Progressive Catawba Island Boat Show Set for Big Return
Published: Sunday, April 25, 2021
By: Nicole Hahn
The 16th annual Progressive Catawba Island Boat Show, the first in-person expo of its kind held anywhere on the Great Lakes in over 15 months, is set open for 3 days, April 30 – May 2 at the exclusive Catawba Island Club in Port Clinton.
To Ohio’s boat lovers anxious for summer, this event had been as much a season kick-off party as a big showcase of more than 100 power and sailboats ranging in size from small inflatables to 60-foot-plus motor yachts. Nearly all will be dockside, ready for boarding and available for sea trials for qualified buyers. In addition, more than 50 nautical accessory, marina and service displays ring the picturesque marina basin.
“Cancelled last spring due to Covid,” says Michelle Burke, president of the Lake Erie Marine Trades Association, “we anticipate boaters will welcome back this popular event. And to make the return even more of a spring boating celebration, we’re adding a variety of new features ranging from first-ever on-site fishing clinics to expanded live musical entertainment, and more.”
For anglers, a special 2-hour fishing clinic - “Western Basin Walleye – How to Fish the Migration” - will be held on Saturday only (May 1) from 10am to Noon. It will feature top pros from the annual Lake Erie Walleye Trail (LEWT) including champions Jason Fischer, Lucas Hahn and Jason O’Brien.
Two other new features dubbed “Daily Dockside Discussions” will cover two subjects, namely fishing and general boating topics, every show day. Fishing will have LEWT anglers on hand to talk and teach Lake Erie techniques. They will also use a fully rigged Ranger 622 Tournament boat to illustrate their fishing methods.
The other “Daily Dockside Discussions” will address a wide variety of boating topics like: “Boating around the Lake Erie Islands”; “How to Be A Great First Mate,” and similar subjects.
Show visitors will join in a first-ever “Meet and Greet” when a U.S. Coast Guard cutter visits the show from 1pm to 4 pm on Friday and Saturday. It will provide a great opportunity to thank those men and women who are always just one call away when help is needed.
Meanwhile, Miss Kitty and the Litter will headline the new live musical entertainment list during the weekend. Other entertainers slated to appear on the boat show stage throughout the weekend include: Marina Strah, The Island Doctor and perennial Lake Erie Islands favorite singer-songwriter, Steve Brownell.
New food trucks will also be part of the show’s entertainment area. These will include the well-known Berardi’s Truck; the Catawba Juice Company truck; and the Manna Food Truck.
Although not new, a very popular show feature called “Discover Sailing” will return for another year. It offers visitors a unique chance to go out on a large sailboat, raise the sails, take the helm and find out if they like sailing before the wind. Over the years, more than 800 people have participated in “Discover Sailing.”
While this in-water show is all outdoors, safety protocols will still be observed in all exhibit areas, including mandatory masks, social distancing, use of the sanitizing stations and rigorous cleaning of the boats. In addition, admission will be limited and regulated in two time blocks on Saturday and Sunday.
The show is located at CIC along Northwest Catawba Road on the Catawba peninsula. General admission is $8.00. All designated parking lots and shuttles are free. Show hours will be: Friday, 12 Noon to 7 PM; Saturday, 10 AM to 7 PM; Sunday, 10AM to 5 PM. Tickets should be purchased online. For all schedules and details, go to: www.catawbaislandboatshow.com
A version of this article appeared in the Spring Issue (Mar/Apr) 2021 of Great Lakes Scuttlebutt magazine.
