Due to numerous challenges and changes at Safe Harbor Hawthorne Cove Marina, the passing of our founder Pat Wells and the loss of momentum due to Covid, we regret that we will no longer be holding the Festival. We have had a great run for a lot of years since the first festival in 1983. We appreciate the support we have received from various marinas and their staff over the years and of course we have enormous gratitude to you, the festival participants and supporters.
We wish you all fair winds and following seas!
The ACBF Committee
The flash of polished bronze and gleam of varnished wood across the water was the order of the day as elegant antique and classic yachts sailed into the host city of Salem, Massachusetts for the Annual Antique & Classic Boat Festival. Mostly wood, primarily private yachts and aesthetically stunning, the vessels were on display to the public over the weekend at Safe Harbor Hawthorne Cove Marina. A hallmark of the Festival is the great variety of craft exhibited. “Where else,” says Pat Wells, Coordinator, “can one see 1900s-60s motor yachts, mahogany speedboats, sloops, yawls, schooners and traditional hand-powered craft! Although many of these vessels are museum quality, they are real boats in the water and in use by their owners today.”
Our star from the 2016 Festival!
Miss Asia, a 1923, 62-foot Consolidated Speedway luxury commuter, “fast, smart and modern in every respect,” as Motor Boating magazine put it 1924, “these sleek and sexy power boats, capable of speeds of up to 40 mph, were popular with tycoons for zipping back and forth between their country estates and business offices in waterfront cities such as Chicago, Detroit, and New York”. (Photo courtesy of McMillan Yachts, Inc.)
To the delight of the public, some skippers sport vintage garb; others display period décor or play a few tunes. Table settings and captivating floral arrangements might be found aboard a boat. Welcome mats are in evidence and children, pets and parrots have been known to enliven the scene. Many hospitable owners invite the public aboard for a personal tour, regaling visitors with tales of their boat’s history, memorable voyages and the joys and woes of restoring their classic. A crafts fair, artists, old-time band music, children’s activities and a Blessing of the Fleet round out this popular event.
Want to hear a little more about it? Here’s the radio spot we ran the week of a previous festival –
Our Flagship Sponsors for the 2019 Festival
Safe Harbor Hawthorne Cove Marina
MarineMax Russo
Massachusetts Marine Trades Association
Silent Maid
Salem Five Charitable Foundation
Salem Witch Museum
Jonathan J. Margolis
Thomas & Leslie Sullivan
WoodenBoat Publications
Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.