TOPIC: ACBS International Boat Show around the corner!

Just a reminder that the big International ACBS show is on. Port Huron Michigan is the host city along with the Michigan Chapter being the host chapter. Pre- events are going on now with the show being this coming Friday and Saturday 9 14 18 and 9 15 18. This is a monster event with over 400 registered guest and over 180 boats preregistered. If you want to see the very best from the United States and Canada this is a must see event! I will be there with my XK 22 and hope to see you there, stop and say HAY!
JAG

I'll be there with Little Blue tomorrow through Sunday.

So looking forward to it!

This has turned out to be the biggest ACBS International Boat Show ever. Out of 202 boats registered, 195 actually showed, beating the old record of 146 boats. It's kind of overwhelming - so many boats!

Out of the 195 shown, I counted:

168 Wood boats of all types
2 Hybrid Wood/Fiberglass (both Chris Craft Silver Arrows)
23 Fiberglass boats of all types
1 Aluminum
1 Steel (Chris Craft Roamer)
Over 40 Cruisers of all types (being on the Great Lakes, boats can come in under their own power from anywhere in the world),which can't be done when the show is on an inland lake.
12 outboard powered boats

Future shows:

2019: Alexandria Bay, NY (near Clayton, NY)
2020: Bay Harbor, MI (near Petoskey,MI)
These are both on the Great Lakes, also, so again, cruisers can come in.

Little Blue is there. More pictures tomorrow.

We took the hike up and had some quality time boating the blue waters at Port Huron with our buddy Jag.

Now I know I have said this before but this was the best show I have ever seen.

The big cruisers were the draw for me and there were 40 bigguns to see there.


The Water Street Marina on the Black River must be a couple city blocks long and boats lined the seawall end to end.


I found Dave's Little Blue but could not track down Dave.


Nice clean old Merc.


Thanks for showing Dave.


This sweet little 65 Larson took Best Non-wood


Owner says she is 100% original and never buffed or polished.

Thanks,
Terry

I agree - best boat show ever!

I was busy walking around, taking some pictures and talking to people, and ended up spending very little time at the dock by Little Blue.

That Larson pulled in right behind me to dock on Thursday, and as soon as I saw it, I just knew it would take Best Non-Wood. Like Little Blue, it is original and unrestored, and the blue convertible top just completes it. I was very happy it got both Platinum and Best Non-Wood..

ACBS published the complete awards list this morning at:

acbs.org/2018-international-boat-show/

It was announced that with help from Tim Bush and Stan Struble, I will be working with both existing and new marque clubs to further partnerships with ACBS. My goal is to have 50 outboard-powered 14-17 foot boats at ACBS International Show. in a few years. I really want to see more bright colors mixed in with all the beautiful mahogany, with the kind of smaller outboard boats we all love so much!

Shown is a picture I took standing on the bridge at the west end of the show, looking east into the mist. Boats as far as the eye can see, all the way to the jackknife bridge you see in the distance in the mist.

Dave, I am glad you had a great time in my home town. After setting up several restored antique and classic boats and motors over the last several years we were informed a few days before the show that there was not enough space for the locaL guys. Needless to say you know my attitude towards the ACBS and I will be returning the award I received for the best in show fiberglass boat I received a couple years back.
Gil Nichols

Wow, Gil, that does not sound right. When you say we, who do you mean? When did you register? How big was the boat you were planning to bring?

I know there was a little bit of room for at least another three smaller boats near where my boat was docked. There were also some last minute cancellations, due to illness, or due to the sale of a boat just before the show.

If someone registered before the deadline, and then got told just before the show that they got bumped, that just isn't right. If can give me answers to the questions, and any thing else you think would be helpful, I'll look into it. The last thing we want to do is have someone who took the time to register before the deadline get bumped at the last minute, whether they were a local or came from a long distance. Things were pretty tight, but a few more boats could have been squeezed in.

Jerry,
I am sorry for airing this on a public forum and will not comment further on this subject. It was a great show(from what I saw in the pictures).
Gil

Hey Dave,

That's a great shot from the bridge and really shows the extent of this event. Sorry I missed you there. I left my card in your boat and just wanted to get of shot of you and that pretty Little Blue.

Below on the right in the your shot is this US Coast Guard 26' Motor Surf Boat Circa 1932-1934






Some of classics were docked beyond the drawbridge.

These pretzels are making me thirsty!




Thanks,
Terry