32nd Annual SML Antique and Classic Boat Show

On Saturday September 14, 2024, please plan to attend the Smith Mountain Lake Antique and Classic Boat Society 32nd Annual Antique and Classic Boat Show.  This free event will be held from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at Goodhue Boat Company – Blackwater in Moneta, Virginia.   There will be over 40 beautiful antique wood, aluminum, and classic fiberglass boats, both in the water and on land, displaying the elegance and craftsmanship of America’s skilled boat manufacturers.

The show is sanctioned by the Antique and Classic Boat Society, Inc. (ACBS), an international organization devoted to the preservation and recognition of all types of historic, antique, and classic boats, with 53 chapters across North America and Europe. The Smith Mountain Lake (SML) Chapter of ACBS manages this show, which benefits local charities.  Our 70+ local ACBS members, are very active in restoring, showing, and using their antique boats and many will have their boats on display at this show, as well as ACBS members visiting from around the country.

In the last few years, interest has grown in the original fiberglass boats which became popular in the late 1960’s as wood boat production was phased out due to shortages of mahogany, production costs, and consumer desire for easier maintenance.  These early fiberglass boats often had unique designs, influenced by cars of the 50’s and 60’s.  You will see some of these boats at the show, powered by either inboard or outboard engines.

Our feature boat this year is “Pink Lady,” the 1929 26-foot Chris-Craft Triple Cockpit runabout owned by SML Chapter members Mark and Jennifer Thompson.  They have just completed a stem-to-stern restoration of this rare boat that began 35 years ago.  Pink Lady was a near derelict boat when they bought her and every piece of wood on the boat had to be painstakingly removed, copied, and replaced, other than reusing the two original, one-piece curved chines, each 27-feet long.

Their restoration journey included many early years where progress was slow, as they raised their family and worked full time.  When they built their retirement home at Smith Mountain Lake, it was designed around an 1,100 square foot, lower-level workshop, specifically built to support the tasks necessary to restore Pink Lady.   In 2019, Mark began devoting seven or more hours on most days working on her, continuing through completion in summer 2024.  Pink Lady is a top shelf and stunning build, resulting in the must-see headliner of this years’ show.

For further show or chapter information check our website www.woodenboats.net or contact Chapter President Bill Caillet at (757) 408-1241 or email: bcaillet@live.com

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