The Michigan Chapter started a busy year with our annual participation in the 2003 Detroit Boat Show. We had 6 boats on display, including a “working display” in which volunteers planked the sides of Mike Flood’s 17’ CC Deluxe (at the 2002 Boat Show we put the bottom on). This year’s Spring Dinner and our annual “Where It All Began” boat show held at Chris Craft’s Algonac Plant, will be leading up to our fall dinner in November where we will proudly kick off our 25th year as a Chapter in the ACBS. Everyone is welcome to attend our annual show in Algonac, Michigan; this year it’s held on Saturday, June 28th. Sunday morning following the show there is a cruise leading to a brunch at a local yacht club. The historical significance of being at the original Chris-Craft Plant, as well as the first class harbor facilities, car show and swap meet make this a key event on the Michigan Chapter’s Calendar.
 

A warm welcome to the newest chapter, the Mountainview Woodies Classic Boat Club of Maine. Although this group was approved as a new Chapter at the April Board Meeting, they will be hosting their 10th. Boat Show in Naples, Maine, the weekend of August 1st. Please see calendar of events for details. Congratulations to Howard Perkson and all the other charter members.
 

Note the new web site for Okanagan Chapter: www.oacbs.ca
 

On a sunny Saturday in the coastal city of Dana Point, Southern California Chapter welcomed over 500 guests to the 4rd Annual Dana Point Wooden Boat Rendezvous. Held in conjunction with the city’s Festival of Whales on Saturday, March 8, the event was extremely well received. This annual celebration recognizes the migration of the California Gray Whale on its journey to Mexico. We enjoyed meeting with friends and sharing our love of boating with the interested spectators. Nearly 20 boats were in attendance, as well as a special collection of vintage outboard motors and classic fiberglass runabouts. It was great seeing all of you there! An Irish blessing, “May the wind always be at your back, and the sun shine warm upon your face!” Have a Safe Boating Season!
 

Terry Fiest, Mount Dora Antique Boat Festival Chairman, reports from Sunnyland Chapter: The 16th Annual Festival offered something special this year – It was the first year we had an opportunity to have more water inside our boats than on the outside! It was a great testing scenario for bilge pumps and foul weather gear. Umbrellas were the most popular item in the Ship’s Store! The set up crew had numerous opportunities to erect tents and we all experienced first-hand the term, “Batten-Down-The-Hatches.” The Show started with tornado-type winds and we had to terminate the Show early on Sunday because of rain and colder temperatures.
Mother Nature was very unkind this year, but we managed to have two beautiful boating days between the storms. We had representatives from 22 different states, 779 registered people, over 220 boats, 16 beautiful woodie cars, 13 Amphi-cars, a spectacular display of antique outboard motors, and an early 1900’s traveling music machine.
 

The Chris-Craft Company from Sarasota, Florida, was our primary sponsor and we featured pre-war Chris-Craft boats. There were a total of 96 Chris-Crafts in the Show. Other corporate sponsors included: Antique and Classic Boat Magazine, Boat Dock Systems, Classic Boating, Graves Plating, Hagerty Insurance, and the LakeSide Inn.
 

The lakefront really came to life early Thursday morning as flea market vendors jockeyed for their favorite locations. Most of the vendors had driven several days in order to have a premier location to sell items of nautical interest. As the day progressed, the waterfront was transformed into an amazing display of classic boats. The evening ended abruptly when we were deluged by a major storm.
 

On Friday the 28th, the Chapter volunteers resurrected the area and by mid-day we were in full stride. The city of Mount Dora played a major role in controlling traffic flow and several streets were turned into one-ways to accommodate the massive flow of traffic. The picnic cruise got underway at 10 am as 55 classic boats departed the harbor for a trip to Hickory Point through the Mystic Dora Canal. The Captains’ party on Friday night, hosted by the LakeSide Inn, was a major success.
 

Saturday’s opening ceremony featured Ann Geagan from Mount Dora singing God Bless America, with the Lake County PowerBoat Squadron rendering honors to the American flag. Chapter volunteers assisted children with painting boats and at 10 am we had the Amphi-car Parade and “Splash-Inn” with all 13 cars. Saturday night the Dinner/Awards banquet was nothing short of spectacular. Lake Receptions hosted it and for the first time we were able to seat over 550 people in the same room; entertainment was provided by an 11 piece swing band from Tavares, Florida.
 

Sunday started off well, but the weather rolled in faster than anticipated and the church services had to be moved to the Pavilion. The rain continued to fall and the temperature dropped rapidly. Everyone’s “Fun Meter” hit the peg about the same time and we elected to terminate the Show and go into the recovery mode. Although everyone’s spirits were “dampened”, I have never seen so many people work so hard in such a short period of time. The resilience of our Chapter volunteers is something to behold! It was a major team effort from a group of people who’s performance was exemplary. Tired, cold, and wet – everyone bonded together to get all the boats out of the water and get people on the road home.
 

The 2003 Mount Dora Antique Boat Festival was a great event for the spectators, and we will long be remembered for our character, tenacity, endurance and our willingness as volunteers to get the job accomplished regardless of the circumstances. Two of our long standing volunteers retired this year, Gary Scherb and Otis Clayton. A special thanks to both of you for all your service.
Congratulations to all of you who unselfishly gave so much! I am very proud of all of you and I am very grateful to have you on my team.
 

The Southwest Chapter became the first chapter to present the new ACBS Youth Craftsmanship Award. Beginning two years ago, International President Jean Hoffman developed a program designed to encourage young people to get involved in the restoration, preservation and enjoyment of antique and classic boats. It was a special treat to have Jean personally present the first-ever award to Daniel Merryman, age 16, for his restoration of a 16 ft. 1957 FireFly molded mahogany boat. Daniel, an honor student, is a junior at Clear Creek High School. His uncle, Paul Merryman, acquired the deteriorated boat almost ten years ago with his nephew in mind. Over the last year, working after school and late into the evenings Daniel maintained a grueling schedule restoring the boat and its matching 35 hp Johnson engine. Like a proud parent, Daniel showed off his new “baby” at the Concours d’Elegance this May. It was christened Another Generation in honor of the Merryman family’s history in boating.
 

Additionally, Daniel was awarded a Best of Class trophy for the Outboard Class as well as a Peoples’ Choice Award for Favorite Outboard. Both were presented to him by Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin – famous as the second man to walk on the moon. Aldrin was Grand Marshall at the 8th Annual Keels and Wheel Concours d’Elegance held at Lakewood Yacht Club near Houston.
You’ll read more about Daniel in the next edition of Tiller.