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Episode features Boathouse Marineworks, vintage boat own by local woman

 

LANDRUM—In May, the reality show Barnwood Builders recorded an episode in Lake Lure and Lake Lanier. The episode aired on August 8 and featured local watercraft restorer Jeff “Nemo” Buckley and the vintage 1961 boat owned by Tryon business owner Fran Garside. 

The show has been on for 19 seasons and follows Mark Bowe and his team based in West Virginia. They use repurposed wood to create modern homes, giving older structures and buildings new life while sharing the inspiring stories and histories behind them.

The episode “History Has a Future” begins with Bowe and his crew returning to one of their earlier projects: restoring the historic Russell Fort in Lake Lure, built in 1774. Previously located east of town, the team disassembled, restored, and reassembled the fort near the lake’s shore on Gentle Winds Lane and returned to build an adjacent garage for this episode.

In the second half of the episode, they visited  Landrum and the shop of retired USAF Colonel Jeff “Nemo” Buckley. Located on Belue Mill Rd., Boathouse Marineworks & Performance specializes in preserving, restoring, and maximizing vintage boats’ performance. 

In addition to restoring vintage watercrafts, Buckley is the Chairman of the American Power Boat Association’s Vintage and Historic Division. He believes the history of the boats, the owners, and the families that brought them into existence makes the sport unique and needs to be preserved for future generations. 

“Every boat has a unique history, and I love capturing that history,” says Buckley. 

Bowe spent time in Buckley’s shop, praising the craftsmanship and care put into restoring and preserving the classic boats. One of the boats highlighted belongs to business owner Fran Garside, owner of Down to Earth Home & Garden in Tryon at 1080 N. Trade St. and a resident of Lake Lanier. 

The boat, nicknamed “Blue Moon,” is a vintage 1961 Chris Craft ski boat that Buckley wholly restored for Garside. The ship holds a deep emotional connection for Fran, as it did for her late husband, Gary, whose father once had the same model. 

After her husband’s death, Fran decided to have the boat restored and asked Buckley to do the job. 

“Jeff did a fantastic job with the boat and even found the last gallon of white paint to match the original,” Garside says. “There are so many coincidences with this boat and my home on Lanier, from how we came to own the house to the fact we had named the house ‘Once on a Blue Moon,’ and the name of the boat was ‘Blue Moon.’ And they even filmed the episode on the anniversary of my husband’s passing.” 

The episode featuring the restoration story can be streamed on Amazon and Discovery.