away.

More boats at the docks.

That evening the Annual Dinner and Auction was held. Again, it was in the big tent on the property of the 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel. We sat near the water and cool breezes prevailed – we were happy to have extrajackets to wear. Being a buffet, it took a little longer for everyone to go through the lines, but it was all worth it as the dinner was excellent. Between dinner and dessert, more awards were presented, and the auction was held with a number of big bidders to help the causes of the ACBS. After dessert, the evening show began – an amazing fireworks display over the river which brought the crowd to cheers and ohs and ahs for the brilliant colors and sparkling night sky making the entire evening a tremendous success.

Saturday, the final day of this special vintage week, was as brilliant a day as you could ask for, the sun shone and everything sparkled. We arrived in the morning and enjoyed hearing all the boat awards presented. It almost seemed like there was a prize for everyone – if not, then all the boats at the show deserved one, they were all that perfect. Lunch was provided by Dinosaur BBQ at the Riverside Tent and was delicious!

A beautiful display of fireworks!

As the afternoon progressed, many of the boats started loading up and we decided to depart as well. Returning to our campsite, we attached the truck to the trailer and were ready to go early the next morning. It had been an excellent week; the weather was exceptional – warm and sunny all week. Accolades go to Lora Nadolski Hanson, executive director of ACBS and all of her assistants and volunteers for arranging a wonderful 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Antique and Classic Boat Society.