Boat show commemorating 100th anniversary of Chris Craft to take place this month

The Michigan Chapter of the Antique & Classic Boat Society will be sponsoring a Chris Craft boat show from June 24 to 26.

The boat show will take place on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Ninety boats are expected to be docked at the Algonac Harbor Club on the north channel of the St. Clair River. Individual boats will be judged with awards being given out at 4 p.m. Other activities throughout the weekend include boat rides, live music, crafting and a display of Chris Craft memorabilia.

“There are a lot of people in the area that have a connection to Chris Craft,” said Pat Chaps, marketing director for the Michigan Chapter of the Antique & Classic Boat Society.

Chris Craft boats have been a staple in the Algonac area for 100 years. The founders of the company, Christopher and Hank Smith, were born in the Algonac and started the Chris Smith and Sons Boat Company in 1922. With its corporate office located in the area, many residents of Algonac were employed by the company.

“(The boat show) is going to bring back the memory people’s relatives and the jobs they had in the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s,” Chaps said. “There will be a lot of information about Chris Craft over its first 100 years that will be available to see in one place.”

The show will take place where the original Chris Craft manufacturing plant once stood. Chaps said people will get to see where the company had its roots.

“Wooden boat manufacturing was really big in this area,” Chaps said. “All over the world, people know Chris Craft boats, especially in Michigan. So, a 100-year anniversary is a big deal.”

Contact McKenna Golat at MGolat@gannett.com or (810) 292-0122

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: June boat show to celebrate 100 years of Chris Craft