A few thoughts about judging antique boats

By Tony Mollica

Since the first international antique boat show was held in Clayton, New York, thirty -nine years ago, scores of similar events have been conducted from coast-to-coast. The universal popularity of antique and classic boat shows is exciting and the number of events is still growing.

Judging the authenticity and overall quality of the participating boats has become one of the most significant outcomes of classic boat shows. The desire to present the best preserved or the best restored boat has motivated boat owners to meticulously prepare their craft for judging. To realize success, a boat must be presented with precise attention to authenticity and originality. Achieving the original appearance at the time the boat was built is the benchmark of excellence used by boat show judges. Preserving or restoring the originality of the boat is the most significant factor to attaining mastery for boat show winners.
Judges at antique boat shows use carefully designed procedures to provide fair and impartial scoring. Teams of two or three judges may be assigned to a particular type of craft or a specific manufacturer to evaluate. The goal is to determine the most outstanding example in various classifications by evaluating key items such as finish, upholstery, hardware, planking, and engine appearance. The show judges are usually made up of local boating enthusiasts and a few well-recognized specialists. Their task is to apply consistent criteria in evaluating each boat in order to objectively determine which example best achieves the established standards for excellence and originality.

To assist the judges there are guidelines and references prepared by organizations such as the Antique and Classic Boat Society to provide consistent application of the scoring procedures. It sounds simple. However, the challenge facing judges in some major boat shows is becoming awesome.

In the formative years when there were just a few antique boat shows, the method of selecting the most deserving boat in a show was relatively simple. Boats that entered these early boat shows arrived looking clean and running. In many cases these classic boats were still actively used by their owners for fishing, water skiing commuting and other daily activities. If any of the boats had been recently refinished, it was probably done for protection or to improve the finish rather than the prospect of competing for a boat show trophy.

In the past decade there have been huge advances in the technology of boat restoration. The decision by an owner to commit to a serious restoration involves research and documentation into the boat’s history. Professional restoration shops are screened to determine previous experience and how successful their work has been evaluated by judges of national stature. For some participants the antique boat hobby has become so momentously important that it can involve a substantial investment. Some major restorations must be completed in stages and may require years to finish. A lot has changed since that first antique boat show held in Clayton thirty-eight years ago.

A boat that may have been a successful show winner just a few years ago, might be out of any consideration among the super restorations that have presented themselves in recent years. The growing numbers of beautifully restored classic boats that provide visitors with delightful viewing present a challenge for judges and boat show organizers. Some classic boat show planners have found judging so challenging that they have dropped the process completely and present non-judged shows. A few boat shows simply provide each spectator with a ballot to vote for the boat which they like best. Another option is to allow just the boat owners to vote for the boat they feel is the best in the show. There are boat shows where there are so many outstanding entries that the judges provide for multiple awards within each class when certain point levels are achieved. In these shows there may be several boats getting first place awards or second place awards if they reach a specific score. There are shows that separate the boats restored by their owners (amateur restoration) from those restored by professional restoration shops into two separate categories. In this way the two sources of the restoration work compete with their own type. Another innovation that is becoming popular is to give greater latitude to boats that are in regular use by their owners. The judges in these shows are asked to review heavily used boats with more tolerance for evidence of frequent use. This is accomplished by judges allowing some consideration for signs of activity when being compared with boats that are primarily used as boat show displays.

The enthusiasm for classic boating and their shows has provided sponsoring organizations with some options in regard to the judging style selected. Judged shows provide a vital role in the preservation of boats that may otherwise be left to deteriorate. Most boat show organizers provide boat owners with the actual score sheets after the judges have finished. These score sheets become a valuable critique toward improving their boats. With this information, the show provides an evaluation and a learning experience to help improve in future shows. This feature alone makes entering boat shows a valuable opportunity for the participant and well worth the modest registration fee.

Judges must be careful not to deduct points for questionable details that are assumed to be standard on certain boats. A judge who might be very familiar with a particular manufacturer may assume that all models are exactly identical to the model he knows best. Researchers are finding that variations were far more commonplace among wood boat builders than previously realized. Many important wood boat builders operated their facilities more like craft shops than like big factories that turned out identical products. Judges sometimes view standardized models built by Chris-Craft, Gar Wood, Century and others as if they were built in precisely the same production environment as automobiles where absolute standardization was required.
 

Very few boat builders ever enjoyed the benefits associated with high volume production. Even major boat factories were amenable to a variety of customized changes from their major dealers or from special customers. Chris-Craft, the established volume leader of motor boat production, turned out hundreds of custom models. Marine historians and researchers examining the Chris-Craft records have found far more variations than were previously imagined.

The research and preparation for competing in a judged boat show is one of the strongest motivating factors for owners of classic boats to improve the condition of their craft. The criteria used by the Antique and Classic Boat Society to evaluate these boats has provided professional restoration shops with vital information to accurately duplicate their original appearance. The level of authenticity being achieved by knowledgeable restorers is quite remarkable. The motivation generated by the desire to win a major judged boat show is the force responsible for the multitude of authentic restorations that we enjoy today. We don’t always agree with the scores or the evaluations by boat show judges. However, the methodology of judging and the knowledge of the judges is constantly improving. The quest for winning motivates classic boat owners to strive for accuracy as they refine every detail of their historic craft.

Wood boats that are still actively used may find that it is nearly impossible to compete for prizes with boats that are primarily show boats. Creative evaluation systems are adjusting their procedures to judge classic user boats along with show boats in the same event, providing equal awards for both types. Systems that can reward a superb, well-preserved, active boat and a pristine show boat in the same event will demonstrate the important contribution each example brings with it. A runabout with twenty coats of synthetic varnish is a beautiful sight for boat show spectators; however, it may not be very authentic. On the other hand, a similar boat that is frequently used by its owners and has been well maintained over the years may show telltale signs of its regular use. Both of these boats should score equally well under systems that reward boats which are still in regular use and superbly maintained.

It makes sense to encourage the continued active use of classic boats. At the same time we should recognize their broader value by allowing them to be judged fairly along with pristine show boats. Creative boat show sponsors along with innovative scoring systems and skilled judges will provide user boat owners with the opportunity to compete with seldom used show boats without giving up the active purpose for which they were originally created.