(Photos by Bob Chiluk) – A couple of times each year, one or more of our contributors finds themselves at a classic boat show and they inevitably ask, “Do you want any photos from this thing?” We always say, “YES!” mainly because we love these old boats and like old cars they have great personality, amazing styling, details for days, cool engines, and they just ooze awesome. This year Bob Chiluk put on his skipper cap and attended the Geneva Lakes Antique and Classic Boat Show. He had his “picture taking machine” with him and blasted off a bunch of photos that we wanted to share with you. To us, antique boats are interesting because we have absolutely no desire to own one but we sure love looking at everyone else’s. This show was cool because there was such a variety. Between the cool inboard powered boats that have inliners, Hemis V8s, and in some cases modified V8 engines, and the ancient outboard engines that power some of the smaller craft, it is a heck of a cross section of cool stuff to look at.

Today when you drive by a marina, there’s a sea of white boats that largely all blend together. None of the boats you will see in this gallery blend. They all have a unique personality and look. The woodworking alone on the boats that have the gorgeous mahogany exteriors is worthy of study and drool but when you actually look inside some of the wooden boats and see the ribbing and other craftsmanship that went into the structure of the hull and other elements, you’ll understand why we love looking at these things so much. Also, how cool is it to look in the rear of the boat and see a Hemi with the awesome Chrysler Marine valve covers on it?! Thanks to Bob for the photos, hit the link below to see ’em all!