Chesapeake Bay GAM September 26-28, 2025
Registration Now OPEN! Scroll down to registration button.
Non-members are welcome.

Held before the fall Annapolis Sailboat Show every year for many years, the GAM has become a remarkable opportunity to listen to and meet leaders of the boating services. The Chesapeake Bay GAM is the biggest event of the SSCA calendar. 

The GAM keynote speaker is Nigel Calder, wizard of boat mechanics and electrics, and author of the essential Boatowner’s Mechanical and Electrical Manual, the Guide to Fixing Everything on Your Boat. Other speakers include marine weather expert Chris Parker, boat broker Curtis Stokes, Dr. Bill White, and representatives (and some principals) of Aquamap, Predictwind, and Landfall Navigation among others.

There will be a special focus on opportunities for groups to gather casually to exchange experience about areas of special interest including the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the Bahamas, Eastern Caribbean and Panama.

GAM with cruisers from circumnavigators to those with long seasons in the Bahamas and Caribbean and those who gunkhole the US east coast. The GAM program runs from Friday evening pot luck through Saturday and Sunday mid-day presentations, interest groups and GAM time.

OPTIONAL COURSES THIS YEAR:

For 2025, the GAM will include options on Friday for:
- Safety for Cruising Couples training program from CCA (nearly full day, includes lunch) and
- American Heart Association CPR/AED/First Aid certificate course in the afternoon.
Each course is $80 person for gam attendees.
Those interested in CCA's Safety for Cruising Couples should visit CCA's webpage https://sas.cruisingclub.org/SCC . We will have a copy of the course book for each participant; you can buy one in advance on their webpage https://sas.cruisingclub.org/SCC. Unlike CCA's excellent offshore race crew focused Safety at Sea programs (2 days with online prep), Safety for Cruising Couples is focused on short handed sailing for a couple in coastal waters. Landfall Navigation will demonstrate safety equipment. Commercial maritime safety expert Eric Knott will lead the course wrap-up. Distinguished SSCA members will lead the sessions. 

Book dockage for Maryland Yacht Club on Dockwa. Use code SSCA2025 for 27% discounts to all of MDYC rates published on https://mdyc.org/transients. This brings the daily rate to $2/ft/night and $1.46/ft/night if you book 7 or more nights

Anchorage and Marinas on Rock Creek

Click GAM2023 to see video from 2023 GAM at Maryland Yacht Club.

View the GAM Agenda

Need registration assistance? Contact Nicole at office@ssca.org or 754-702-5068.

***Cancellations with full refund is available until 12:00 pm Eastern 3 days before event begins.  After that, any meals purchased are non-refundable.