July 15, 2007
Saint Michaels Antique and Classic Boat Festival
"Believe me, my young friend; there is NOTHING,
absolute nothing, half so much worth doing
as simply messing about in boats."
— Kenneth Grahame: "The Wind In The Willows"
What is the mystique of a wooden runabout or cruiser that causes grown men and women to seek them and cherish them with such tenacity? After all, a boat is just a boat - isn’t it?
For those of us old enough to remember the sleek power craft that cruised America’s rivers and lakes from the 20’s to the early 50’s, it’s nostalgia time at the annual antique boat show held at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum at Saint Michaels, Maryland. The event is sponsored by The Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society.
Each year in the middle of June, antique boat owners hitch up their sleek runabouts and trailer them to St Michaels to show off their handsome boats that represent hundreds of thousands of dollars in restoration costs. Like antique car buffs, old boat enthusiasts consider the restoration process just as important as owning a rare w
atercraft.
atercraft.Boats are classified as follows:
Historic: Boats built before 1919
Antique: A boat built between 1919 and 1942
Classic: A boat built 1943 to 1968
Production or custom contemporary boats are those built 1968 to present.
At the festival a boat is judged by its present condition compared to what it was like in the original condition and style. Properly preserved originality is and adherence to original construction techniques and materials are most important. Two "Best of Show" awards are given, one for "Best Restored" and one for "Best Preserved." Boat categories include runabouts, skiffs, launches and outboards.
The displays vividly bring to life the history of the famous wooden boats and their manufacturers. - Chris Craft, Hacker Craft, Gar Wood and Century. As you walk among the fascinating classic boats, see the beauty of their lines, the richness of the wood planking and the gleam of hardware, it is easy to understand how the antique boat show brings out the “Walter Mitty” fantasy dreams in all of us.For more information about classic boats, visit the Antique and Classic Boat Society website.
and lifestyle of a town that is right out of a picture history book. Founded in 1694, Oxford is situated on the Tred Avon River next to the Chesapeake Bay. It was an important seaport for British goods entering the Colonies up until 1780. After the American Revolution, it reverted to a fishing village through the middle of the 20th century. Oxford is relaxed and tranquil, and it looks like a typical village in the English countryside. Most of the town and the waterfront can be seen on foot by strolling on old brick walks under the canopies of stately trees.
that weekend enjoying the festivities in Oxford, starting with the dog walk, one of several benefit events which support Breast Cancer research. The rest of the day is filled with a parade, music, colorful displays and trying to keep from over-eating the pit beef, barbecue sandwiches and crab cakes. No one can resist the cake tables as each local church competes to produce the most delicious desserts in the area. At the end of the day you may find it hard to leave the quiet charm beside the broad expanse of the Tred Avon River and suddenly realize that Oxford is a dream and a reality.
huge flocks of Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens). 
