Boat show drops anchor in Skaneateles

By Jason Gabak / Special to The Citizen

Saturday, July 25, 2009 11:37 PM EDT

SKANEATELES - Boats and Skaneateles Lake simply seem to go together.
From paddling, sailing or motoring down its pristine waters - to the Lightning craft that was first built and launched in Skaneateles - the lake has a magnetic draw for boaters.

The 31st annual Antique and Classic Boat show rolled into town Friday, taking port at the foot of Skaneateles Lake right in the heart of the village.

The event, run in conjunction with the Skaneateles Area Chamber of Commerce and The Antique and Classic Boat Society Inc., Finger Lakes Chapter, drew many to the lake Saturday by both land and sea.

By early morning, boats were docked at the launch and were taking their places on the shore for the weekend's festivities.

Much of the focus Saturday was simply getting the boats out there and on display.

Hamilton Fish lives just down the road in Mandana and was displaying for the first time, though he said he has been a regular at the show for the past several years.

Fish was displaying his 1969 Wright, which he dubbed Rampage. Fish said that he bought the craft when it was only about five years old and used it regularly in the waters off of Fair Haven.

The key, Fish said, has been regular maintenance and upkeep on the craft, which he still loves to take out on Skaneateles Lake.

“What I like about Skaneateles,” Fish said, “is you can go out and sail on this water, you can get in the water and get wet. The water is so clean. And you can just sail forever on this lake.”

Fish said that he was enjoying his first time participating in the show, especially sharing stories with other classic-boat enthusiasts.

While some, like Fish, came from just a few miles down the road, others, like Wendy Valint, came from Buffalo.

Valint brought along two classic row boats, one dating back to the late 1800s while the other was built in 1939.

Valint said that it was well worth the trip for the opportunity to share these boats and her work on their restoration with others.

“This is our second time here,” Valint said. “We have been doing this for about six years and we go to other shows, but this is our favorite. The water and the town here are so beautiful and the people are great. They ask great questions, and it is nice to be able to share this with other people. We try to preserve a little bit of this history and we pay close attention to detail and it is great to be able to share this with other people.”

Saturday also featured other attractions, such as tours of the village, boats tours of the lake, as well as crafts and a model boat attraction as well as a craft created by the Sea Scouts of Skaneateles.

The Saturday festivities culminated with a parade of boats.

The celebration continues Sunday with the highlight being the judging of the boats for a variety of awards.

If you go

What: Skaneateles Antique and Classic Boat Show

When: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. today

Where: Village pier, Clift Park, Skaneateles

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