Hagerty Announces Its 2012 Classic Marine Hall of Fame Inductees
4th Annual Class Includes Ken MacStephen, Tony Mollica and the Antique Boat Museum
The 2012 inductees into the Hagerty Classic Marine Hall of Fame were announced at the ACBS International Meeting in Table Rock Lake, Mo. Founded in 2009, the Hall of Fame pays tribute to individuals and organizations that have significantly contributed to the preservation and awareness of the classic boating lifestyle. This year’s inductees include author Tony Mollica, ACBS Toronto co-founder Ken MacStephen and the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton, N.Y.
“The influence that the 2012 inductees have had on the hobby is remarkable, and each has displayed their passion for classic boats in their own, unique way,” said Hagerty Classic Marine Insurance founder Louise Hagerty. “Tony Mollica shares his love for antique boats through his writing, Ken MacStephen brought Canadian wooden-boat enthusiasts together, and the Antique Boat Museum offers a place to showcase the beauty and history of classic boats.”
A brief biography on each of the inductees is below.
Ken MacStephen
Ken MacStephen grew up on a farm in Canada but gravitated toward the local marina on Lake Ontario’s Picton Bay, where boat races fueled his fascination for wooden vessels of all kinds. That was the extent of his involvement until his brother-in-law, the late Don Thomas, invited him to go to a boat show. MacStephen had so much fun that he threw out a suggestion that changed his life: “Why don’t we do this in Toronto?”
Before long, MacStephen and friends did just that, forming the ACBS Toronto Chapter in 1980. A year after the Toronto Chapter was formed, MacStephen finally acquired his first boat, a 1911 W.H. Mullins Launch.
“I’ve been around a bit,” the 71-year-old MacStephen said of his involvement in the classic wooden boat community. “I’ve been fortunate to meet a lot of people, make a lot of friends and see a lot of beautiful places. Receiving recognition for doing something you enjoy – that’s a bonus.”
Tony Mollica
Tony Mollica has been hooked on classic boats since age 6, when a friend took his family for a ride on a 1938 Chris-Craft. In the years to follow, Mollica grew more engaged and intertwined in the hobby, becoming co-founder of the Gar Wood Society, serving as an Antique Boat Museum trustee and eventually authoring 11 books about classic wooden boats.
“More than anything else, it has been my strong desire to share the information I’ve found,” Mollica said. “Whether it’s through books, the museum or face to face, I want to make it available to anyone who can use it.”
Antique Boat Museum
How do you become North America’s premier freshwater nautical museum? One day, one step, one boat at a time – along with a heavy dose of like-minded and equally motivated people. That’s the story of the Antique Boat Museum, which in the nearly 50 years since it opened has become a must-see destination for anyone who loves the beauty and history of wooden boats.
Not coincidentally, the museum, founded in 1965 and located on the St. Lawrence River in Clayton, N.Y., is now one of the newest members of the Hagerty Classic Marine Hall of Fame.
“We’re very proud of what the Antique Boat Museum has become, and we’re extremely honored to be part of the Hall of Fame,” said Fritz Hager, who had been an ABM board member for 22 years prior to recently being named Executive Director. “The interest in it has been overwhelming. And it couldn’t have happened without a lot of great people.”
