Maine Boat Builders Show...anybody going?

May 10, 2008
392
Catalina 355 Boston
wondering if anyone is planning on attending this weekend. This is a great show as it isn't the typical glossy new boat type of show...need something to get me to Spring
 

nat55

.
Feb 11, 2017
210
Gulfstar 1979 Gulfstar 37 BELFAST
MMBBS.jpg
Did you go last year? They moved the venue, no longer in the nice funky Portland Yacht Services on the water. Lost alot of it's charm, though it is still a far cry from the slick shows in the big cities.
 
Last edited:

Bob J.

.
Apr 14, 2009
775
Sabre 28 NH
View attachment 147889 Did you go last year? They moved the venue, no longer in the nice funky Portland Yacht Services on the water. Lost alot of it's charm, though it is still a far cry from the slick shows in the big cities.
I agree, went to the new location last year. Doesn't work for me anymore.
It wasn't a bad show but half the fun for me was going downtown & walking through the historic buiding. It just worked.
 
Last edited:
May 10, 2008
392
Catalina 355 Boston
Didn't go last year. I knew they moved it, but was hoping they kept the charm of the PYS location. Oh well, will still go to get a boat fix....
 
Feb 6, 1998
11,759
Canadian Sailcraft 36T Casco Bay, ME
I will be there today, I need to see some vendors I deal with. Won't be there this weekend, skiing is just too good....
 
Oct 19, 2017
8,119
O'Day Mariner 19 3444 Littleton, NH
I didn't even know there was a show in Maine. I wish I had more notice. Next year, definitely. Maybe I can even be a vendor. I am hoping to get into the NE Boat Expo in Boston next year. I need to make more examples of Hatch boards and cockpit tables, etc., first. Everybody needs to own art for their boats.

I'm almost done with another client's boards. I'll post pictures after it has been delivered and the client gets to be the first to see and enjoy it. He's agree to help showcase my work. :)

-Will (Dragonfly)
 

TomY

Alden Forum Moderator
Jun 22, 2004
2,769
Alden 38' Challenger yawl Rockport Harbor
I didn't even know there was a show in Maine. I wish I had more notice. Next year, definitely. Maybe I can even be a vendor. I am hoping to get into the NE Boat Expo in Boston next year. I need to make more examples of Hatch boards and cockpit tables, etc., first. Everybody needs to own art for their boats.

I'm almost done with another client's boards. I'll post pictures after it has been delivered and the client gets to be the first to see and enjoy it. He's agree to help showcase my work. :)

-Will (Dragonfly)
Be careful, Will! That show has something to do with where we live, today. My wife and I were vendors at the Maine Boatbuilders show in the mid 90's.

Condensed version:

Having sailed to the Bahamas the winter previous (a second time), we left the boat (a 28'er), in the Chesapeake over the winter. Instead of bringing it back to Vermont, we decided to take a friend up on a mooring in Falmouth Maine. Had a great season exploring Casco with our then, 2 and 3 year old son and daughter.

I had a hobby of building cradle boats in Vermont (where we're from). We did a couple boat shows a year for fun in the 90's. Always made a surprising amount of $. The Portland show was pretty new. We loved the sponsors (the Spragues) and the old building. It was different than other boat shows.

From the Portland show, we made friends with the folks from Robinhood Marina, and reserved mooring space there for the following season. That may have been the turning point,...

After a great season out of there, we reserved mooring space in Boothbay (you see a trend?). A few years later, we bought an old Fish Market in Camden, fixed it up and lived upstairs. And here we are.