Boat Museum auction to feature vintage boats, cars, and then there's the 'BBQ Boat'

WOLFEBORO — At the Vintage Boat and Car Auction sponsored next month by New Hampshire Boat Museum, bidders will have the opportunity to win everything from vintage cars to fiberglass boats, sailboats, canoes, and other memorabilia.

The auction will begin on Saturday, July 13, at 10 a.m. at The Nick Recreational Center in Wolfeboro. Admission is free.

Previews of auction items will be offered on Friday, July 12, from noon to 5 p.m. and on Saturday morning prior to the auction.

“This year, we’re moving to a venue across the street from the museum to The Nick Recreational Center,” said Executive Director Martha Cummings. “We will have better parking for attendees, more seating, and more space for auction items, boats, cars, and ‘boating-mobilia.’”

Those who attend the auction will have the chance to bid on some items they might expect to find at such an auction — and some things they might not expect to find anywhere.

One item sure to make the paddles fly is a lovingly restored 1952 Chris Craft Special Runabout. The 17-foot, 2-inch boat has a new bottom, last in the water in 2017, and a period-correct Chris Craft six-cylinder engine in excellent condition. All hardware has been rechromed, and the wood has been treated to 12 coats of varnish.

Want to run with the wooden boats without breaking the bank? There’s another option, a 2008 James Craft Runabout Replica, 16-feet long and with a 25-horsepower Mercury engine.

For paddlers, there’s a a 17-foot 1932 Old Town canoe, and a wooden dory named “The Wild Thing.”

Or perhaps you don’t want to have to pick between boating and grilling. The “BBQ Boat” is a fiberglass doughnut built around a grill. An electric trolling motor keeps the party moving at 2.5 miles per hour, while up to 10 adults can lounge around a table with enough plate- and beverage-holders for all of them. Compartments beneath the seats store supplies and enough batteries to keep the motor running for eight hours.

Net proceeds from the event support educational programs and other initiatives at the New Hampshire Boat Museum, which opens for the season on June 29.

“This is a big year for us, as we continue to raise funds for our Capital Campaign for a new museum building,” added Cummings. “Auction-goers can learn more about the land we have already purchased for it at the event and where we are going as an educational and experiential-learning organization.”

The auction will feature boats, vintage boating memorabilia, vintage cars, vintage car memorabilia and maritime antiques. Donations and consignments are welcome, with a deadline of July 5 for consideration, with no exceptions.

To learn more about the event, or offer a car, boat or item for the raffle, visit nhbm.org.

Founded in 1992 by vintage boating enthusiasts, the museum offers an understanding of, and appreciation for, the boating heritage of New Hampshire’s fresh waterways.