News and views, and history and humor, about the lake I love.

"I can hear my granddad's stories of the storms out on Lake Erie, where vessels and cargos and fortunes, and sailors' lives were lost." ~ James Taylor, Millworker

Monday, July 18, 2011

Lakeside Wooden Boat Show

I had the good fortune today to attend the 8th Annual Lakeside Wooden Boat Show at beautiful Lakeside, Ohio, the famous "Chautauqua on Lake Erie." The boat show is put on each year by the Lakeside Wooden Boat Society. There were over fifty boats on hand, ranging in size from 9 to 57 feet in length.

I arrived early in the morning with my brother-in-law who had a 16' Lyman in the show. Despite a virtual flotilla of trailered boats converging on this little hamlet by the lake, setup was quick and stress free, thanks largely to organizer Mame Drackett. With the boat in its assigned spot, we were able watch the arrival of the other boats and enjoy the festivities. Boats arrived by both land and water. At first a trickle, the pace picked up quickly as boat after boat chugged around the Lakeside breakwater and were immediately greeted by orange-shirted harbor masters who instantly barked orders over walkie-talkies to assistants who rushed to the dock or plunged into waste-deep water to secure the arriving boats to the pier. I was impressed at how well organized it all was.

In addition to the beautiful antique wood boats, there miniature boats as well, with members of two model boat clubs , the Cleveland Model Boat Club and the Maumee Valley Model Boat Club, on hand to display their craftsmanship.

It was a beautiful day for the boat show. Although hot in the afternoon, the moderating influence of the lake helped out a lot. But it was all about the boats; admiring not only the fine lines of these classic craft, but also the craftsmanship of the boat owners who work so hard to restore and maintain them year after year. And if that wasn't enough, the Lakesiders provided a great and supportive venue for it all. A nice lunch was available for a small free and there was a live band on hand performing 70s and 80s rock classics.

Now on to the boats. I snapped some great photos. Here are a few to get started. I will upload more throughout the week, so keep coming back!


Big Chris Craft arriving for the show


32' 1937 Richardson Cruisabout

Lyman with some nice artwork!

Another shot of the Richardson

Richardson again

A classic Chris Craft waiting in line to dock

Check back tomorrow for more uploads!

No comments:

Post a Comment