Syracuse.com - Country music star Alan Jackson donates classic wooden boat to Clayton museum

[HuntingNY-News]

Located on the St. Lawrence River in the 1000 Islands, the Antique Boat Museum features a collection of over 300 antique and classic boats, among thousands of recreational boating artifacts.

One of country music's biggest stars has donated a 29-foot, classic wooden boat to the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton.

Alan Jackson, a multi-platinum recording and three-time country music Entertainer of the Year, has given the museum his 1955 Chris-Craft Semi-Enclosed. The boat's name is Flat Top.

The boat has been restored to pristine condition, both inside and out.Courtesy of Antique Boat Museum 

"The museum is grateful for Mr. Jackson's gift of this remarkable boat, and for his continuing dedication to America's boating history," explained Emmett Smith, the musuem's curator. "Mr. Jackson has been a leader in restoring some of these classics and it is astonishing to see them appreciated by a musician who operates at the highest level of contemporary popular culture."

Located on the St. Lawrence River in the 1000 Islands, the Antique Boat Museum features a collection of over 300 antique and classic boats, among thousands of recreational boating artifacts.

The boat was named in reference to the flat top steel-string acoustic guitars commonly used by Jackson. It is just one of 36 of these boats built by Chris-Craft, said Michael Folsom, director of marketing and communications for the museum.

The boat was used and stored on Lake Chautauqua, located in western New York, by its original owner. In 2002, Jackson purchased the boat in poor condition and transported it to Tennessee to undergo extensive restoration work.

Today, Flat Top now features pristine woodwork and artistry, both interior and exterior, while retaining its original look. Folsom said.

Jackson has been a long-time wooden boat enthusiast, Folsom said, and has visited the Antique Boat Museum in the past. In 2009, he attended the annual Antique Boat Show and Auction in Clayton. That year, Jackson cruised the St. Lawrence with friends aboard his yacht, Neon Rainbow, which he docked at the museum.

Jackson is the voice of 35 No. 1 hit songs -- and counting, according to countrymusic.com. Top tunes include "Chattahoochee, " " It's Five O'Clock Somewhere (with Jimmy Buffett)", "Itty Bitty," "Don't Rock the Jukebox," "Remember When" and "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)."

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog