From 2008-2023, Lakeside Wooden Boat Society (LWBS) members and volunteers provided evening and sunset cruises to Lakesiders on a classic wooden boat named Amazing Grace.
Lakesiders may recall seeing the iconic boat at the dock twice a week and at the Lakeside Wooden Boat Show. This article shares how LWBS and Lakeside came about possessing Amazing Grace and informing the community about its future status.
Amazing Grace is an all-wood 32-foot Richardson Cruiseabout built in Tonawanda, New York, in 1937. It was designed during the pre-war years to ply the waters of the Great Lakes and inland waterways. So how did Amazing Grace come to Lakeside?
It was a fortuitous combination of many individuals making generous contributions to make it happen. LWBS began offering boat rides to the Lakeside community around 2004, when individual LWBS members volunteered to use their own wooden boats, many of them historic Lyman boats.
Many passengers found that the opportunity to get on the water on a classic wooden boat invoked wonderful memories from the past, and they appreciated this opportunity. From this experience, LWBS concluded that offering rides on a wooden boat represented an important service to the Lakeside community but realized a larger boat that could carry up to six passengers was needed, rather than relying upon the relatively smaller boats of individual members.
Meanwhile, in 2007, Mame and Bill Drackett, LWBS members and volunteers, became aware of Amazing Grace – then named Glad + Joy – stored in a barn on Catawba Island. Bill immediately informed Dwight Davis, owner of Classic Marine in Vickery, Ohio, about its existence.
When the boat’s then-owner learned that his boat might be used to give rides, he was thrilled at the prospect that the boat would have a new life, and a deal was made. The boat was purchased – or “adopted” as Bill says – and was renamed Amazing Grace and then donated to Lakeside.
Through the efforts of Davis, Amazing Grace was prepared to launch in June 2008, having completed minor engine repairs, several wooden planks and other components replaced and revarnished, electrical components updated, and new upholstery installed.
Starting in the summer of 2008, LWBS ran a three-year trial for Lakeside to provide rides for guests. During that time, LWBS covered all operating expenses, including a captain, crew, maintenance and storage of the boat.
Amazing Grace was used for 30- and 60-minute evening boat rides from the Lakeside dock. Again, just like before, many passengers expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the opportunity to get on the water.
Brenda Baker, an LWBS member and volunteer, remembers one single mother, in particular, saying that she’d come to Lakeside for 20 years with her child and had never once had the opportunity to be on the water. Stories like these have been repeated many times, which have been especially gratifying to many LWBS members who volunteered twice a week to ensure the boat rides were offered as scheduled.
After the three-year trial, Lakeside decided to continue the boat rides program, with Lakeside being responsible for operations and collecting boat ride revenue. The understanding was that should Lakeside decide to sell the boat, LWBS would be given the proceeds. LWBS agreed to provide a captain (to be paid by Lakeside) and a volunteer first mate. LWBS also agreed to provide guidance for maintenance and dockage/storage. Davis continued the boat’s maintenance and was the primary captain.
LWBS calculates that Amazing Grace has carried over 3,000 passengers during the 16 years of service. This is quite an amazing statistic considering the length of Lakeside’s summer season and the uncertainties of the weather.
After each season, Amazing Grace has been lovingly cared for and readied for the next season. However, the amount of required maintenance, some of which has been deferred, has become more than what LWBS or Lakeside could financially handle.
After much discussion, in 2023, the decision was made to stop using Amazing Grace for the boat rides, and to replace the boat with Miss Muffet, a 1956 38-foot Chris Craft Constellation owned by Davis. Miss Muffet was a wise replacement because the boat is wider, making it more stable and configured in a way for passengers to board and disembark with greater ease.
As a result of this transition, Lakeside recently announced with a sense of sadness that Amazing Grace would be sold. Amazing Grace served the Lakeside community well for almost 16 years, and it was now time to find a new owner.
If you have any questions or are interested in purchasing Amazing Grace, contact Davis at classicmarine@yahoo.com.
If you would like to help promote the heritage and craft of wooden boats at Lakeside, consider becoming a LWBS supporter.
