Kent O. Smith’s Big Report From Clayton! Over 28 Photos and A Bonus!
The display at the Antique Boat Museum has been arranged to look like a vintage motorboat show.
As promised fellow Woody Boater and reporter with a great eye Kent O. Smith Jr reports in with some very nice exclusive pictures from this years big 50th Anniversary Clayton Antique Boat show at the Antique Boat Museum. Take it away Kent.
Thanks Matt, I will let the pictures tell the story… that and some captions..
The Chris Craft section of the “National Motor Boat Show.”
A rare 1947 HackerCraft 22’ triple cockpit powered by a Chrysler Royal.
Jeff Reid’s Hispano Suiza powered 1937 Minnett Shields hydroplane “Shadow II.”
Awesome fins on the Batboat style Evinrude Lark.
This very neat 26’ Pyke Motor & Yacht company speedster was built in Montreal in 1918. It is thought to be the only remaining Pyke in existence.
The helm of “Rambler.” The boat was auctioned during the show.
Rambler’s” current power is a flathead Ford V8 producing about 110 hp.
Actor Mark Valley (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0885090/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1), best known for his role on Boston Legal, made an appearance at the museum to help promote the local River Hospital. He signed headshot autographs and accepted donations. I asked him if he had ever been on a wooden boat, and he had not…so I organized a ride for him on a 2014 Gar Wood (thanks to Tom Turcotte.)
Mark poses with Clayton, the owner of the 2014 Gar Wood.
Mark gives the ride a thumbs up! Maybe he’ll be a WoodyBoater some day
The helm of the “Pardon Me.”
Bo & Kathy Muller’s 1931 Chris Craft 26. “Isis.”
Singer Alan Jackson donated this 1955 Chris Craft hard top cruiser to the museum. “Flat Top” is a reference to the acoustic guitar he plays.
The incredible cockpit of “Baby Bootlegger.”
Todd Rissberger restored this nice Century 16’ back in the 1980s when he was a teenager. Now that he has a teenager of his own, the Chrysler Crown wasn’t enough power…so he “Hemified” it…
Todd repowered the boat with a Chrysler XM…eXperimental Marine…except….look close, it’s NOT a Hemi! It’s a Buick 401 that he MADE to look like a Hemi. Todd cut out “Fire” from the valve covers and welded a piece in, then stamped it “XM” and custom fit the valve covers to the 401. He also made his own bell housing to connect the reverse gear from the Crown to the 402 and used the Crown’s oil cooler as well.
Check out the name on the dinghy – it reads the same rightside up or upside down.
All weekend, I saw Kenny MacStephens (pink hat) carrying ice out to “Flox”, which I think was the official Canadian party boat. They sure know how to have a good time at a boat show!
Don’s Ploetner’s unbelievable 1948 Ventnor 23’. It’s powered by twin GrayMarine 150s and is in original preserved condition.
“Top Shelf” is an award winning Chrysler powered 1937 Gar Wood 19’ owned by Hugh Wolcott. The top was custom fabricated by Roger Johnson of Cherry Hill Boatworks.
The engine compartment of the Stanley built runabout “Running Wild.”
The replacement design for the I Love NY slogan
“Keep Calm and Foil On” – ACBS past president Gene Porter blends high tech communications with his Chris Craft U-22.
Welcome to the Antique Boat Museum’s amazing BOATHOUSE.
Cheers to Dan Rogosich (holding the red solo cup) who became a WoodyBoater on Sunday by purchasing this 2008 Gar Wood runabout. Also aboard, some of the Turcotte crew and marine surveyor George Sperry.
Chris Johnson’s award winning 24’ Shepherd utility “Royal Rover.” She’s powered by a Chrysler Hemi 354 vee drive and was graciously used as the photo boat during the parade.
Tom and Cynthia Turcotte enjoy the third cockpit on a Gar Wood triple. The Turcotte family owns and operations Gar Wood Custom Boats
Thanks to Kent for some amazing photos and a wonderful report with captions! For those of you that have never been to the Antique Boat Museum and Clayton, its worth the trip! The boat show is amazing, but its a all summer long boat show at the museum and the living museum of the Thousand Islands. Also a big shout out to Michael Folsom of the Museum for allowing us behind the scenes to get many of these photos!
And as a special bonus to anyone thats read this far, the good folks at the Museum made this Drone parade footage.. Come on , It’s a Celebration! Celebrate, Come on, Were gon’ celebrate and have a good time!
Fantastic coverage Kent!
Thanks for reporting in from Clayton, it’s still not to late to make the trip to Maine for this weekend.
Kenny was taste testing and directing all the Coors light to Akron where he was instrumental in solving the water issue.
After the mayor tasted the Coors light, he decided the contaminated water wasn’t so bad by comparison?
Very nice report and photography. The drone coverage of the parade was great. Thanks!
Three cheers for Kent! This show is on my bucket list…maybe next year, or the following year…or maybe the year after that…
Great report and pictures Kent! On my bucket list too!
Great coverage, thanks. Hope to bring my newly restored/rebuilt boat there next year. 🙂
The show and museum in Clayton is yet another bucket list item (I need a bigger notebook). Thanks for all the photos and especially the drone video surprise at the end. Fantastic!
Wow – look at all of those beautiful photos! I know some folks were a bit ticked off that I complained about the “crappy white bumper” in the Baby Bootlegger shot a day or so ago, but look what can be done when things are thought out – the photos today are great and show off great boats. Uh except for that shot with the Evinrude Lark… uh Matt, any way you could erase the box under the boat and that Key Bank junk in the background and uh…. or nevermind. I am just kidding. Love that engine in ‘Running Wild’…
Brian, while you may only be interested in the boats, perhaps others here also have an interest in banking, and Tobler for one would love to know what came in that Chewy.com box.
And while I agree with you on the bumpers, our Canadian friends don’t think a boat looks right without them hanging there…even when underway.
Wonderful photos Kent. Thank you.
That’s twice now Matt has described you as having a great eye. Tho I don’t believe we’ve ever met, I feel like I know you already.
Tres cool!
About the same amount of hair and my favorite color is green – I’d say a striking resemblance 🙂
Great photographs!
I was just wondering, where are all the Lyman pics?
I think I saw one in the entire 15 minute video.
Thanks everyone for the kind comments, I’m glad you enjoyed the photos.
I’m speechless, dashboard of Pardon Me is a geek’s dream. Wish I had that kind of access, otherwise, just another tourist. That head on the “Flox” must have gotten a workout. Cheers Kenny Mac and all my Canadian friends. Show us more cruiser love.
Oh and great job Kent – 0. Anyone know any more details on the CC “Corsair” in the national motorboat display? Never have seen that sedan model before – its got more sweeping curves and narrower “A” pillars than a prewar and post war for that matter. In fact I would say its not even CC, more like Wheeler, Richardson or Elco, but Elco’s usually had a broken sheer.
That is a post war 40′ Elco.
Thank you for the kind words on our videos. It was a very enjoyable weeked and we love to be at the ABM.
Trying to get in touch with old friend Kent O. Smith. Please email me.
Thanks.
Henry