The show season kicks off on the banks of the Chesapeake

Commerce has a funny way of shaping history. And so it was back in 1780 when the port city of Baltimore was made an official port of entry to the young American colonies, an event which precipitated the decline of Anne Arundel’s Towne, today known as Annapolis. The reason was simple: deeper water in Baltimore Harbor meant bigger ships could enter. But that also meant that Annapolis would develop less industrial trades and concentrate more on water trades such as oyster packing, sail making, boat building and the like. As such, Annapolis was spared the industrial blight that plagues her cousin city to the north and has remained a mellow, picturesque little city nestled along the water’s edge of the Chesapeake Bay where boats and yachts are the way of it. But once a year for the past 40 years, that mellowness is replaced with a beehive of activity as the Annapolis Boat Shows take over the waterfront. This year the city celebrates the 42nd Annual Sailboat Show, October 6-10, followed by the 40th Annual Powerboat Show, October 13-16.
On the power side of things, this year you’ll find an expanded “Trawler Port,” sporting some of the most respected names in the business at lengths up to 80 feet. You’ll also notice a growing pontoon boat section plus all the other boat builders and vendors that have made this event one of the premiere Atlantic Coast boat shows for two score years. In addition to the boats and gear, you’ll find related services such as boating lessons, rentals, insurance firms and lending institutions.
If your inclination is to hank on a halyard rather than push on a throttle, the sailboat show is a not-to-be-missed opportunity. For the first time in 42 years, the government of South Africa—a place not so well-known in the States for its top-notch boat builders and sailors—has taken the lead in promoting their boatwrights and will be there with four of their hottest offerings, all multihulls, ranging in size from 45 to 60 feet. In fact, this year’s show has an expanded catamaran section and, after a company re-launch, Bavaria Yachts will be tied to the docks as well.
Both shows offer seminars, plus the “Take the Wheel” interactive workshops with class sessions in the morning then hands-on boating in the afternoon. And there’s even Grand Prize drawings: a one-week charter in the British Virgin Islands. For the power crowd it’s provided by Moorings Charters; for the sailors it is provided by Sunsail, and both include airfare sponsored by the BVI Tourism Board.
And while you’re there, the early fall is a wonderful time of year to enjoy a stroll around one of the country’s prettiest and most historic port towns. Annapolis is home to the U.S. Naval Academy, as well as a generous offering of shops and restaurants, all eager to show you why these first two boat shows of the new season should be on everyone’s list of shows to attend.