Safe Harbor Essex Island is the home of the CT Spring Boat Show. © CTSpringBoatShow.com
33rd Annual Maine Boatbuilders Show
March 20 – 22 at the Portland Sports Complex in Portland, Maine
Proudly produced by Joanna & Phin Sprague of Portland Yacht Services, this gathering of the finest fiberglass and wooden custom boatbuilders on the East Coast features everything from small rowing boats, kayaks and canoes to sailboats and powerboats of all sizes. Unlike other shows, the Maine Boatbuilders Show offers attendees an opportunity to speak with the people who actually built these beautiful craft. Also exhibiting are numerous manufacturers of boating equipment and providers of boating services.
Show hours are 10 am to 6 pm on Friday, March 20, 10 am to 6 pm on Saturday, March 21, and 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday, March 22. The Portland Sports Complex is located at 512 Warren Avenue. For more information including a list of exhibitors, seminar schedule, and where to stay and what else to do while you’re in Portland, log onto PortlandCompany.com/boatshow.
12th Annual Greenwich Boat Show
April 4 & 5 at the Greenwich Water Club in Cos Cob, Connecticut
As much a boating experience as it is a show, the Greenwich Boat Show has built a reputation as one of the most boater-friendly shows in the Northeast. Featuring a large, diverse selection of new boats, it’s the only show that offers boat free sea trials and free admission.
The best dealers in the area will present an outstanding selection of more than 100 new models for fishing, cruising, luxury and family fun from manufacturers including Back Cove, Blackfin, Boston Whaler, Chris Craft, Edgewater, Grady White, MJM, Hunt Yachts, Pursuit, RIBCRAFT, Regal, Sabre Yachts, Sea Ray, Southport Boats, and many more.
Show hours are 10 am to 4pm on Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5. The Greenwich Water Club is located at 49 River Road in Cos Cob. To preview the models on display and schedule sea trials in advance (highly recommended), visit greenwichboatshow.com.
McMichael Yacht Brokers Spring Boat Show & Open House
April 18 at McMichael Yacht Brokers, Ltd. in Mamaroneck, New York
Our friends at McMichael Yacht Yards & Brokers are hosting their annual Spring Boat Show & Open House at their two locations in Mamaroneck, NY on Saturday, April 18. They’ll be showcasing new models from J/Boats, Hanse, Amel, Dehler, MJM, and AB Inflatables, along with a selection of choice brokerage boats.
Show hours are 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday, April 18. (The rain date for this show is Sunday, April 19). McMichael Yacht Brokers is located at 447 East Boston Post Road in Mamaroneck, and their Rushmore Yard is at 700 Rushmore Avenue, also in Mamaroneck.
An Official Sponsor of the 2020 Newport Bermuda Race, McMichael Yacht Yards & Brokers was founded by Jacqueline & Howard McMichael in 1935 to “provide good service in a friendly manner.” With Howard McMichael, Jr. at the helm, the company’s service yards are widely recognized as one of the top choices in the East for laminate repair and offshore race outfitting. Their brokerage offices (Mamaroneck and Huntington, NY and Newport, RI) are staffed by some of the most experienced and respected brokers and administration in the industry. For more information (including the third event in their “Bash to Bermuda” Seminar Series on March 26), visit
mcmichaelyachtbrokers.com.
Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show
April 24 – 26 at City Dock in Annapolis, Maryland
Kick off the sailing season in style where the Severn River meets the Chesapeake Bay. Produced by Annapolis Boat Shows, the Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show features a variety of new and brokerage sailboats on display in the water and on land including catamarans, monohulls, family cruisers, daysailers, and blue water sailboats. You’ll also find a vast display of boating products and services including the latest in navigational equipment, electronics, inflatables, boating accessories, clothing, gear, boating clubs, charter companies, insurance firms, and lending institutions.
In addition to the opportunity to chart your course to adventure at Cruisers University (fees apply), there’s also a full schedule of free daily boating seminars. Show hours are 10 am to 6 pm on Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25, and 10 am to 5 pm on Sunday, April 26. To learn more, log onto annapolisboatshows.com/annapolis-spring-sailboat-show.
5th Annual Connecticut Spring Boat Show
May 1 – 3 at Safe Harbor Essex Island in Essex, Connecticut
Presented by WindCheck, Safe Harbor Essex Island, Essex Boat Works, The Essex Steam Train & Riverboat, the Yacht Brokers Association of America, Inc. and YachtWorld – and supporting a very worthy charity – the Connecticut Spring Boat Show is an in-water boutique show in one of the loveliest towns in the Northeast.
A wide range of new and brokerage sail- and powerboats will be on display, presented by some of the finest dealers in the business, with select opportunities for sea trials available throughout the weekend. In addition to boats on the docks, the show will have gear, accessories and service companies on the lawn.
Show hours are 1 to 6 pm on Friday, May 1, and 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3. Admission is free, with a $5 donation requested for attendees 13 and older. One hundred percent of these proceeds will benefit Sails Up 4 Cancer, a Mystic, CT-based non-profit organization dedicated to funding research in the education, prevention, care and cure for all types of cancer through the art and enjoyment of sailing.
Safe Harbor Essex Island is located at 11 Ferry Street in Essex. The historic Griswold Inn, a short walk (and a ferry ride) from Essex Island) is offering a 20% discount to Connecticut Spring Boat Show attendees, so why not make a weekend of it? For more information, visit CTSpringBoatShow.com. If you’re interested in exhibiting, contact Ben Cesare at 203-332-7639 or ben@windcheckmagazine.com.
1st Annual Steelpointe Yacht & Charter Charter Show
May 15 – 17 at Bridgeport Harbor Marina in Bridgeport, Connecticut
Presented by Showpiece Shows, the inaugural Steelpointe Yacht & Charter Show will showcase luxury yachts, rare and exotic cars, private jet and helicopter samplings, and live music from across the U.S. This prestigious invitation-only event “reflects the refined and deluxe caliber of luxury lifestyle brands.”
Show hours are 12 to 6 pm on Friday, May 15, 10 am to 6 pm on Saturday May 16, and 10 am to 5 pm on Sunday, May 17. A new 200+ slip marina and entertainment destination, Bridgeport Harbor Marina is located at 10 East Main Street on the Steelpointe Peninsula.
Looking ahead, Showpiece Shows is bringing their marquee event, the first annual Steelpointe International Boat Show, to the Park City the weekend of September 24 – 27. For more information, visit steelpointeboatshows.com. ■
