Every October, TotalBoat packs up the tent and heads to the Catskills for one of our favorite weekends of the year. Catskill Mountain Maker Camp brings together an incredible mix of builders, from big-name demonstrators to first-time hobbyists, all gathered at Blackthorne Resort in East Durham, New York to share what they know and learn something new. We've been proud sponsors for years, and we always look forward to seeing what the maker community shows up with.
This year's Maker Camp runs October 9-12, 2026, and we're doing something a little different at the TotalBoat tent. Some years we've run little boat builds and closed the weekend with a race. One year we swapped boats for mini rockets and had a blast (literally). This year, we want to see what you've been building all along, so we're hosting our first-ever TotalBoat Show weekend: BYOB, aka, Bring Your Own Boat!
What is the TotalBoat Show?
If you've got a wood or composite boat in the works, whether it's finished and ready to launch or still sitting on sawhorses in your garage, we want you to bring it to Maker Camp. This is your chance to show off the work you've put into your build and share it with a community that will genuinely appreciate every plank, seam, and coat of finish that went into it.
Maker Camp's First-Ever TotalBoat Show
Once you bring your boat, you'll have a place to show it. We're setting up Maker Camp's first Boat Show, where builders can display their boats for the whole weekend so fellow campers, demonstrators, and visitors can walk through and see what everyone's been working on. Whether your boat is a polished showpiece or a work in progress, this is the spot to put it on display and swap stories with the builders around you.
Sunday Flotilla Photo Opportunity
To close out the weekend, we're putting every boat on the water together for a Sunday Flotilla, captured from above with drone photography. It's the kind of shot that captures what this community is really about: a whole fleet of hand-built boats, side by side, each one telling a different story about the person who built it.
Build With Us at the TotalBoat Tent
If you don't have a boat of your own yet, or you just want to get your hands on some tools for the weekend, stop by the TotalBoat tent for our community boatbuilding project. We'll be building Jimmy DiResta's Rice Lake Skiff together over the course of the weekend, and every camper is welcome to pitch in, whether you can stay for an hour or work the whole build from start to finish.
Awards and a Little Extra Help
At the end of the weekend, we'll be handing out awards, including Best in Show, and we're working on a special year-one Maker Camp flag burgee for the winners to fly.
If your boat needs a little something to cross the finish line before the show, whether that's a final coat of varnish, some epoxy to close up a seam, or a hand from someone who's done it before, let us know ahead of time. We'll bring supplies to the tent to help you get her done.
Goody Bags and a Boatbuilding Symposium
Every builder who brings a boat to the show gets a TotalBoat goody bag, and you're invited to our Boatbuilding Symposium, held in the TotalBoat tent on Saturday of Maker Camp. Time is still being finalized and we'll post it here as soon as it's set, so keep an eye on this post for the update.
Start Getting Your Boat Ready
Maker Camp is only a few months out, so now's the time to start finishing up that build sitting in the shop. Whether you need finishing products, epoxy, or advice on what to use for your final coat, our tech support team is ready to help. Give us a call at (860) 767-2621 or email info@totalboat.com, and we'll help you get your boat show-ready for October.
We can't wait to see what you've been building. See you in the Catskills!
Legacy Wipe-On Polyurethane Gel Wood Finish
