Classic boats displayed at PI Harbor

The 12th annual Wooden Boat Show began on a blustery Saturday morning at the Presque Isle Harbor Marina. All the courtesy tents blew over in the night and, as the wind continued to howl in the morning, the organizers decided to move the model boat displays inside the Portage Restaurant. The opening ceremony started with the raising of the flag by VFW Post 607 of Rogers City. The Rev. Henry Prall of the Huron Beach Community Church offered the invocation and blessing of the fleet.

The featured boat, the 33-foot ?Peregrine? from Mt. Clemens, arrived a little late because of heavy seas. A member of the crew said, ??if the waves breaking over the bow had pounded out the windshield, that boat would be at the bottom of Lake Huron right now.? The weather improved over the course of the morning and, by noon, the sun was shining and the wind calmed down. The barbecue was fired up and those attending the show seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves. James Norris, chairman of this year?s event, noted that, ?The allure of wooden boats is with the way the water moves under them and the sound it makes lapping against the wooden hull.?

_color_border = 'B0C9EB'; google_color_link = '164675'; google_color_bg = 'FFFFFF'; google_color_text = '333333'; google_color_url = '2666F5'; google_ui_features = 'rc:0'; //-->

The Nauticals quartet from Rogers City serenaded the crowd and entertained patrons in the Portage Restaurant throughout the morning. Prizes were awarded in a number of categories ranging from kayak and canoe to outboard and cruiser craft. The People?s Choice went to ?Alibi? owned by Greg and Linda Greenia of Port Huron.

Greg Greenia said the ?Alibi? was based on an adapted 1937 design by famed boat builder John Hacker. Greenia, an automotive mechanic, said, ?I finished the boat over 10 years, working on and off. The important thing with inboard motors is torque and it took me some time to get the engine right.?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.