The U.S. Sailboat Show (October 9-13) and the U.S. Powerboat Show (October 16-19) unfold in Annapolis every fall, and thousands flock to Maryland’s capital to experience the impressive transformation of a quiet historic town into a sort of Disneyland for boaters. Here are seven reasons you should go. The shows offer great excuses to visit Annapolis. I often hear from friends in the DC metropolitan area or Pennsylvania say, “I love Annapolis, but I haven’t been there for a long time.” We’re all crazy busy. It takes a reason and a date penned on the calendar to escape our regular routines. These are Annapolis’s two most exciting weekends. You don’t want to miss them. To buy a fall jacket. Really. If you want an attractive high-tech, waterproof, layerable shell good in any season for outdoor activities, you will find a myriad of options at the Boat Shows. The same goes for deck shoes, warm boots, waterproof watches, sunglasses, floppy hats, sport gloves, handmade scarves, serious socks, and even unique nautical jewelry. If you’re already a boat owner, the sky is the limit as to what you may purchase at the shows: electronics, new lines, hardware, canvas, sails, gear, mattresses, hammocks, custom flags, boat hooks, books, ship’s bells, anchors, boat-friendly dishes, and fishing gear. To buy a boat. If you’re considering buying a boat, even someday, don’t miss the show(s). Your head will spin with the hundreds of options you see before you, but by being there and wandering around, you will learn a lot about what you want and do not want, what you can and cannot afford, what feels like “Life of the Rich and Famous” and what feels like your lifestyle. During both the Sailboat and Powerboat Shows, a “brokerage show” (translation = used boat show) runs nearby,…