Learn Something New at the Bay Bridge Boat Show at Safe Harbor Narrows Point
Date: March 26, 2026
The Bay Bridge Boat Show at Safe Harbor Narrows Point (April 17–19) is a great place to buy a boat. It’s also a great place to figure out what to do with one. Whether you’ve been on the water for decades or you’re still working up the nerve to back out of a slip, the show’s lineup of on-water training, seminars, and hands-on experiences has something for you.
BoatUS On-Water Training
If you’re the type that learns best by doing, BoatUS On-Water Training offers three-hour, hands-on courses led by licensed USCG Captain Instructors from Chesapeake Boating Academy. Four courses are available: Intro to Boating, Women Making Waves (a women only intro course), Precision Docking & Boat Handling, and Open Water Boat Handling. Each runs $225 and includes free show admission on the day of your course. Click here to register or learn more.
Free Seminars Presented by BoatUS
The seminar tent is open all three days with sessions included in your admission. Here are just a few of the highlights:
Friday at 2 p.m. | Capt. Sarah Lawrence puts lines in your hands for Know Your Knots, a working refresher on hitches, coiling, and line handling.
Saturday at 11 a.m. | Delivery captain and internet personality Captain Boomies shares 15 years of practical wisdom in You Bought a New Boat, Now What?
Saturday at 3 p.m. | FishTalk’s Lenny Rudow tackles Catching Rockfish in 2026 with current tactics, updated for this season’s slot limits and conditions.
Sunday at noon | John Stefancik reveals his favorite dock-and-dine stops around the Chesapeake.
Sunday at 1 p.m. | Capt. Bill Chesnut covers everything you need to start pulling your own blues in Crabbing for Newbies.
Click here to see the full seminar schedule.
Ask Me Anything About Boating
Saturday at 10 a.m., a panel of experienced boaters sets up in the seminar tent for a no-judgment Q&A built for newcomers. Got a question you’ve been too embarrassed to ask? This is the event for you (with free coffee and donuts to sweeten the deal). Click here to sign up.
Philips Wharf Environmental Center Fishmobile Presented by Renewal by Andersen
For younger visitors, the Fishmobile rolls in with 13 live animal tanks featuring Chesapeake Bay species (blue crabs, seahorses, painted turtles, and more), two interactive hands-on tanks, and educational displays that connect daily life to the Bay’s ecosystems. It’s a chance to learn what’s going on beneath the docks.
Around the Show
Exhibitors throughout the show are available to talk boats, gear, and getting on the water. The Natural Resources Police will be on site with free safety education materials, Maryland regulation booklets, and a VR boat-docking simulator. Try it sober, then they’ll flick a switch to simulate the effects of alcohol impairment and ask you to try again. The results are predictably humbling, and the point lands without a lecture.
The Bay Bridge Boat Show Safe Harbor Narrows Point returns April 17-19. Click here to get your tickets.