Wooden boat show is back for 17th year

SANDPOINT — The Inland Empire Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society is motoring back to town this weekend, marking the 17th annual wooden boat show in Sandpoint.

ACBS member B.K. Powell said the Sandpoint Antique & Classic Boat Show, which is held along the boardwalk at Sandpoint Marina, continues to gain popularity each year.

“Weather permitting, we get quite a few people on that boardwalk,” Powell said, adding that the ACBS group enjoys the community aspect of the location. “You are shaking hands with a community right there on Sand Creek, so it works pretty well for us ... And the community likes it because people, when they come up there, they spend money in town — restaurants and shopping and things like that. Aside from Lost in the ‘50s and the music festival, I think it’s one of the bigger draws of the summer.”

The show initially started in Coeur d’Alene where it was held for a couple of years, he said, but they found success in Sandpoint after relocating in 2002. This weekend’s show will have around 45 boats, which Powell said is about average, and a “pretty good size show.” Boats come from Washington, Montana, Oregon, California and, in the past, as far away as Florida. Some of the boat owners head to the different shows throughout the Pacific Northwest this time of year, he said, including a recent event in Whitefish, Mont., and an upcoming show in McCall. The ACBS International Boat Show will return to Coeur d’Alene for the fourth time in 2020, Powell said.

The Inland Empire Chapter of ACBS was also named “Chapter of the Year” by ACBS International in 2018.

“We are pretty energetic,” Powell said. “We like to relate to the communities we are involved in and we like to give back to the communities.”

As for the Sandpoint show, Powell said it is the only show in the Pacific Northwest judged on a 100-point system. Under the system, every boat that is being judged on Saturday will start with 100 points and the judges mark them down from there.

“That brings up some really nice boats that want to be judged on that system,” he said. “And we’ll have boats at this show that have won at Lake Tahoe Concours (d’Elegence), we have boats that are pretty rare, some really nice boats from the ‘30s and ‘40s — so we have a pretty good mix of antique and classic watercraft.”

The Coast Guard will be in attendance at the show, as will the state of Idaho with information on invasive species. The Kid’s Boat Building program will return as well, sponsored by Stancraft Boats, where youngsters can build, paint, test and take home their own wooden boats.

The show will open to public at 9 a.m. on Saturday, culminating in the traditional Parade of Boats at 3 p.m. from Sand Creek to City Beach.

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.