Established in 1938, Salem Maritime National Historic Site was created to preserve Salem’s rich maritime history. In 2023, we boldly added our exploits to that cherished history with the Great Salem Maritime Cardboard Boat Regatta! Now in its third year, this signature event should be considered a time-honored tradition of Salem’s long maritime story. 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.… To that illustrious list we add cardboard boat racing!
On August 9, 2025, join us as we celebrate the Salem Maritime Festival. Starting at 11 AM sharp (the tide waits for no one!), we will kick off a series of racing heats testing the engineering, ingenuity, determination, and artistry of our boat building participants. Launching from Derby Beach, each cardboard boat must hold at least two people, a Captain and their crew, who will paddle their ship out and around a buoy and back to the beach. Cherished prizes will be awarded in a series of competitive categories. This will obviously be a spectacle long remembered and not to be missed.
