Porthole to the Past

The wooden boat community in the Inland Northwest, which could be considered to include eastern Washington, northern Idaho, western Montana, and even southern British Columbia is a very strong one. There are over 400 wooden boats currently on Lake Coeur d’ Alene alone, not counting boats at the other three main lakes in the area.

The Inland Empire ACBS Chapter was started in 2000 by members who were already members of other chapters in the northwest. This core group of members realized there were even more boat enthusiasts in northern Idaho and eastern Washington who could be added to the group. They petitioned to be recognized as an official chapter in 2001. The Inland Empire Chapter is still part of the northwest group of chapters (Columbia Willamette, Pacific Northwest, Big Sky and Okanagan Chapters). The Inland Empire ACBS currently has 125 members, as of the summer of 2024, and hosts three major boat shows during the summer (Sandpoint Boat Show, Coeur D' Alene Boat Festival, and Dry Rot Boat Show at Priest Lake).

Yearly since 2001, we have celebrated the best restorations, newly-rebuilt boats, people and more, in the wonderful world of classic vessels and the people who show them off. Our first award in 2014 was for our newsletter The Inland Scuttlebutt that was edited by Wes Yandt. The Inland Empire Chapter has won the Chapter of the year award two-times since its founding in 2018 and 2021. In 2023 the Inland Empire Chapter website placed 2nd that was developed by webmaster Alan Wardsworth. A dedicated group of chapter members put in an enormous amount of work to make the shows a success, as well.
 
2024 will mark the 40th anniversary of wooden boat shows at the Coeur d’ Alene Resort marina boardwalk. The path to this anniversary, however, has not been a straight line. A brief review of the history of the show illustrates the efforts of the many people who have contributed to make the show the success it is today. Let’s go back a few years to 1984, when Syd Young, the then owner of StanCraft boats, believed that Coeur d’ Alene needed to have a boat show to showcase the wooden boats in the Inland Northwest. This was the beginning of what has become an annual event extending over four decades. There was, however, a decline in chapter interest to have the show in Coeur d’ Alene beginning in 2001 During that period the chapter moved its main show north to Sandpoint, Idaho on Lake Pend Oreille. The Sandpoint Show has flourished. The local businesses and the public have welcomed the show. We have had 24 years with only one down year that being a covid year. The local town Pirate,Captain Dan, started a kids boat building/decorating of small boats and then floated them in a small swimming pool. One of the Chapter’s major sponsors, StanCraft Boats, picked up wear Captain Dan left off and is now producing 300 boats each year for the kids. Boat decorating is a major attraction for all three of our lakes.
 
In 2015, the interest in bringing back a chapter-sponsored show to Coeur d’ Alene was rekindled when Duane Hagadone, owner of the CDA Resort, who loved wooden boats, put Craig Brosenne, president of the Hagadone Marine Group in charge of bringing the chapter show back to the Resort on a permanent basis. Craig worked with Murray Danzig, Ron Yandt, Daryl Reynolds, and Don Vogt to get the “ship launched.” In the first year, 2016, we had eight boats entered in the show, four boats were Murray’s, two were Daryl’s and Ron and Don had one each. This was the start of bigger and better things to come. Over the next seven years the show grew exponentially to where it is today of 68 boats in the last showing.
 Meanwhile, at our other lake in North Idaho, Priest Lake, another boat show was started. The Dry Rot Show at Priest Lake began with the efforts of Steve and Linda Zwarg and the help of the Past International President, Dick and Louise Werner. The Dry Rot is a well attended show over the Labor Day weekend. Boat owners like the show because it is a “use your boat” show. Saturday, Sunday and Monday of Labor Day Weekend there are events planned for each day. A poker run, parade, and a trip to the upper Priest Lake. With the passing of Dick Werner, Brian and Kathy Fair have continued that tradition at Priest Lake for the 2021 International Show and beyond.

Inland Empire chapter has also hosted the International Show in 2002, 2008, 2013, and 2021. As well as having several successful boats at many of the international shows over the years our members have been very involved serving on the international board including BK Powell, Dick Werner, and Dick Winn. We have also had 4 of our members highlighted on the Mahogany and Chrome Production ( Bob Henshaw, Steve Zwarg, Murry Danzig, and Daryl Reynolds).
 
The chapter also hosted a “regional” show back in 2008. Chapters participating were Inland Empire Chapter, Okanogan, Payette, Montana, Seattle and Portland. It is believed to be the first (and only) regional show ever held-where several area chapters worked together on a boat show. It was held at the Coeur D’Alene Resort and had 80 boats in attendance. Outside of the regular shows the club has a large display of boats at the January Spokane Boat Show thanks to Scott Thompson and this year featured five boats from the Carlo Ferreira collection of boats like the 1938 Greavette Triple Cockpit runabout which showed off it's awesome Lincoln V-12 dual carb marine version of the Zephyr power plant. There is also a Show & Shine around the end of March and a trip up the St. Joe river in August from Harrison, Idaho that keeps everyone involved that cannot make it to one of the main boat shows.
 
The chapter has held a firm belief in giving back and helping the future. This year's Sandpoint Show held an auction for a local non-profit, Creations for Kids, and raised $10,000. The chapter has also supported the Northwest School for Wood Boat Building for many years with an annual donation of $750.00. We also raised over $8,000 for the kids diabetes camp at Priest River, allowing children with severest of the disease an opportunity to go to camp. We have partnered with schools in an effort to promote STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), CTE (Career and Technical Education), and local business in schools. Other projects include Sandpoint High School’s build a boat project, the Elementary Schoolers Little Boat Builders, Central Valley High School restoration project, and scholarships given to the Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building in Port Hadlock, WA.

Bringing the history back to the present, the chapter’s 2024 Coeur d’ Alene Antique and Classic Boat Festival is being held at the CDA Resort on August 3rd and 4th, in conjunction with two major CDA activities: “Art on the Green”, and the Coeur d’ Alene “Street Fair.” We will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of wooden boat shows on the boardwalk at the Resort marina. We are looking forward to having seventy-five of the finest classic and contemporary boats on display from all over the West, and beyond. Hope to see you and your boat on the boardwalk next year! Our three boat shows on the lakes of North Idaho always attract members and their boats from the other Northwest ACBS chapters. We have had as many as 6 different chapters in attendance at our shows.