2007 'Dispro' Regatta By FLC member Anna Miller

How many FLC members are aware that there's a boat club known as the Disappearing Propeller (Dispro) Boat Association? It's true! Many of its members are also members of ACBS. Shirley Marsden, secretary of our chapter, is a proud owner of a Dispro named Cuthbert which was displayed at our show in Skaneateles this past summer, as well as at the Antique Boat Museum's show in Clayton last August. Shirley's son, Bruce Marsden, also a member of FLC, is another proud Dispro owner. Attending the September 2007 Dispro (casually known as "Dippy") Regatta, an annual event, was quite an experience for FLC members Teddi & Bob Myllymaki and Anna & Jack Miller. Their hosts for the weekend, Shirley and Bruce, were seasoned attendees at the event which, this year, attracted 48 boats.

Our trek took us a couple of hours north of Toronto, Canada to Lake Joseph, one of the 1600 beautiful lakes in the Muskoka District, for this year's regatta. The event was housed at the camp of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind in a very picturesque setting on the shore of Lake Joseph. When in camp, meals were served in the lodge's main dining room where we met other attendees on Friday evening. For Shirley and Bruce it was a time for reuniting with friends.

Saturday morning following breakfast, we picked up bag lunches prepared by the camp's staff, and readied for the day's cruise in Bruce's dispro, Scout. Departure was scheduled for 8:59 sharp! Heading toward the southern end of the lake, the scenery was beautiful including the numerous homes and boathouses along the way. At the home of Bill Gray, a friend of one of the group's members, we stopped for a picnic lunch and enjoyed a tour of his beautiful place. Built by his grandfather in 1894, it is one of the oldest on the lake and has remained in the family ever since.

Then, it was on to visit a lovely historic chapel on the lakeshore where we were entertained with an organ recital by Paul Gockel, a member of the Dispro group. After a leisurely cruise back to camp, we arrived in time for a reception followed by dinner. Later on, a campfire and "s'mores" rounded out the evening's activities.

Following breakfast on Sunday morning, we prepared for a cruise (another 8:59 sharp departure!) to the northern part of Lake Joseph. And again, the scenery was breathtaking. Upon returning, it was time to pack up, retrieve Scout, and head home.

It was certainly an unforgettable weekend -- one I'm sure we'll enjoy reminiscing about for years to come!

For readers who may not be familiar with disappearing-propeller boats, they were manufactured in Ontario, Canada from the early part of the 20th century until the 1950s. They were made possible by the development of light-weight gasoline engines, and the perfection of an ingenious device that gives the boat its name -- the disappearing propeller.

<for more information on the disappearing-propeller boats ,visit their site at http:/www.dippy.ca>

Many thanks to Anna Miller for sharing her initiation into the world of Dippys. -Ed.