Boat Wise: What happens at the boat show.......

With preparations underway all over the country, The Lake Dora Boat show grows ever closer. The last coats of varnish are going on, trailer hubs are being greased. Some of you are unfogging your motors. Others are adjusting the floats in the carb for just the right mixture. Check, double check.

As the days tick away, one can’t help but wonder…..why do we go to the show? Why do we put forth all this effort keeping these old boats afloat and take all of this time to make sure these classics look so nice? Why do we gather together on the north shore of Lake Dora, year after year?

There is a different reason for each person, just like each one of these antique boats is different from the next. No two are the same. Each is beautifully unique in its own way. Just like the people. Every show brings new people and new stories. Swapping stories is a great way to launch new friendships. The next thing you know, you and your new friends are riding around in your old boat. Feeling the sun on your face, hearing the steady pulsing of that flathead under the hatches, cutting through the water. Smiling. Sharing.

So, that’s my reason. Mixing the old with new. Together, they make the best stuff on earth..or in this case, on water.

Here are some highlights from the 2014 show -