October 2 - 4, 2026
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 community. The Chesapeake Bay GAM is the biggest event of the SSCA calendar.
This years
keynote speaker is Melanie Neale check out here bio
here.
View the featured Speaker Schedule here. A full agenda is coming soon!
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 2026, 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.
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.Distinguished SSCA members will lead the sessions.
Dockage: Yacht Club is extending a 45% discount on their nightly, weekly, or monthly slip fees through November 15th for all SSCA 2026 Chesapeake GAM attendees! That translates to $1.52 / ft for a one night reservation, further discounts are applied as you reserve for >7 nights (weekly rate) or > 29 nights (monthly rate). Please use Dockwa to reserve your slip. After you register look for a coupon code in your confirmation email to receive your discount.
*Note: You can register in person onsite, however if you want to guarantee meals, it is best to register online.
*Note: To add a secondary member in your account, select the SSCA Secondary member option*
Non-members are welcome.
Anchorage and Marinas on Rock Creek
Click
here to see video from 2025 GAM at Maryland Yacht Club.
VOLUNTEER FOR SET UP HERE
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.