In October of 1983 Constitution and By-Laws were adopted and The Antique & Classic Boat Society Southern California Chapter was born. At the helm, with more than a decade of experience in the vintage boating community through his company California Classic Boats, was founding Chapter President and future Hagerty Marine Hall of Fame inductee Al Schinnerer. Along with Vice Presidents Ken Jewett and Barbara Peckham, Treasurer Kathy Thorpe, membership by Brett Schinnerer, technical support from Hal Orchard, and with Lee Gjolme handling public information, the new chapter set out to make its mark across Southern California and beyond. By the spring of 1984 we had 29 members, published our first newsletter, and were planning boating events in Los Angeles and Long Beach harbors, Marina del Rey and Newport Beach, along with restoration and maintenance seminars at California Classic Boats.
With enthusiasm for vintage boating quickly spreading from the coast up into the San Bernardino mountains, Al found himself invited to a wooden boat parade organized by Lake Arrowhead resident Dr. Fay Van on July 7, 1985. 6 days later the chapter Board met, Fay agreed to see if the private lake would be willing to allow non-residents access, and SoCal’s premiere judged show at Lake Arrowhead was born.
Just a couple months and more than a couple twists & turns down the road (Highway 18, to be specific), the group descended on Pine Knot Landing for the “first gathering of antique and classic boats sponsored by the Southern California Chapter of ACBS” – the Festival of Wooden Boats, Big Bear Lake, September 14-15, 1985. Al wrote in the invitation that “This could be the start of something BIG!” That Saturday night was the first of decades of gatherings at Cap & Barb Peckham’s lakefront home. These festivities continue to this day, with help from many others over the years, including Dave & Georgette Powers, the Flynns, the Petersons, the Schaffners, and in particular Charlie & Evelyn Brewster.
Events and membership kept growing, past the waterfront in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, South to San Diego Bay, Canyon Lake, and Dana Point for the Festival of the Whales; East to, Lake Havasu, Arizona and Spring Valley Lake; North to Pyramid Lake and Bass Lake (with the Northern California/Lake Tahoe chapter); and even further West to the Channel Islands Maritime Museum in Ventura County.
Today the echoes of those halcyon days still reverberate across the San Bernardino mountains, down through the valleys, out to the Pacific Ocean and all the way down to San Deigo as SoCal ACBS members young and old share our passion for vintage boating with the broader Southern California community.
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- Big Bear, 2019
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- Bass Lake