Baltimore Boat Show full of family Fun two weekends from now

The Progressive Insurance Baltimore Boat Show is coming to the Baltimore Convention Center the first weekend in March.

The Boat show is primarily a power boat show, although the sailing community is well served with a section devoted to sailing, with new sailboats available for examination as well as lots of vendors showing off their wares.

The show is also chock full of family fun events, and is a great place to spend a weekend with the kids, all in dreaming of the warm weather just around the corner.

According to an email newsletter from the show's organizers, "The 2013 Progressive Insurance Baltimore Boat Show docks at the Baltimore Convention Center, February 28-March 3, bringing new attractions for boaters (and even land-lubbers) of all ages. In addition to boarding more than 250 boats and shopping for show-exclusive deals, visitors can get a glimpse of summer fun and a taste of adventure watching an expert alligator handler wrangle a 200 lb. gator, mingling with a star boating personality, taking the helm to practice boating skills and learning from experts during a variety of interactive educational clinics."

"Jaw-dropping Swampmaster Gator Show: Visitors can watch in awe as expert alligator handler Jeff Quattrocchi catches an 8 ft., 200 lb. alligator with his bare hands. Those brave enough to hold a baby gator can have their photo taken!

Captain Dave from Wicked Tuna: Captain Dave Marciano from National Geographic TV’s Wicked Tuna, who looks more like a biker than an old salt, will greet show visitors on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. From its weathered, 27-year-old hull to its tough, hard-working two-man crew, Captain Dave’s Hard Merchandise fishing boat is the embodiment of the blue-collar Bluefin fishing industry in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Now a well-known TV star, Captain Dave has decades of fishing experience and survived a shipwreck in 2003, and will share his experience with show visitors.

Appearance schedule:
Friday, March 1, 1pm–3pm and 5pm–7pm
Saturday, March 2, 11am–1pm and 3pm–5pm
Sunday, March 3, 12pm-2pm

New Miss GEICO Offshore Race Boat: The six-time World Champion Miss GEICO Racing Team will introduce its newest and latest offshore racing boat— approximately 11,000 pounds and almost 1,500 pounds lighter than her predecessor. The new Miss GEICO is a 50-ft. Victory catamaran that can reach a top speed in excess of 200 mph!

Fun for the Kids: Kids can build a nautical masterpiece—a one- of-a-kind vessel using pieces of wood, a little glue, and a lot of imagination at the Kids’ Create-a-Boat. Also on deck are Dora the Explorer and award-winning author of the Blackbear the Pirate adventure series Steve Buckley. Steve will sign his books and lead kids in constructing their own pirate hats, coloring pages and reading books.

Daily boating DIY and fishing seminars: Visitors can watch, learn and do alongside certified marine technicians at Fred’s Shed Interactive Learning Center. Become a better boater with Fred’s practical advice and hands-on demos for maintaining, repairing or upgrading boats and motors, as well as installing marine electronics. Top local professionals from the Annapolis School of Seamanship will shore up visitor’s sea knowledge with informative and entertaining sessions that provide tips on modern navigation, handling onboard emergencies, getting a captain’s license, dine and docking on the Chesapeake and choosing the right boat.

Two chances to WIN! One lucky show-goer will win a stay at the Kitty Knight House Historic Inn on the Sassafras River in Georgetown, MD. This prize is compliments of Georgetown Yacht. Another lucky show visitor will win a Vermont Pack Boat and paddles, valued at $2900. This prize package is compliments of Adirondack Guideboat, Inc. Visitors can enter both giveaways in the show lobby.

Other features at the Progressive Insurance Baltimore Boat Show include the Maryland favorite Crab Pickin’ Contest, taking place Saturday, March 2; Power Boat Docking Challenge, where visitors can race against the clock (and each other) as they use a full size boat helm to steer a remote-controlled boat down a 20 ft. “harbor” to the marine and into the slip; and the ASOS Nautis Boating Simulator, where visitors can take the helm of a virtual boat and get a feel for the water without leaving dry land.

Show Information and Details:

The Progressive Insurance Baltimore Boat Show cruises into the Baltimore Convention Center Thursday, February 28, 11:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.; Friday, March 1, 11:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.; Saturday, March 2, 11:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.; and Sunday, March 3, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Admission to the Baltimore Boat Show is $12 for adults and FREE for kids 15 and under. Advance tickets can be purchased online. Group discount tickets can be purchased by contacting Mary Steen at 617-472-1442 or msteen@nmma.org."

I am looking to attend the show, which aside from the United States Sailboat Show held in October in Annapolis every year, is probably the next best show readily accessible to everyday families interested in sailing, power boating, kayaking, and water sports in general, all for a great price, in a great area of Baltimore, just down from the Inner Harbor.