Welcome to the Columbia~Willamette Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society (ACBS).  We are a diverse group of individuals with a passion for classic, antique & historic boats.

Our goal, as a chapter, is to provide an opportunity for vintage boat enthusiasts to get together and share knowledge, experience and enjoyment in old boats.  We are a volunteer organization who enjoys finding, discussing, restoring and operating classic boats. You don’t need a boat to join.  We’re always looking for people with a love for boats and there’s always room on a member boat at our in-water functions, so if you’re interested in joining but thought that you needed a boat, you were wrong! Check out the International ACBS JOIN page and become a member today.

Our events calendar is a living document that is continually updated so be sure to check often for future events and activities.  Our chapter covers the state of Oregon and Southern Washington for the ACBS and we are fortunate to be in such a beautiful part of the country with a rich marine heritage and bounty of wonderful boats.

Whether you’re into fast classic fiberglass boats or prefer to motor slowly in your wooden cruiser, we’re the club for you.  If you’ve always wanted an old boat but weren’t sure how to go about it, we can help you there too.  We have workshops that cover the technical aspects of maintaining boats, inspecting prior to purchase among many other things. 

Please take your time in exploring our website.  This is an active group and we get a lot of use out of our boats in the summer.  If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

Happy Boating!

Upcoming Events

Columbia Willamette Chapter News

Dreadnaught II, One of the Last Remaining US Life-Saving Service Boats

By Jeff Shook, Columbia-Willamette Chapter Dreadnaught II started her long and colorful career as a rescue vessel in the US Life-Saving Service (USLSS) so named until 1915 when the US Revenue Cutter Service and the USLSS merged and became the US Coast Guard.  The lifeboat was an English invention adopted by the USLSS. Lifeboats were…

From Wreck to Restored, PT658

By Founders and volunteers of Save the PT Boat, Inc. Bill Weaver, Fred Juras and Jack Coulter Save the PT Boat, Inc. is a member of the Columbia-Williamette Chapter World War II had started in Europe and the U.S. anticipated the need for a small, fast, maneuverable, and well-armed vessel to patrol and defend the…

Celebrating 50 Years of ACBS: Columbia-Willamette Chapter

It’s all about family and friends sharing fun on the water. Founded in 1992 with twenty members, this small group in Oregon and SW Washington grew. In 1993, chartered as the Columbia-Willamette Chapter (CWC), the 37th chapter of The Antique & Classic Boat Society now has over 75 registered members and in 2023 was honored…

Preserving the History and Art of Adirondack Guide Boats

By Amy Scanlin Slow down. Disconnect. Unplug.  There is art in nature for those willing to take a look – clouds reflecting on a mountain lake, the gentle curve of a polished gunwale, a new day dawning as oars pull through the water, leaving ripples, like fingerprints, fading into the the shoreline. The breath slows…

Frank Robinson: Artistry in Wood Carving

by Margaret Horn, Columbia Willamette Chapter The Columbia Willamette Chapter (CWC) of ACBS is lucky to have Frank Robinson as an active member. For 31 years, this quiet man who never seeks to be the center of attention has served his chapter on the Board of Directors as well as in various other capacities.  In…

Don’t Jump…but if you do, do it Safely!

From Margaret Horn, Columbia Willamette Chapter At our annual retreat, we coordinated a demonstration of our inflatable life jackets.  This turned out to be a big success for more than one reason. Obviously, it was entertaining to see a bunch of old guys jump in the water, but it also gave us an opportunity to…

Upcoming Workshops

We know boat show season is starting to kick off down south, but many of our northern ACBS chapters are still in winter or early spring mode, so that means workshops and gatherings. Here are a couple of  upcoming offerings from the Glacier Lakes and Columbia-Willamette Chapters. If you are in the area, be sure…

Ducks vs Beavers…Oregon’s Civil War

By Mike Stevens, Columbia Willamette Chapter I’ve recently finished ‘remodeling’ a 1935 Mullins rowboat. This boat has been all over the Northwest. The story I have heard is that it belonged to Paul Harrison in Canada, was passed around to Dave Jerome (RIP), Mike Meyer, and finally to Dick Werner. Dick asked if someone in…

Tuesday Tour of Classic Boats 8.10.21

We would like to see a picture of your boat in the next Tuesday Tour of Vintage Boats. email the picture to dan@acbs.org include the boat owner’s name include year, manufacturer, model of boat, and name tell home port and/or where picture was taken give credit to the photographer, if known