March 28, 2024
Annapolis, US 47 F

Annapolis Boat Show Insight: Who Is A Better Tipper? Powerboaters Or Sailboaters?

Anecdotally, we have always heard that those in the service industry have a love-hate relationship with October in Annapolis. October marks the arrival of the annual boat shows–properly known as the United States Sailboat Show and the United States Powerboat Show. While the shows themselves will draw nearly 100,000 people to our little hamlet on the Chesapeake Bay, the estimated $50 million economic impact is not universally felt.

For years, we have heard that the only thing that gets service industry employees through the Sailboat Show is the anticipation of the Powerboat Show.  Why is that, you might ask?  It all boils down to tips!  The restaurant industry is notorious for low, below minimum wage pay. We can’t fault any particular place–it is just the way it is here in the United States. Servers rely on tips and gratuities to make up the difference between the $3.63 per hour they typically earn, and the additional $1.82 per hour needed to bring them up to the national poverty line for an individual!  We were curious and we asked! 57 people responded.  Hey sailboaters, you need to up your game!

boatshowtips

And some of the comments…

  • I used to work F and B in Annapolis years ago, but I know that the only thing that made Sailboat week survivable was knowing that powerboat show followed. Powerboaters drink big, eat big, tip big and have a great time. Sailboaters smell, have poor attitudes and are cheeeeeeap! Did I mention cheap????

  • Not really a tipping story but when we lived on our boat in Eastport we would walk by the parking lots for the boat show. The lots charged more for the Power Boat show (almost double) and we asked a worker there why that was? He told us that power boaters will pay the extra money whereas Sail boaters will park 20 blocks away and walk to avoid paying.

  • Sailboaters are great!  As long as you are good with them taking up your table for three or four hours…ordering offf the appetizer menu….and drinking water….with a side plate of lemons!!!!

  • They are the worse–sailboaters. I mean they will spend millions on a boat, but toss a few bucks to the guy whose bee bustin his ass serving them all night—no way! Gimme power boat show ANY day!

  • Power boat show people tend to be more obnoxious, but when they are dropping 25% and up, I can take obnoxious. It is the entitled at 5% to 10% max I have an issue with

  • Sailors are cheap. “wind is free”

  • most power boat show people eat all the food and then complain it was no good… ….right.

  • Working the bar at a hotel on west street, my first bartending shift ever actually, group of sailboaters leaves me change on couple hundred dollar tab. Then came in the next morning for breakfast.

 

 

 

 

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