It’s showtime! Boat show time, that is, of course. Back in 1970, when the world’s first in-water boat show brought about 50 new sailboats to the Annapolis City Dock, this little tidewater town didn’t know what to expect. The locals were unprepared for the thousands of avid sailors who flocked from all across the country—in fact, from all around the globe.  

One veteran restaurateur told me that all the nearby eateries ran out of food. He had to send to Baltimore for an emergency truckload of hot dogs. The city fathers couldn’t figure out what to charge the event organizers for the use of the dock, so they tallied up the amount of change that would have been collected from the meters in the parking lot and that was the rent for that first year.  

Up until that time, boat shows took place in the middle of winter, in the middle of big cities, in the middle of cavernous convention centers. The New York Boat Show at the Coliseum on Columbus Circle was the model for nearly a century. Staging an event dedicated to just sailboats was one radical departure from the marine industry’s traditional marketing efforts. Another was to have the boats displayed in their natural habitat. A third was to hold the event in a small town in October, when the Chesapeake’s weather is at its dependable best. 

Despite a few odd years of rain, impending hurricanes, high tides and occasional Indian summer heat, the formula proved to be a success for boaters and boat builders alike—not to mention all the purveyors of every imaginable nautical accessory, piece of boating equipment and professional service. It’s been a win for the City of Annapolis, too, despite gripes from residents about traffic and parking. Those in the know rent their homes to exhibitors or visitors and flee for the hills until the hub-bub has done hub-bubbling. The city coffers reap more than mere meter change these days, and the local hospitality industry gets its biggest economic boost of the year as well.  

But none of that explains the sheer excitement of being at the shows, seeing all the new boats and boating stuff, meeting all the other folks who go ga-ga over anything that floats. As editor, I’m hoping this special boat show edition of Chesapeake Bay Magazine will serve as a companion piece to the show programs. We’ve included previews of some of the more spectacular boats and boating trends you’re likely to discover at the shows, as well as insights from some of the experts you’re apt to meet. 

And I’d be happy to meet you there, too. I’ll be joining my staff colleagues at the Chesapeake Bay Media booth. Please stop by and say hello!