John Allen of Naples, Florida stands in his 1923 Fay & Bowen Launch Rusticator, which won top honors at the 32nd Annual Les Cheneaux Islands Antique Wooden Boat Show Saturday, August 8. The 30-foot-long boat also won first place in the Launch class. One man, three boats, four awards, and for the second straight year, a John Allen boat has won the top award at the annual Les Cheneaux boat show.

Mr. Allen, an antique boat collector from Naples, Florida, brought three boats to the 2009 Les Cheneaux Islands Antique Wooden Boat Show Saturday, August 8; Chief Mackinac, the 32-foot 1937 Consolidated launch that won best of show last year; Honey Don't, a 26-foot 1928 Dodge Watercraft runabout, and Rusticator, a 30- foot 1923 Fay and Bowen launch. Rusticator earned this year's top honor for best of show, as voted by judges from the Antique and Classic Boat Society (ACBS).

What's more, Honey Don't was recognized by the judges to receive the Doris Heuck Abnee Award for the best of show runner-up. Both Rusticator and Honey Don't won first place in their respective classes, launch and over-24- foot runabout.

Bob Flint of Elk Rapids wrings out a drying cloth off the port bow of his 16-foot, 1941 Chris Craft runabout Awesome. Show-goers walked through the rain until noon to view the 144 classic boats in the show at Hessel Marina. "They're judged on how original is the boat and how true to original specifications the restoration of the boat is," Mr. Allen said.

Chief Mackinac returned to the show this year as a featured boat and was not a contender for an award. It won best of show in 2004 and 2008.

Mr. Allen's boats are professionally restored right down to the last detail. The 86-year-old Rusticator was restored by Antique Boat Restoration of Clayton, New York, starting in 2006. The restoration is so authentic that it even includes the gold-painted arrow carved on the entire length of both sides of its white hull to designate it as a Fay and Bowen flagship launch. It truly is a rarity, he said.

Bruce Ball of Cedarville pauses to have lunch in his 30-foot replica 1930 Hackercraft launch Benchar during the 2009 Les Cheneaux Islands Antique Wooden Boat Show and Festival of the Arts Saturday, August 8. "I know of two other Fay and Bowen's that are currently in the water," he said. "I don't know how many other Fay and Bowen golden

arrows are currently in the water

and running. It's

very rare and

unusual."

Inside, the boat houses the original, fully-restored, 500-cubic-inch 50-horsepower engine, and the deck is the only part of the boat that is not original wood.

One week prior to the Les Cheneaux show at the Hessel Marina, Rusticator won best of show, best launch, and people's choice at the 2009 Antique Boat Show and Auction in Clayton, New York. It also received perfect marks in a 100- point ACBS inspection, earning it the title of Best Preserved Antique Boat of the Year at that show.

"I think the judges recognize it for being a very unique and very well preserved boat that has stayed true to the ACBS standards for preserved restorations," he said.

The boat spent the first 84 years of its life on the waters near Castine, Maine, before coming into Mr. Allen's possession.

A collector, Mr. Allen has 15 classic and antique boats, including this year's best of show runner-up Honey Don't, which was recently restored by Classic and Antique Boats in Hessel. Work on the boat was completed the week of the show, allowing Mr. Allen only a quick few days to look it over before the show. He said the restoration crew did a great job.

Mr. Allen, who has been coming to the show at Les Cheneaux since 2004, said he enjoys coming back year after year, and rates it as one of the top antique and classic boat shows in the country. Of the six years he has exhibited boats at Les Cheneaux, this year marks the third time he has won the show's top honor.

"This show," he said, "has such a very special flavor. I think the top 20 boats here are as good as, if not better, than boats in any of the other shows in the United States. I don't think that, boat-for-boat, they've got the quality of preservation that the boats here have. Overall, you can see more well-preserved and very interesting boats here than you'll see at any boat show in America. It's my personal favorite because of the venue, location, and the wide scope of the different boats that are here."

