The Antique and Classic Boat Society recognizes that when two or more boats meet on the water an informal, friendly race results. In this same spirit of competition between the boats of its members the A.C.B.S. has created a fair and friendly system establishing the following criteria to allow the judging of the many different types of boats.

 

 

 

Policy On Boat Judging

     The basic standard of the ACBS judging System is to judge a boat in its present condition against what it was like when it was originally delivered by the manufacturer or builder (except Contemporary boats).  Properly preserved and maintained originality is encouraged and will be rewarded.  Points will not be deducted for high quality repairs to original wood.    Restorations requiring major wood replacement are encouraged only when the original material is beyond repair.

 

Evaluated by this standard, three factors may be considered:

Authenticity:

Components which came on the original craft as well as exact reproduction hardware and engine parts along with well maintained original wood is the highest standard.

Workmanship:

A quality level that is equal to original.

Maintenance:

A completely original vessel may score 100% for authenticity and workmanship; however, there will be points deducted for poor maintenance as described in the judging sheets.

POWERED CLASSES:

RUNABOUT–A boat designed with one (1) or more closed cockpit(s) and the engine(s) under a deck.

LAUNCH–A general purpose open cockpit boat, usually of round bilge design, non-planing hull form.

UTILITY–A general purpose open cockpit boat, normally with the engine mounted under an engine box.

RACER–An inboard or outboard powered boat of planing or semi-planing hull form, designed and used primarily for racing competition.

OUTBOARD BOAT–A boat powered by an outboard motor.

DISPRO–A boat designed for and equipped with a “disappearing propeller” propulsion system.

CRUISER A power–as opposed to sailing—vessel having all of the following features:  a fully-enclosed cabin containing a minimum of 2 full-sized berths, a head in an enclosed stand-up compartment, and a galley which includes running water, an icebox or refrigerator, and cooking facilities.  Note:  Normally, but not always, inboard powered.

COMMUTER–An inboard powered boat designed for speed; primarily built to transport its owner and guests to and from home, to work, with minimal overnight accommodations, if any, and should have an enclosed cabin.

YACHT TENDER–A boat used for carrying supplies and/or passengers to and from a larger vessel.

STEAM/NAPHTHA–A boat with either a steam or naphtha propulsion system.

SAIL BOAT w/ AUX–A sailing vessel with a permanently mounted auxiliary propulsion engine.

WORKBOAT–A vessel whose primary design and function is commercial operations.

NON-POWERED CLASSES:

SAIL w/o AUX–A non-canoe vessel designed for and propelled by sails (note:  may have provision for temporary aux. Power).

SAILING CANOE-DECKED–A canoe designed primarily for sail propulsion and fully decked fore and aft. Normally used for racing.

SAILING CANOE-OPEN–A canoe designed primarily for sail propulsion with no or minimal decking.  Normally used for cruising.

PADDLING CANOE–A canoe designed primarily for paddle propulsion.

ADIRONDACK GUIDEBOAT– An open paddling or rowing boat designed to be carried (portaged), with lightweight hull form and design which evolved in the Adirondack region.

ROWING SKIFF–A nominally double-ended rowing boat whose design evolved from the canoe.

SAILING SKIFF–A nominally double ended sailboat whose design evolved from the canoe.

SCULL–A lightweight, special design rowing craft with sliding seats and having very long and narrow hull with minimal freeboard.  A scull can also be a dingy type boat propelled by a single sculling oar.

ROWBOAT–TENDER, DINGY, SHARPIE, PRAM, DORY, ETC.–A general class encompassing all craft nominally propelled by oars and not elsewhere classified

 

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Preserved Boats:

ACBS defines preserved boats as those containing at least 60% of their original deck and topsides material and is constructed using the same methods and materials as the original.  Bottom replacement is expected in order for the boat to be serviceable but the method of replacement must duplicate the original.  The use of plywood as the inner bottom when not used by the original builder will cause the boat to be classified as restored.

Restored Boats:

For a boat to be considered restored, its owner must, at the request of the judges, provide photographic evidence of the existence of the original identifiable boat and of the various stages of the restoration demonstrating that the original boat was always together as a single entity, sufficiently to be clearly recognizable. At no point should two boats exist – i.e. a pattern boat and the new boat even if the pattern boat is subsequently destroyed. The amount of original wood in a restored boat is not determinative.

Contemporary Boats:

Building a new boat using some wood from an old one will not qualify as a restoration.  Building such a boat using another boat as a pattern or a brand new boat from blue prints would classify it as a contemporary. It would be considered a replica