Seven Seas Cruising Association Chesapeake GAM
Each fall the Seven Seas Cruising Association (SSCA) holds its Chesapeake GAM to bring cruising sailors together for three days of education, fellowship, networking and the exchange of knowledge and experiences. This year’s edition unfolds October 2-4 at the Maryland Yacht Club in Pasadena, MD, and the keynote speaker will be Melanie Sunshine Neale, acclaimed author, yacht broker, and lifelong cruiser. The GAM is open to both SSCA members and non-members.
The weekend will provide numerous opportunities for sailors to meet one another, exchange hard-earned knowledge, and build connections with others who share a passion for cruising. At the GAM, cruisers can meet circumnavigators, those with long seasons in the Bahamas and Caribbean, and those who gunkhole the US East Coast.
The GAM program begins Friday evening with camaraderie, early registration, a welcome from SSCA President Joan Conover, happy hour, and a potluck dinner, followed by a bonfire, weather permitting.
Saturday and Sunday will feature a broad range of presentations addressing the practical realities of cruising. Featured topics include marine weather, boat selection, sail plans and storm sails, navigation, emergency preparedness, international cruising and insurance, medical care, provisioning, satellite communications, and emergency radio scenarios. There will be a special focus on providing opportunities for groups to gather casually to exchange experience about areas of special interest, such as the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the Bahamas, Eastern Caribbean, and Panama.
Safety demonstrations will be another important component of the weekend. Landfall Navigation will present a flare and life raft demonstration, while other sessions will explore emergency communications, including VHF and HF radio, EPIRBs, Wi-Fi calling through Starlink and Iridium, DSC, and updating daily float plans with EPIRB contacts.
Saturday evening will feature a raffle and auction, dinner and the event’s keynote presentation by Melanie Neale. Sunday’s agenda includes additional presentations, a nautical flea market, and a panel discussion featuring experienced cruisers discussing “What we do – cruising, Q&A.”
Maryland Yacht Club is extending a 45 percent discount on nightly, weekly, or monthly slip fees through November 15 for all SSCA 2026 Chesapeake GAM attendees.
As part of the GAM, two optional educational courses, Safety for Cruising Couples and American Heart Association CPR/AED/First Aid, will be offered on Friday, October 2.
Safety for Cruising Couples will be presented with the permission and support of the Cruising Club of America. An experienced team of sailing instructors and cruisers will lead the course. They are versed in sailing education, vessel operations, emergency communications, leadership, and practical onboard problem solving. Captains Frank and Suzanne Mummert of the Maryland School of Sailing and Seamanship, CAPCA president and SpinSheet contributing writer Captain Cheryl Duvall, Don and Nina Preuss, Frank Smith, Dick Marsh, and Bill Hudson are among those who will be leading the course.
The purpose of the course programming is to reduce the risk created when only one person aboard routinely handles navigation, communications, mechanical systems, docking, or emergency planning. Practical instruction is intended to help both partners understand and manage essential vessel operations. The course emphasizes teamwork, communication, shared responsibility, and the skills either partner may need should the other become injured, ill, exhausted, or otherwise unable to operate the boat. The goal is to ensure that cruising partners share critical information, understand their responsibilities, and have discussed and practiced what they will do before an emergency occurs. Landfall Navigation will demonstrate safety equipment. The course will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday.
CPR for Cruisers Training Course will also be offered on Friday. Being prepared for a medical emergency is an essential part of cruising. Knowing what to do in those first critical moments can make an enormous difference when professional medical help may not be immediately available. Cruisers will have an opportunity to gain important, potentially lifesaving, skills using a curriculum designed specifically with the cruising environment in mind. The training will give participants the confidence and practical skills needed to respond during a medical emergency, whether aboard a boat or on land. The hands-on format will be facilitated by Frank Smith, vice president of SSCA, who is an experienced instructor, captain, and cruising educator.
SSCA is a community of cruising sailors dedicated to supporting, educating, and connecting cruisers around the world. Through educational programs, events, cruising resources, and opportunities for members to connect with fellow boaters, SSCA helps cruisers prepare for and enjoy life on the water. Registration is required, and attendees who want to guarantee meals are encouraged to register online. For more information about the GAM and to register, visit ssca.org/2026Chesapeakegam.