2009 Winners By Class

Best of Show: Rusticator, 1923 Fay & Bowen, 30-feet, John Allen, Gull Lake, Minnesota.

Doris Heuck Abnee Award (Best of Show Runner-up): Honey Don't, 1928 Dodge Watercraft, 26-foot, John Allen, Gull Lake, Minnesota.

Hagerty Insurance Award (Best of Show Second Runner-up): Dolly Durkin, 2009, 29 feet, Peter Breen, Muskola, Ontario.

Jim Bohn People's Choice Award: Polly Ann, 1922 Hackercraft, 22 feet, Berghausen and Bickhart Families, Cedarville.

Mertaugh Boat Works Best Chris Craft Award: Easy Daisy, 1950 Chris Craft, 19 feet, Mark and Laura White, Torch Lake.

Carl Maumquist Award Best Boat Name: Blue-By-You, 1941 Chris Craft, 22 feet, Arrand Family, Cadillac.

Arnie Horween, Jr. Memorial Skippers Choice Award: Pastime, 1957 Chris Craft, 26 feet, Joe and Jeff Martines, Gladwin.

Frank Bronson Award for Best Non-professional Restoration: Bess, 1917 Evinrude, 16 feet, Greg and Lori Schmidt, Greenville, Ohio.

Class 1 Runabout 16 feet and under: Perfect Match, 1941 Chris Craft, 16 foot, Don and Bonnie Bergman, Lake Tomahawk, Wisconsin.

Class 2 Runabout 17 to 18 feet: ALFA, 1937 Ventnor, 18 feet, Michael Taggert, Higgins Lake.

Class 3 Runabout 19 to 20 feet: Lady El, 1939 Earl Barnes design, 19.5 feet, Mark and Gail Andreae, Mullett Lake.

Class 4 Runabout 21 to 24 feet: Wood 'N' Peg, 1928 Chris Craft, 24 feet, Wilbert Hamstra, Charlevoix.

Class 5 Runabout over 24 feet: Honey Don't, 1928 Dodge Watercraft, 26 foot, John Allen, Gull Lake, Minnesota.

Class 6 Utility 17 feet and under: Lucille, 1938 Chris Craft, 17 foot, Richard and Lucille Weaire, Hessel.

Class 7 Utility 18 to 20 feet: Lily, 1952 Chris Craft, 18 foot, Chad and Andrea Durren, Three Rivers.

Class 8 Utility 21 to 24 feet: Pretty Girl, 1954 Chris Craft, 22 foot, Mike and Colleen Hamberg, Les Cheneaux.

Class 9 Utility: Unnamed, 1959 Century, 21 feet, Mark and Deb Leonard, Port Sheldon.

Class 11 Lapstrake Skiff: Herman I, 1934 Lyman, 18 feet, Theodore Haapala, Cedarville.

Class 12 Outboard: Mr. C, 1959 Lyman, 17 foot, John Hendricks, Redford.

Class 13 Launch: Rusticator, 1923 Fay & Bowen, 30 feet, John Allen, Gull Lake, Minnesota.

Class 14 Sailboat: Unnamed, 1950 Slipper No. 61, 12 feet, Tim Wood, Marquette.

Class 15 Cruiser (pre 1968): Elegante, 1964 Whiticar, 63 feet, Wilbert Hamstra, Charlevoix.

Class 16 Canoe/Dinghy: Trios Plumes, 1915 Ted Shea design, 16 feet, Ken and Mary Kelly, Twin Lakes.

Class 17 Wooden Replica: Dolly Durkin, 2009, 29 feet, Peter Breen, Muskola, Ontario.

Featured Boats: Antiki, 1906 Truscott, 21 feet, Kip and Jean Horsburgh, Les Cheneaux; Chief Mackinac, 1937 Consolidated, 32 feet, John Allen, Gull Lake, Minnesota.