North Texas-Built Boats to be Highlighted at White Rock Boat Club, Sept. 7

White Rock Lake will once again welcome the gleaming mahogany hulls of classic and antique boats of the 1930s-1950s at the White Rock Boat Club, 340 East Lawther Drive, on Saturday, September 7, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. The display, hosted by the White Rock Boat Club, is open and free to the public. White Rock Boat Club will also be hosting an open house that day with members available to answer questions about sailing and boating on White Rock Lake.

"We are pleased to offer White Rock area residents a chance to see boating history come to life," says White Rock Boat Club's Commodore, Miles Zitmore. "We remember the days when power boats cruised the lake, and this special day lets us relive that time." A parade of boats is planned at 3 p.m., during which drivers will respect a 10 mph speed limit.

The boats, owned by members of the Wooden Boat Association of North Texas (WBA), are restored examples of the wooden boats that ran on White Rock Lake and other North Texas Lakes in the days before fiberglass existed. The Wooden Boat Association was founded in the 1980s and has about 75 active members in North Texas. The group participates in both land-based and in-the-water boat shows and events to build awareness of the hobby.

North Texas-Built Boats to be Featured

North Texas was once a hub of wooden boat manufacturing, especially in Denison, where more than 20,000 Yellow Jacket Boats were built between 1949 and 1959. The WBA has spearheaded an effort to find and restore these fast and affordable boats, and will have examples at the White Rock event.

Dallas, too, was well known for the Willis Boat Works, which hand-built highly successful racing hydroplanes and runabouts. The show will also feature representatives of this North Texas marque. These boats will be displayed on land, on trailers in front of the White Rock Boat Club for close inspection by the visiting public.

"One of our club's purposes is to educate the public about the historic significance of antique and classic wooden boats," says David Kanally, WBA President. "Yellow Jackets and Willis boats were made right here in North Texas in the 1950s. Everyone in North Texas should be proud of the area's wooden boating legacy." The Texas boats will join their larger and better-known Chris-Craft and Century inboard counterparts in the dockside show. In addition, wooden sailboats hand built or restored by members of the White Rock Boat Club will be on display.

"Any wooden boat requires a lot of maintenance," says Kanally. "For our members, it's a labor of love. In our opinion, even though modern boats are faster and easier to maintain, nothing beats the look and ride of a well-maintained mahogany boat."

More information on The Wooden Boat Association of North Texas is available on their website at http://woodenboatassociation.com. Additional information about White Rock Boat Club is available at www.whiterockboatclub.org.

Interested in displaying your boat?: Email David Kanally, david@historywithheart.com , 940-395-2742, or email Gay Perry.