There are two big boat shows coming up this fall in the Chesapeake region: Baltimore Trawlerfest and the Annapolis Powerboat Show. Let's get a sneak peek.
Baltimore Trawlerfest
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Trawlerfest, three weekends of in-water boat shows around the country celebrating the cruising lifestyle.
Dates: September 22-26, In-Water Boat Show Thursday-Saturday
Location: Harbor East Marina in Baltimore, MD
Ticket Packages and Add-Ons:
- 1 Day – $200
- 3 Day VIP – $525
- 5 Day VIP – $675
- Maritime Medical: Hands-on Suture and Splinting – $195
- Boat Handling On-the-Water Training – $250
- Thursday Cocktail Reception – $45
- Boat Show Only Ticket (one day) – $20
Why Attend?
Cruising looks different at every stage of the journey, and Trawlerfest is designed with five distinct kinds of cruisers in mind.
The Dreamer: You’ve watched the YouTube channels, priced the boats, maybe chartered a week in the islands. Trawlerfest is where “someday” becomes a route, a budget, and a shortlist—from people who did it themselves. Start with Trawler Buying 101, walk 30-plus boats at the dock, and leave with a real plan.
The Buyer: Shortlist in hand, surveyor lined up. Sit with brokers, financiers, and marine lenders in one place. Sea-trial candidates. Get the hard answers on insurance, documentation, and survey gotchas before you write the check.
The Coastal Cruiser: You own the boat, you want more out of her. Attend upgrade sessions on electronics, ground tackle, and stabilization; destination talks for the Pacific Northwest, Chesapeake, New England, and Gulf Coast; and honest gear shootouts you won’t find in a magazine.
The Great Looper: Attend route planning sessions with Gold Loopers; AGLCA sessions on locks, bridges, fuel stops, and anchorages; learn tips for packing and provisioning for the long haul; and explore a whole dock’s worth of Loop-proven boats.
The Liveaboard/Long-Range: Deep-dive tracks for the serious passagemaker: stabilizers, watermakers, power management, Starlink and Iridium, offshore planning, refit stories. Walk Nordhavn, Krogen, Grand Banks, and Marlow in the same afternoon.
No matter what “type” you are, Trawlerfest is designed so that each cruiser walks away with exactly what they came for.
Answers to FAQs:
Your seminar ticket grants you full access to the boat show. Since the show is open Thursday through Saturday, simply present your digital or printed seminar confirmation at the gate on those days for entry.
The VIP Pass includes access to all seminars on your selected dates and entry to all after-hours events. Please note that select specialty seminars are not included in the VIP package and require an additional fee; these are clearly noted in the event schedule.
Pets are not permitted inside the seminar classrooms, but well-behaved pets are welcome to the boat show. For safety and maintenance reasons, pets are not permitted to board the vessels.
Sample Seminar Schedule:
- PNW Marine Weather
- Steel and Aluminum Trawlers
- Marine Electrical Basics
- Working with a Marine Surveyor
- Maneuvering and Docking Strategies
- The Great Loop: Planning Your Route
Visit trawlerfest.passagemaker.com for the official updated list of seminars and to purchase tickets.
Annapolis Powerboat Show
This is the big one, boaters, and we can’t wait to welcome you back to Annapolis! The show might look a little different this year (see ‘new layout’ to the right) but we promise it’s the same great event you’ve come to know and love. We will share even more details in PropTalk’s October issue, including a feature on new boats and products, but for now, here’s a sneak peek.
Dates: October 8-11
Times: 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and until 5 p.m. on Sunday
Location: City Dock, Annapolis
Tickets:
- General Admission (Adults) – $32
- General Admission (Children 7-15) – $10
- Children 6 and Under – Free
- Military Personnel Day (Sunday, Oct. 11) – $22
- Preview Day (Thursday, Oct. 8) – $45
- Preview Day (Thursday, Oct. 8) and General Admission Combo: $72
- Two Day General Admission Combo: $59
Box Office is located at Dock St., Exit bus at 2nd stop.
Show Highlights:
More than 350 boats will line the docks.
Back by popular demand, the Brokerage Dock returns outside Dock D with a selection of preloved boats for buyers who want proven performance at a competitive price point.
Be the first to climb aboard new and premiering boats, including the Askari 65 (making its world premiere in Annapolis), Aspen C110, Hunt 56, Omikron OT-60, Skamander by Parker Poland 920 Max Explorer, Skamander by Parker Poland Sorrento 100, Bayliner V22, Sportsman Heritage 251, Stoner Boatworks 23, and the Tiara Yachts 35LS.
At the PropTalk Demo Dock, located at Dock K, qualified buyers can sea-trial a selection of boats during the show, and even check out some new products, including: Aspen Carbon Cat Tender, Aspen Power Catamarans C120, Grady-White 180, Ingenity 23e, Scout 215 XSF, Stoner Boatworks 23, Seakeeper and Seakeeper Ride, and the Boatcamp Bow Bunk (the world’s first complete overnight sleep system for center console boats).
Learn from the pros by attending a free seminar located in the Yacht Basin or jump in feet first with a hands-on, on-the-water course with BoatUS On-Water Training (registration includes admission to the boat show).
When it’s time to take a break, head to the No Wake Zone in Yacht Basin, where Pherm Brewing will pour its Boat Show Brew alongside other regionally brewed beers, joined by a bar from Latitude 38 and mixers from Gray Wolf and Cane.
The Kids Corner, run by the Coastal Conservation Association of Maryland, keeps young attendees busy with boatbuilding, Bay-themed coloring and crafts, casting competitions, and cornhole. Keep an eye out for Dockside Ducks, too: kids who find one of the rubber ducks hidden around the show can turn it in at the show office, information booth, or ticket booth for a prize, and they get to keep the duck. Limit one per attendee.
New Layout
In order to accommodate the ongoing City Dock project, the show has a new layout this year. Tents have moved, expanded, and reoriented, and four new bars will anchor social spaces throughout the show. The show is now in its 54th year, so we promise you can expect the same great event, just with a fresh footprint. Also, PropTalk/FishTalk will be in a brand-new location this year. Our specific booth number is still being finalized, but we will have a land space on Dock Street at the top of Ego Alley. Stay tuned for updates.
To learn more and purchase tickets, visit annapolisboatshows.com. Stay tuned for more details in our October issue, including a Local’s Guide to Annapolis.