The ACBS International Antique Motorboating Symposium returns to The Mariners’ Museum

 

by Roger Smith, Symposium Committee Chair
 

Planning is well underway for the 2005 ACBS Antique Motorboating Symposium at The Mariners’ Museum, Newport News, Virginia. There have been a number of previous ACBS Symposiums at this remarkable museum, beginning in 1994, and ACBS is excited about returning to the scene of our very first one.
 

This great event will take place on April 22-24, 2005, always the most beautiful time of year in Tidewater Virginia. The museum is located only a short distance from regional airports and many internationally known attractions such as Colonial Williamsburg, the James River Plantations and Busch Gardens.
 

The Mariners’ Museum has an excellent facility for the Symposium and a number of other attributes that will make of this event even better than before. The Mariners’ Museum’s new $6 million International Small Craft Collection facility displays several pristine Chris-Crafts among its collection of over 100 interesting boats from around the world.
 

The Museum’s total collection is composed of more than 35,000 maritime items including ship models, scrimshaw, maritime paintings, decorative arts, intricately carved figureheads, navigational instruments, working steam engines, and hundreds of artifacts from the Civil War ironclad USS Monitor including its steam engine, propeller, and gun turret.
 

The April event, Chris-Craft: Rediscovering the Legacy, will focus on the Chris-Craft Corporation and its products. Chris-Craft was the largest manufacturer of boats from the 1920’s through the 1960’s, and brought the fun of recreational boating to a whole new generation. Historians, veteran Chris-Craft executives and boating experts from around the country will rekindle memories and provide new insights about the history, manufacturing, marketing and the spirit of this legendary company.
 

The resources of The Mariners’ Museum are a perfect fit for this topic – the internationally known Chris-Craft Collection and its resources should generate considerable interest, as antique and classic boaters collect more Chris-Craft boats than any other marque. While the 2005 Symposium is sponsored by ACBS and The Mariners’ Museum, very valuable support has been received from Wilson Wright and The Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club, the focal point for owners of Chris-Craft boats for more than thirty years.
 

The Symposium promises to provide new insights about Chris-Craft’s fascinating road to becoming the leader of the boat industry for more than forty years. Chris-Craft is best known as the originator and largest manufacturer of stock, production line boats, but attendees may be surprised to learn of the many custom, one-of-a-kind and experimental boats that never made it into mass production. Sessions will include analysis of Chris-Craft boats and their place in the boating industry; practical advice on research, restoration and preservation; and expert demonstrations of restoration methods and techniques.
 

Here are some of specific topics planned:

 

  • The History of Chris-Craft and its Path to Industry Dominance

  • Running and Using Professional Restoration Shops

  • Early Chris-Craft Senior Management Views on the Company

  • The Art and Science of Plating

  • Chris-Craft’s Venture into Outboard Motors

  • Perspectives on the Golden Age of Boating

  • The New Chris-Crafts: Carrying on Tradition

  • Perfect Varnishing

  • The Methods Approach to Restoration

  • Running Old Engines in the 21st Century

  • Unique, One-of-a-kind Chris-Craft Boats

  • Boat Repair Techniques in the 21st Century

  • Instrument Repair and Rebuilding

  • Comparative Market Values of Chris-Craft Boats

The speaker list is still being assembled, but some well-known personalities are already on board: Jerry Conrad, Don Danenberg, Wilson Wright, Gary Scherb, Rod Graves, Doug Nichols, Don Ayres, Lou Rauh and Jeff Stebbins, with invitations out to Chris-Craft executives Chris Smith, Don McKerer, Dick Avery and Don Houston. Many other notable experts are being invited and their acceptance is anticipated.
 

The Library at the Mariners’ Museum has been supporting antique and classic boat owners for years, providing information requested from all over the world. During the Symposium, attendees will be able to research first hand their interests and handle the original historic documents. The Library represents an outstanding collection of maritime history. Its rich archives contain over 78,000 books, one million manuscript items, 600,000 photographs and 65,000 maps, charts and drawings.
 

As most ACBS members know, the Library is the home of the Chris-Craft Collection, unmatched records of detailed boat information, hull cards, drawings, photographs and boat manufacturing shop directives. You’ll be able to research your own boat, discover subtle nuances in configuration and hardware among similar boats; and obtain copies of blueprints, drawings and photographs. Symposium attendees will be scheduled for research throughout the weekend, and have full access to all the Library’s resources. ACBS member and Collection archivist Jerry Conrad, author of Chris-Craft, The Essential Guide, and his staff will help lead you to the information you want.
 

We hope to attract 150-200 boating enthusiasts from all over the North America, and attendance is open to all who would like to attend. Look for more information on this event in the Winter issue of the Rudder. Registration forms will be mailed with your annual renewal package. If you want to help with this great event, contact ACBS Symposium Chairman Roger Smith from the Smith Mountain Lake Chapter.