How It Started
In 1995, four wooden boat owners got together to form the North Coast Ohio Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society. Rich Baratha, Bob Otto, Les Demaline, and Jack Lynett met at the Holiday Inn in Montrose, near Akron, Ohio to draw up the documents which would permit the new chapter to chart its course in the boating world.
At Skaneateles, NY, during the spring quarterly meeting of the ACBS directors, the proposed idea was presented and approved; within 2 months, North Coast Ohio (NCO) held its first boat show at Spitzer Marina in Lorain, Ohio, on the south shore of Lake Erie. From then on, the chapter grew rapidly. Our geographic area is from Toledo in the west to the Pennsylvania line in the east, south to Mansfield and north to encompass the Lake Erie shore and its adjoining waterways. Our boat shows are held on the south shore of Lake Erie and on the inland lakes in and around Akron, Ohio.
Chapter Activities
Our members like to attend events and cruises in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Michigan, Indiana, and Virginia. We enjoy “caravanning” to neighboring chapters to support their events.
The love for vintage boats fueled the growth of our events. NCO is a very active chapter and over the years we have organized many boat shows, workshops, rendezvous, cruises, social gatherings, and our monthly board meetings. NCO also has helped grow youth activities such as model sailboat building and racing.
Restoration and Guidance
Several of our members are active in restoration of wood and fiberglass boats. We are fortunate to have restoration facilities in our area for working on our boats and for guidance for those doing their own work.
Since the beginning, NCO has always been one of the most active and involved chapters of ACBS. Several of our chapter’s board members have also been involved on the International ACBS board. Some of our members serve as judges at the ACBS International Boat Show. The continued growth of our chapter is evident as we were recognized as the chapter with the highest percentage of member growth in 2014.
The future looks bright as new members move into positions of leadership, more boats are restored and preserved, and the next generation of vintage boat enthusiasts learn about this fun hobby and lifestyle.