The Boat Bar: Before, After, and Why It Matters

When we bought the lake house in October 2020, a vintage sailboat came with it. In the house, not the water. It had been cut down, converted into a bar, and installed in the lower-level gathering space. The boat was registered NY 0002 JC. You can still read it right on the hull.

A literal boat bar definitely would not have been my first choice if I were designing a bar from scratch. But somehow, it just works.

The boat bar is perfect. It’s perfect for a lake house. It’s perfect for this lake house. It’s perfect for our lake house.

So perfect that it ended up being the inspiration for our winery’s name.

Its reputation preceded it

Shortly after we closed on the house, I received an email from a county clerk asking whether the boat bar was still in the house.

Then, we heard additional lore from one of our neighbors, who has lived in his home since the early 1970s. When we first met him, he told us how the original owner used to sound an air horn around 5 pm to let everyone know happy hour had started. Neighbors would head over from all around to share drinks around the boat bar.

And last year, when we had water remediation work done on the house, our contractor told us he helped install the wood siding on our home back in the 70s, and he remembered seeing our one-of-a-kind boat bar when it was brand new.

These stories helped us appreciate our good fortune in acquiring this wonderful home with its quirky, memorable boat bar. It had a full history that preceded us, and we’re simply stewards in its journey.

The “why” behind our winery’s name

If you've read our story, you know the boat bar was the inspiration behind our winery’s name, Navinnus Forty Two Cellars.

Navis is the Latin word for ship. Vin comes from vinum, the Latin root for wine. Innus is a nod to bars as a gathering place. Like an inn, it's a welcoming place where people meet up, just as they do around wine throughout the Finger Lakes.

“Forty Two” represents the 42nd parallel, the coordinate for the Finger Lakes. It’s also a nod to the idea that wine is the answer to life, the universe, and everything ;)

Before: A room with a boat

When we moved in, the walls were a deep mustard yellow, and scattered across the bar top were a few decorative odds and ends. We knew the boat bar deserved better.

After: A room with a view

The first change we made was the wall color. We repainted the space white, the same move we made throughout the rest of the house. It opened everything up and made the boat the focal point.

Next, we hung oars on the left wall, mounted on wooden slats, and added the geological survey maps, mounted on roll-down panels behind the bar. These visually striking survey maps of the region tell the story of the glacial geology that created our beautiful, deep lakes.

The juxtaposition of the white walls and warm pastel colors of the maps with the mahogany tones, chrome trim, and curve of the hull allows the boat to be the star of the show.

The boat bar isn't what we would have designed—it's better. It's a gathering place with fifty years of history behind it. And now it's ours.

Here’s to shared history, good wine, and the places where people gather!

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy learning about other updates we’ve made to the lake house.

Thanks for joining us on this journey! Before you leave, don’t forget to subscribe to our blog and also check out our Facebook group, Finger Lakes Food and Wine Adventures.

Cheers from the lake,
Niki and Scott