2011 Gathering Of The Gar Woods – Obexer’s Boat Company, Lake Tahoe, California

Today we attended the prestigious Gathering of the Gar Woods event at Obexer’s Boat Company, on the west shore of Lake Tahoe in Homewood, California. By 1928, Jake Obexer had become the Tahoe agent for Gar Wood speedboats, and by the mid-30s had convinced nearly two dozen summer residents at Lake Tahoe to become Gar Wood owners.

This year Obexer’s Boat Company is celebrating their 100th Anniversary, which makes this event extra special for everyone involved. I’m sure Gar Wood (shown above) would have been proud to see all these beautiful boats on display today.

Over 30 Gar Wood boats were on hand this year, both pre-war and post-war versions, many which are original Lake Tahoe boats and it was just great to see so many Gar Wood boats together in one place.

With a few lucky fellows aboard, “Liberty” a stunning 1932 28′ Gar Wood 28-55 Runabout powered by a 425HP 12-Cylinder Gar Wood Liberty engine heads out on Lake Tahoe for a cruise. The sound of the big Liberty was fantastic as she left the marina.

The photo below was featured in the 39th Annual Lake Tahoe Concours d’Elegance program this year with the following description by Tahoe Historian Carol Van Etten – “During WWII, Jake’s 1939 triple-cockpit Gar Wood bearing wartime registration numbers almost a foot tall, was one of the few local motorboats left afloat. In the photo, he’s seen aboard “Miss Tahoe”, collecting surplus tiresfor the war effort.”

A fantastic way to wrap up a fantastic week of classic boats and boating on historic Lake Tahoe. We have some great stories to share in the coming days of our experience here at Lake Tahoe, but for now would like to say thanks to everyone for your warm hospitality during our stay in the area.

Matt & Texx