Discover Boating New England Boat Show 2023 Preview
Last Updated on January 11, 2023 by Boatsetter Team
Gear up and meet us at the Discover Boating New England Boat Show (NEBS) held this February at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. There with us will be over 100 boat brands, tons of watersports gear, a selection of marine electronics, dozens of engines, and more. Lose yourself in boating for an entire weekend.
- When: February 15-19, 2023
- Where: Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
- General admission: $20 (Tickets are sold online only)
- Kids 12 and under enter FREE
Rent. Charter. Share— only at Boatsetter
When do doors open
The show is open 12 pm to 8 pm (Wednesday to Friday) with two extra hours offered on the weekend when the show opens at 10 am. There are no child services onsite, and furry firstmates will not be admitted.
Parking & special offerings
There is onsite parking available, $25 per vehicle. The show is accessible with handicapped parking also offered but there is no wheelchair rental onsite.
Pro Tip: Active military personnel, retired veterans, first responders, and USCG members will enjoy free admission on Thursday with a valid ID.
Boats & gear at NEBS 2023
Produced by the National Marine Manufacturers Association, the NEBS is a boat browser’s paradise so even if you can’t tell a tow boat from a pontoon or a sailboat from a power cruiser, this is the perfect way to become acquainted with all that boating has to offer.
Check out a day cruiser from Four Winns, climb aboard a center console fishing model by Everglades, hold a pretend party on a Bennington pontoon, or imagine yourself wakeboarding behind a Nautique tow boat. Of course, seasoned boaters have much to shop for too from insurance, to dock space, to all kinds of must-have gear.
Chat with certified dealers who can point you to the right model or get your navigation questions answered at one of the electronics booths. Discover Boating offers an online boat finder tool (accessible via the boat show website) that breaks out boats by function or design so if you have no idea where to start, you can focus your interests in a particular direction before you head to the show.
NEBS 2023 highlights
Bring the kids and your questions because there’s much to do besides climbing aboard boats. Get lots of DIY advice and tips at the perennial Fred’s Shed seminar series where you can learn everything about fixing fiberglass or tuning an engine from real experts.
Anglers can get hands-on at a 30-foot casting tank and chat with the experts at Goose Hummock, a New England saltwater fishing outfitter. Learn all about proper rigging, optimizing your fishing deck, or landing a trophy tuna.
Watch on-water demos or try your hand at paddle sports courtesy of Three Belles Outfitters or test out the boating simulator where you can practice turning and docking using a real Mercury throttle and steering wheel. Kids can build a souvenir boat to keep and the environmentally-minded can learn how to protect the waterways at the Conservation Village.
Things to do in greater-area Boston
There’s much to do in the Boston area, including taking in Faneuil Hall, Boston Commons, the New England Aquarium, and the Freedom Trail. Tuck into great New England fare at Legal Seafood Harborside, Eddie Merlot’s, or Sweetgreen.
What’s Boatsetter about?
Boatsetter is a unique boat-sharing platform that gives everyone — whether you own a boat or you’re just renting — the chance to experience life on the water. You can list a boat, book a boat, or make money as a captain.
List. Rent. Earn— Only at Boatsetter
Zuzana Prochazka is an award-winning freelance journalist and photographer with regular contributions to more than a dozen sailing and powerboating magazines and online publications including Southern Boating, SEA, Latitudes & Attitudes and SAIL. She is SAIL magazines Charter Editor and the Executive Director of Boating Writers International. Zuzana serves as judge for SAIL’s Best Boats awards and for Europe’s Best of Boats in Berlin.
A USCG 100 Ton Master, Zuzana founded and manages a flotilla charter organization called Zescapes that takes guests adventure sailing at destinations worldwide.
Zuzana has lived in Europe, Africa and the United States and has traveled extensively in South America, the islands of the South Pacific and Mexico.
