The United States Powerboat Show in Annapolis is always a popular show – for a whole lot of reasons. It’s fun, it’s easy to get to, and it’s easy to see a lot of new boats and gear there. And it’s in Annapolis, the hub of the Chesapeake, a cruising mecca with boatyards and marinas – and waterfront restaurants and bars – all around.
Centered around City Dock, in the middle of town (also known as Ego Alley), this year the show, the 47th annual, runs from Thursday, Oct. 11, through Sunday, Oct. 14. It has many more boats than ever before – about 700 of them in fact – ranging from 8 to 80 feet LOA.
There’s lots to do at the show itself, with dock after dock of new boats, plus tents full of displays of everything from new electronics to knife sharpeners. The show offers free seminars from the Annapolis School of Seamanship, and it has a Demo Dock, where you can try out new boats, engines and stabilizing systems. There also are on-the-water, boat-handling courses given by BoatUS Foundation. When you return to land, Pusser’s Painkiller Party Barge is always a popular destination throughout the show.
In conjunction with the show, there’s also the Brokerage Cove of used boats in St. Mary’s Cove on Spa Creek, just a five-minute walk from the main show; if you want to relax, you can take a water taxi from City Dock to the Brokerage Cove show, which is just inside the Spa Creek Bridge.
For me, the Annapolis show is a place to see new boats and accessories, to bask in history, and to take in some crab cakes at McGarvey’s or the Boatyard. I also try to work in my annual boat show breakfast at Chick & Ruth’s Delly on Main Street, just a few blocks up from the show, where everyone stands up and recites the Pledge of Allegiance at 8:30. For more about the show:
Read our reviews of 32 new cruising boats you can see at the show here:
