Boaters prepare for classic weekend

Jul 15, 2015 at 06:00 am by Observer-Review


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Boaters prepare for classic weekend

HAMMONDSPORT--Wine Country Classic Boats (WCCB) will present their 33rd Annual Antique Boat Show and 32nd Annual Regatta this weekend at Depot Park in HammondsportSaturday and Sunday, July 18 and 19. The event will have boats from the 1930s as its featured water craft this year along with several other wood and fiberglass classics.
One of the weekend's participants will be Penn Yan's Jack Young, who is preparing his 24-foot 1960 Chris Craft for the show to be featured along with approximately 60 other classic boats. Young said he purchased his boat some 10 years ago. He mentioned he bought the boat in New Hampshire, adding the boat was not restored when it was purchased. Young estimates he has put some $40,000 into the boat, which includes the $12,000 he purchased it for.
"I found it in a field and it was covered in plastic," Young said. "I bought it and I did some of the work and I had to have the rest of the work done. That was 10 years ago for the original restoration. Since then it has been in Doug Nichols' Shop over in Branchport. He has done the balance of the work on it."
Young stated the entire boat was stripped, sanded and stained, adding he had to put 15 coats of varnish on it. He said last year he put another few coats of varnish on the boat due to the wear it gets over the years.
"Every number of years, depending on how much time it is out in the sun, it needs to be redone," Young said. "The sun certainly takes its toll on the varnish."
Young stated he also had the boat's original 283 V8 engine rebuilt, along with installing new upholstery and re-chroming every piece of chrome. Although he hates to admit it, Young said it has been two years since it has been in the water, adding it is mainly because he does not live on the lakefront.
"It's not a boat you just leave in a slip," Young added.
Young mentioned since it sits idle most of the time, there is not much additional maintenance work that needs to be done to the boat while it is in storage, other than the extra coats of varnish every few years.
"I grew up in northern New Jersey, and a relative of mine had a Chris Craft back in the '50s," Young said. "It was mahogany and I just loved the boat. I always wanted one. It finally came about where I was able to get one and get it restored and now it will be in the boat show. It will be in the water [Friday, June 17.]"
The boat show runs at Depot Park from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. Saturday will feature a boat parade at 3 p.m. The Antique and Classic Boat Society (ACBS) will judge the boat entries for restoration standards and detail work. Sunday's regatta -- a series of boat races -- will have two different heats running throughout the southern branch of Keuka Lake beginning at 10:15 and 10:45 a.m. respectively. Admission to the event is free to spectators, with Young expecting "at least a few thousand" to attend.

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