NH Boat Museum to host Academy Award-winning writer of 'On Golden Pond'

MOULTONBOROUGH — On Wednesday, July 22, the New Hampshire Boat Museum will host Ernest Thompson, Academy Award-winning writer of "On Golden Pond," as part of its popular Hulls and Hops Speaker Series, sponsored by Notch Brewing.

The event, however, is not merely about Thompson’s 50-year career, 10 movies, 35 plays, two novels, and 300 songs, as he himself noted, “It always begins with the boat,” a concept that will take center stage when he visits NHBM.

“I'll talk a little bit about my background, how I got connected with the boat museum, primarily because of my movie, 'On Golden Pond,' and how boats still play a big part in stories that I write,” Thompson explained.

In the film, which was released in 1981 and starred Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn, and Jane Fonda, a Chris-Craft (boat) played a key role.

“One of the four used in the original will be back in the sequel — and boats, large and small, are integral parts of my novel 'Out Clause,'” added Thompson.

Published in May 2026, "Out Clause" is a literary thriller whose many characters and plotlines include a man whose unsuccessful marriage leads him to "Out Clause," an organization that arranges new lives for people who might need one. His story begins in a fictional Central American country, complete with a tiny sailboat meant to reconnect him with the simplicity of his boyhood love of sailing. Another watercraft that plays a significant role in the novel is the "Out Clause" founder’s 200-foot yacht that features a helipad and a morgue, elements that connect with Thompson’s own passion for boats of all types and sizes.

“As a storyteller, there’s something about being on the water that I find not only familiar and soothing and inspiring but wildly conducive to embracing the creative process,” Thompson said.

His familiarity with water began on Great Pond in Maine’s Belgrade Lakes on a plot of land his grandfather bought in 1908 (and his family still owns).

“So every summer that's where I would go,” Thompson said. “I think I literally could swim before I could walk — I have a photo of myself at seven months sitting in the water at Great Pond, so it's in my blood.”

While at NHBM, Thompson plans to share these and other stories, including memories related to boats his family had when he was a boy. He described these boats as “slightly less elegant than the famous Chris-Crafts and expensive wooden boats.”

While his stories may begin with boats, he will not stop there in his talk at NHBM.

“I've had the honor — in most cases, in some, let us say, the challenge — of having worked with 30 fellow Oscar winners or nominees, and people want to know about those folks, too,” Thompson said. “I've got stories to tell.”

Hulls and Hops Speaker Series with Academy Award–winning writer Ernest Thompson takes place on Wednesday, July 22, from 7 to 9 p.m., at NHBM’s Moultonborough campus. Amoskeag Beverages is the series season sponsor, with Notch Brewing the featured brewer for this event.

To learn more or purchase tickets, visit nhbm.org.