If you’ve been waiting for the prime opportunity to buy an affordable boat, then the 12th annual Boat Auction held at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is just for you. This live auction will be held on Saturday, September 5, beginning at 1:00 p.m.

For the past 12 years, Labor Day weekend has meant great deals on boats to boating aficionados and first-time boat buyers. More than 40 boats, ranging in size and performance from sailing dinghies to cabin cruisers, will be available to the highest bidder at the 1:00pm Boat Auction. There will be beer and barbeque on sale beginning at 12 p.m.

CBMM Boat Donations Program Manager Lad Mills takes donations and resells boats throughout the year, holding aside some of his inventory for the annual auction. Mills travels up and down the east coast working with boat owners and potential buyers. The auction is the highlight of the year.

“Beyond taking an unused or unwanted boat off of people’s hands, and their receiving a nice tax deduction, the revenue generated by the auction goes directly to help the Museum do work like maintaining its fleet of historic vessels,” says Mills. “The boat auction is great fun and does great things for the organization.”

Returning to the auction this year is a flea market-style tag sale to be held from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., where visitors will be able to purchase a variety of boating gear, including ground tackle, electrical equipment, hardware, rope or chain, ladders, fishing tackle, and motors.

A selection of the boats to be auctioned can currently be viewed on the Museum’s website at www.cbmm.org (click on the “Donate or Buy a Boat” link located on the sidebar). All boats are subject to sale prior to the auction. The vessels will also be available for inspection at the Museum several days prior to the auction.

Admission for the annual Boat Auction is $5 per person, up until 1:30 p.m. At 1:30 p.m., admission to the Museum goes back to the regular daily rates of $13 for adults, $10 for seniors, and $6 for children between the ages of 6 and 17. Children under 6 and CBMM members are admitted free. To donate a boat or items for the tag sale, or for fully updated listings of the boats up for auction, please contact Lad Mills at 410-745-2916, ext. 112 or via email at lmills@cbmm.org.