BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Boat lovers have come from far and wide to visit Burlington to show off some old classics that you don’t normally see on the water.
“I got my first wooden boat when I was about 9 years old,” Gene Porter of New York said.
Gene Porter is eighty eight years old, and still brings his boat, Miss Nancy, to the annual Lake Champlain Antique and Classic Boat Show.
He’s been going for decades. Miss Nancy is a vintage 1941 Limond Inboard utility boat, and he says, his favorite part about the show is the people he meets.
“We talk about the boats a lot, but it’s mostly the people that like these boats. That take such good care of their boats. Get together for socializing, and trading tips on how to take care of the boats,” Porter said.
This is the Lake Champlain chapter Antique and Classic Boat Society’s 37th year throwing the boat show.
They had over 20 classic antique boats down at the Burlington Community Boathouse.
Featuring all shapes and sizes. Antique boat owner Tom Anger brought his 1947 Chris-Craft to the show for the very first time.
“The quality of this, that was built 75 years ago. You can’t find it today. So it’s important that we pass along the next generation what real quality really is,” Anger said.
And officials say, targeting the young generation to take care of boats like this, is their main goal.
“I think it is awesome to see so many different generations take care of these boats. The Onus is on us now. My sister and I to take care of this one. This history is important to preserve,” Emily Weber of the Lake Champlain Antique and Classic Boat Society said.
The Lake Champlain chapter says, they hope to have more boats in the show next year.