Organizers encourage boat owners to register soon
By Barb Pert Templeton
For those who look out on the St. Clair River in Algonac on the first Sunday in July, an impressive parade of antique boats carrying a longtime history of the area will be floating right by.
The Algonac-Clay Township Historical Society (ACHS), annual “Brian Cuthbertson Memorial Antique & Classic Boat Parade is set for Sunday, July 7 at 10 a.m.
This year, there are some changes that organizers hope will expand the opportunity for local folks to view the beautiful vessels as they make their way along the St. Clair River. Registration for boat owners to take part in the parade ends on Sunday, June 30th.
“Our parade is being expanded to include mainland North Channel residences from the Pearl Beach Pier at Lega’s through to the ACHS Community Museum at the end of the Algonac Riverfront Park,” Organizer Ernest Mink III wrote in an email. “This new focus is an effort to support the community in their celebration of the town’s marine heritage.”
Parade vessels must be built 25 years before the current year (for this year, all vessels built by
1999), and all contemporary boats that are replicas of vessels built more than 25 years ago.
The hope is that mainland North Channel residents will come out to the end of their docks to support the parade. For the rest of the community, Mink said the best public viewing is at the Algonac Riverfront Park where they will experience both the Classic Car Show (also held that day), along with the antique boats going by.
“As each captain registers for the parade, they are assigned a parade position number; so the earlier they register the greater the opportunity to be in the parade front,” Mink said.
Boat participation is free but captains are required to read and adhere to parade rules. Captains will display their parade number on their windshield for spectators to reference once they download the list of boats participating in the parade.
Blue Water Healthy Living caught up with this year’s boat parade organizer Ernest Mink III to pose a few questions about the event.
Blue Water Healthy Living: How long has the ACHS been hosting this event?
Ern Mink: The event started after the mid 70’s, once the Algonac Urban renewal was completed which resulted in the Algonac Riverfront Park. Bud Adkins (Algonac) was having one of his annual parties with his antique boat buddies all tied up on his canal, and some 25 of them decided to “Buzz” the waterfront park; a spontaneous event was born into a tradition. The event was adapted into Michigan ACBS Boat Show and later the Algonac Lion’s Pickerel Festival held on the 4th of July weekend. Once chartered as a 501.c charity in 2013, ACHS took an active role in coordinating the event for the Lions.
BWHL: What exactly goes on? Is there a picnic or something social before the parade?
Mink: Boat Owners register before the event and are assigned a position number. They display this number on their port-side windshield so that the Announcers, George Burgess and Bob Finn, can identify and broadcast details of the boats over the loudspeakers as they pass along the park boardwalk. This year the boats meet at 10:00 a.m. downstream in the North Channel at the Pearl Beach Pier at Lega’s and make their way along the mainland residence to the park. They will reach the park approximately 11:00 a.m. After the parade, many of the boat participants will rendezvous over to the Port-O-Call Restaurant at the Algonac Harbor Club.
BWHL: How many boats are usually registered for the event?
Mink: So far sixteen (16) Boats have been registered. Last year’s parade had 26 boats. ACHS is expecting more than double of last year’s because of ambitious publicity as well as much easier online registration.
BWHL: Is it hosted the same weekend in July each year?
Mink: Yes, past years have set the event on the 4th of July Saturday but this year’s occur on Sunday morning concurrent with the Classic Car Show, also at the Riverfront Park.
BWHL: Can you tell me a little about Brian Cuthbertson and his past involvement in this event?
Mink: Brian Cuthbertson is a legacy Algonac craftsman in the industry of Antique Boats. His Uncle Tom Cuthbertson built new “Cuthbertsons” and restored all makes of wood boats in Pearl Beach Michigan. Brian’s father, Andy, set up a marine mechanical shop next store and then Brian became renowned for his pragmatic approach to mechanical boat maintenance and repair. Local antique boat owners have felt the loss of Brian, as he was to go-to-guy for all things old boats. Brian was an active member of the ACHS, and was George Burgess’s right-hand-man when it came time to organizing this event. After Brian’s death in 2023, the ACHS decided to memorialize his name by retitling the event, “The Brian Cuthbertson Memorial Antique & Classic Boat Parade.” Brian was also a dear friend of mine, and I naturally fell into this special aspect of Brian’s many positions and duties.
BWHL: Who can participate in this event? Do they have to belong to ACHS?
Mink: Anyone who can operate their vessel legally, and agrees to commit to parade rules as listed on the website, can register to be in the parade. ACHS is committed to sponsoring a fun yet safe event. Captains are to commit to following the previous position boat at a distance of at least 100 feet and stay in parade formation.
BWHL: What about the boats – is there a certain year the vessel must have been built or?
Mink: Parade vessel must be built 25 years before the current year (for this year, all vessels built by 1999, and all contemporary boats that are replicas of vessels built more than 25 years ago.
BWHL: How long have you been taking part in the event?
Mink: I have been participating in both local boat parades since restoring my boat after 2018; “The Pete Henkel Memorial Classic Boat Parade,” held Labor Day weekend on Harsens Island and of course, the Algonac parade held on the July 4th weekend. I am a member of the ACHS and volunteer as a Docent at the maritime Museum. I started last year to help ACHS Director, George Burgess, with organizing this event which he has performed for decades.
BWHL: What do you enjoy about being part of this event each year?
Mink: All historic boat owners, whether conscience of it or not, like to preserve the history behind our obsession. Remembering key figures that grew this industry is part of our DNA, especially when those past legacies were known to us as friends.
The website, achsboatparade.org, provides more information, including parade route, online boat registration, parade rules, and a list of the boats participating.
