Veterana

by Andre Martins member of ACBS

This is the story of our boat. I could write for hours and days about all the happiness it has brought to our family since 1937.

Veterana, that’s the name of our 1936 Chris-Craft Special Race Boat. My great-grandfather was from Brazil in 1891, and in 1932, he and my great-grandmother purchased a fantastic piece of land in the state of São Paulo, near a recently built water reservoir called Guarapiranga. In 1936, they imported Veterana to Brazil, she was the 825th boat registered to the lake of Guarapiranga.

As the years passed and my family grew, Veterana continued to be the center of attention. My mother, who is nearing 80, has memories of my great-grandfather single handedly teaching her whole generation how to waterski. As my grandfather grew older, the third generation started to ski. We all have great memories of my grandfather with a crystal glass of whiskey on the rocks, sitting in the boat and teaching us to waterski with the patience only a grandfather has. He would wear a captain’s hat and teach me and my 3 siblings, my 5 first cousins, and countless other family and friends every Saturday and Sunday morning. These are memories we’ll never forget.

Around the early 80s, my grandfather could no longer go to the lake, and he passed Veterana to my parents. That’s when my father decided to go through a renaturation. When my grandmother turned 80 years old, we took her back to see Veterana. She took a long boat ride with all 9 grandkids, and it was an emotional experience for all involved. I’m so glad we were able to share that moment with her.

Veterana was in Guarapiranga until last year. Because my father was nearing 80 years old and I had access to a lake in Orlando, FL, I asked permission to bring the boat back to the USA in order to restore her. My goal is to bring Veterana back to the original condition we all remember.

Veterana has been in our family since she was built in 1937, and I hope she will continue in our family for many generations to come. My great-grandfather taught his grandchildren how to waterski on Veterana, I hope one day I can do the same with my grandkids.