2017 Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors Show

When you attend the annual Maine Boats Homes and Harbors Show in Rockland, Maine, you will be attending the only in-water boat show in the state. In addition to viewing an array of beautiful boats (usually more than 70 boats), you can also enjoy more than 150 vendors offering everything from furniture to jewelry and art to marine goods and services.

The Maine Boats Homes and Harbor Show is held each August. The 2017 event will be held Aug. 11-13.  This Friday through Sunday event offers fun for all ages, combining the attractions listed above with live music, artisans, food, dog trials and lots of fun activities for all ages.

Maine Boats Homes and Harbor Show Activities

In addition to strolling around and enjoying the boats and vendors, other attractions include:

• Demo Docks: This is your chance to experience incredible power and sailing crafts firsthand. (Appointments required.)
• Boston Whaler Rondezvous: A gathering of Boston Whaler enthusiasts and their boats
• Retrofit Rennaissance: An array of boats that have been revitalized by regional boat builders
• Live Music: Be sure to make your way to the Bandstand where you can have a seat and enjoy live music
• Boatyard Dog Trials: An atypical dog trial that will leave you laughing (additional details below).
• Kids Activities: The kids’ tent offers plenty of activities from crafts to playing with boats in a model pond.

Don’t Miss the Boatyard Dog Trials

If you’ve ever been to a dog trial, you know there is a serious aspect to the competition. Not this dog trial! While the dogs participating in the Boatyard Dog Trials possess many skills, the most important goal of this trial is to showcase how much fun the dog and his/her owner have together. Laugh with the crowd as you watch handlers and their dogs complete a unique obstacle course with lobster traps, piles of rope and other unexpected obstacles. There is also the “Dinghy Hop” during which the dog and his/her owner will have to make their way in and out of a “very unstable dinghy.” And finally, there’s the “Freestyle,” where the dog and their handler show off tricks and skills with a Frisbee.

You know this event will be a lot of fun when you read the rules that require participants finish the contest completely soaked and that cheating is not only tolerated but encouraged. The only other “real rule” is that the Freestyle has to include a Frisbee.