Antique boats on display this weekend

Although there will be no Celebrate the Lake event this weekend, one part of the annual event still will take place: the mini boat show put on by the SML chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society.

The display of about a dozen boats at Parrot Cove Marina on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. will be a smaller representation of what lake-area residents will see at the club's annual boat show in September.

George Blosser, publicity chairman for the club, said favorites such as Symphony, Mike and Dolores Mutchler's 1929 Morris 21-foot launch; and Birmingham Baby, Roger and Sybil Smith's 1952 Chris-Craft 19-foot racing runabout, will be on display.

But also on hand will be new-to-the-lake boats, such as Happy Days, Blosser's 1956 Chris-Craft Continental. He said representatives of the 60-plus-member club will be on hand to do one of their favorite things: talk about their boats.

"This is going to be an informal thing," said Blosser. "The whole purpose of this is for people to talk about boats."

Margaret Gober of Virginia Canvas Works and Gary Lowell of Lowell Boats also will be on hand to answer questions.

For more information, visit woodenboats.net.