Annapolis Boat Show

[Rhosyn Mor]

I forgot to mention the free Navy moorings on Weems Creek

[CR Kitten]

You will find the Sailboat Show very worthwhile. Lots to see, learn (good educational seminars), many folks to meet (many southbound cruisers stop here for the show) and great eats if you enjoy crab and rockfish. Don't miss the rockfish....better yet, rockfish topped with crab.

Now for a great time, be there for the last day. Yep, that's Monday. Many of the vendors will offer some great prices on items they do not want to haul back home, something that will get them to a certain quota or just help make their time there a success. You can also have the thrill of seeing the whole shebang broken down. In years past there have been some rather rodeo moves with some very lovely boats as they peel out of the Ego Alley basin as the docks are hauled away. I will never forget the Pardey's sailing out of the narrow channel. They made it look easy.

Many drop the hook on Back Creek. If you find yourself on Spa Creek, don't get plexed if the locals sail through the mooring field and look like they will ram you at 4 to 8 knots. We have felt at risk there sitting in our cockpit but have never been touched by these able sailors. If you are moving about in the area, do keep a sharp eye for some vessels under sail in tight quarters.

If driving, you can find on-street parking over in Eastport. You do have to be careful not to block driveways or fire hydrants. It is a short walk over the bridge to the show.

Leslie
s/v "Tango"
Kent Island, MD

[schoonerdog]

For those of you who end up boating in -- even though the marinas on Back Creek are expanding, don't worry. The holding near the marinas is not very good anyhow and then you get more traffic from water taxis and dinghy's.

There is still plenty of room up the creek and much better holding and protection.

We live aboard here in Annapolis, so if anyone needs any further local advice feel free to drop a line. Funny that folks are planning already!

[teneicm]

Sorry to ressurect a dormant thread, but is there any sort of used boat show that accompanies the official Annapolis show? We'd really like to take a look at some used models since this is undoubtedly what we'll end up purchasing. We're pretty much exclusively interested in Cats. Is the Miami show possibly a better venture for this?

[sck5]

there isnt a used boat show per se but about 50,000 yacht brokers will be there - we got our boat last fall after talking to the listing agent at the show.

[David M]

My wife and I flew across the country last year to see the show, the Naval Academy (one short block from the show) and Washington DC (a taxi ride and a trip on the Metro). It was worth it. We stayed at a hotel a couple miles away which ran a shuttle van to the show, so parking was never a problem.

You can see all the catamarans in one day...easy. We arranged for a demo ride on a Catana 50 for after the show...(spectacular boat). You can arrange with the brokers to do this ahead of time for a lot of boats which get demonstrated after the show. We got to see some boats we had been wanting to see up close for quite some time..

[Vasco]

Since you're flying in rent a car and stay in Baltimore. Lots of good hotels and restaurants and you can get a weekend rate. It's a short drive to Annapolis and you can park in the outskirts and take the shuttle in.

[aboutgone]

don't forget Mc Garvey's on the city dock http://www.mcgarveys.net/

[zombie]

As other folks have mentioned, you can easily see the cats in one day; actually you can see most everything in one day without really hurrying. We always take the shuttle buses in, it's easier to get into and out of the show that way.

A lot of the exhibitors will allow you to keep your shoes on if you have non-marking deck shoes, but some require that everyone take off their shoes.

[Chief Engineer]

Stay in Baltimore....Do the Boat Show one day...The Inner Harbor the next,
Constellation, Torsk, Lightship Chesapeake and the SS John Brown one of the last two OPERATIONAL Liberty Ships, Fort McHenry, Fells Point

[David M]

Last year my wife got to demo a Catana 50. As has already been stated, arrange it ahead of time.

[Tom and Maje]

Who is going? We will be there on Saturday and Sunday. I have a conference and can't get there until then. We are staying at the Sheraton, which has a shuttle to the show.

Maje

[PVAurochs]

NotJustDreaming,

I did the same thing at the 1994 Annapolis Boat Show that you are planning to do this year. After looking at all of the cats my head was spinning. I sought out Charles (Chuck) Kanter, a well known multihuller whose book I had read, and was able to get a few moments of his time. Chuck's wife wrote the KISS Cookbook and they are always at the show selling her book in one of the booths. I asked Chuck one question, "If you were going to buy a cat to sail the east coast of the US and Latin America and the Islands, which one would you buy?" He quickly recommended the brand I had been most attracted to (and also the one my wife picked out as her favorite) but recommended an older model rather than the new one. Well, that recommendation fit right into my budget because I was really just dreaming about buying a new boat. I looked for used ones up and down the east coast, drove down to Florida looking along the way at the four I found for sale and bought one. My wife and I have been happy as clams at high tide ever since!

I recommend you seek out Chuck and see what he is thinking these days.

Tom

[speciald@ocens.]

I've found that people expect smaller crowds on Thursday because of the price, but then they go and increase the crowd. Friday and Monday have the smallest crowds - avoid the weekend as the non-boaters show up and fill the docks. Monday has the best deals on stuff that is left-over. You can often get a ride on a boat after the show if you show serious interest. I've had two boats in the show, stayed on property during the show and got to go to all the post-closure parties. This year our boat, that is for sale, on a private dock on Spa Creek so the broker can show it.