In continued support of its Charity Boat Auction program, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is holding its very first sealed-bid boat auction. Due to a large number of recent boat donations, up to 20 in-the-water boats—ranging in size and performance from cabin cruisers and sport fisherman to sailing yachts—will be auctioned off to each boat’s highest bidder.
The boats will be available to preview at CBMM beginning on Thursday, April 28 and continuing during museum hours until all sealed bids are due at noon on Sunday, May 1. The museum’s daily hours are 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in April and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in May.
“We’re in the wonderful situation of having recently received in donation an overwhelming number of in-the-water boats, for which we lack the space to dock them,” said CBMM Boat Donation Program Director Lad Mills. “So we’re looking to find good homes for them to make room for our summer marina guests, as well as future donations.”
A suggested value will be provided for each boat. Sealed bids will be opened on Monday, May 2, with all successful bidders then notified of their purchases. Auctioned boats are sold as is, and must be removed from CBMM’s docks no later than 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 7. The museum will process all taxes and the transfer of title and registration for each successful bidder.
Throughout the year, CBMM’s Boat Donation Program Director Lad Mills and Program Manager Todd Taylor travel up and down the east coast working with boat owners, yacht brokers, marinas, boatyards, and other donors and potential buyers, working to support the museum through boat donations and sales.
“100% of the revenue generated by our auctions goes directly toward helping the museum’s educational programs and restoring and preserving its historic structures and boats,” said CBMM Boat Donations Program Manager Todd Taylor. “Each sale helps the museum do great things for the people we serve.”
The spring overstock auction is in addition to CBMM’s annual Labor Day weekend live auction on Saturday, September 3, when more than 100 boats will be on land and in the water for the highest bidders to take home. Proceeds from both events benefit the children and adults served by the non-profit museum.
The list of available boats, along with additional details and official rules for CBMM’s April 28 – May 1 sealed-bid boat auction can be found at www.bit.ly/buyaboat, or by contacting Lad Mills at 410-745-4942 or [email protected], or Todd Taylor at [email protected] or 410-745-4990.
Established in 1965, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is a world-class maritime museum dedicated to preserving and exploring the history, environment, and people of the entire Chesapeake Bay, with the values of relevancy, authenticity, and stewardship guiding its mission. Serving nearly 70,000 guests each year, the museum’s campus includes a floating fleet of historic boats and 12 exhibition buildings, situated on 18 waterfront acres along the Miles River and St. Michaels’ harbor. For more information, visit www.cbmm.org.
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.