The Great Salem Maritime Cardboard Boat Regatta Strikes Back!

Established in 1938, Salem Maritime National Historic Site was created to preserve Salem’s rich maritime history. In 2024, we continue to add our exploits to that cherished history with the return of the Great Salem Maritime Cardboard Boat Regatta! Salem is known as the home of many great ideas: the American Practical Navigator, the long-distance telephone call, the American novel, The National Guard, the Rumford oven, National Historic Sites, pretty much every boardgame you have ever played.… This is not one of them.

On August 3, 2024, join us as we celebrate the Salem Maritime Festival. Starting at 11:00am sharp, the tide waits for no one!, we will kick off a series of heats testing the engineering, ingenuity, determination, and artistry of our participants. Launching from Derby Beach, each cardboard boat must hold two people, a Captain and their crew, who will paddle their ship out and around a questionably far buoy and back to the beach. Cherished trophies will be awarded in a series of competitive categories. This will obviously be a spectacle long remembered and not to be missed.

Captains must have their boats checked in and on Derby Beach by 10:00am on race day. All boats will be on display for review and appreciation prior to the official start of heats at 11:00am.

A pre- race meeting will take place at 10:30am and all participants must sign a waiver before the start of the Regatta.

An awards ceremony will take place following the end of the Regatta at 1:00pm. Just think of the bragging rights and the wave of adulation as you hoist a trophy from the second annual Great Salem Maritime Cardboard Boat Regatta!

The Salem Maritime saga continues...

Participation spaces are limited to 40 boats.

Just in case, a rain date is currently scheduled for Sunday, August 4th.

Any questions should be directed to

Host or Publisher Essex Heritage