Save the Anchorage In Washington, DC

[JonathanSail]

Thanks for sharing this, I've contacted the coast guard and will keep an eye out for other ways to help in this cause.

Jonathan

[ANCHOR DC]

The DC anchorage currently has over 25 boats anchored in it. From a 65' Flemming motor yacht to a Westsail 32 sailboat. The average boat length in the anchorage is well over 42 feet. Why would DC and the developer want to have fore-aft moorings spaced at 30 feet?

[ANCHOR DC]

The upper reaches of the Washington Channel are about 450 feet wide. If change must occure, I would recommend reducing and splitting the current 400 foot wide channel into two 150 ft wide channels eached placed east and west on the outer banks / docks. Then place a mooring field and anchorage sized for 50 -60 foot boats using the remaining 150 feet in the middle. This would allow visiting traffic and tour boats to have an unconfused traffic pattern and a turning basin just before the 14th street bridge.
Reducing the channel from 400 feet to 200 feet and extending the docks 200 feet into the channel will leave only 50 feet for anchoring or mooring next to the east Potomac park. That is simply not enough room and is too close to shore.

[Greg S]

So how many boats anchored in the channel tonight for the fireworks?

[ANCHOR DC]

Greg, There must be at least 200+ boats, kyaks, dingys, etc. They have a live band playing on the second deck of a 60 foot tug (M/V Wendy B). Everyone is having a wonderful time. I would hate to loose this anchorage .....

[Auspicious]

Interestingly, the Public TV show "A Capitol Fourth" showed an aerial view of Washington Channel over and over through the show.

[btrayfors]

Yup. And here are just a very few of the boats which anchored in the Washington Channel last evening to watch the fireworks.

Bill

[btrayfors]

By the way, the Washington Channel is an historic landmark in the DC area. It was created, along with Hains Point and the Tidal Basin (where the Cherry Blossoms are) late in the 19th Century!

It has remained pretty much as it is for well over 100 years.

And I, a native Washingtonian who grew up with this landmark, don't want to see it change.

Here's a picture taken aboard my 10-ton gaff rigged ketch, Tradewinds, almost 50 years ago. Discerning viewers will immediately recognize the Washington Monument in the background :-)



And, here's the Capital Yacht Club in the early 60's (it's the spire on the far left). Lotsa nice things have taken place in and around the Washington Channel. There's no good reason to change it, IMHO.



Bill

[DirtRdEarl]

We will be in DC for the Army 10 Miler in October and look forward to anchoring
there as well as using the wonderful facilities of the Washington Yacht Club.
What a great group of members and staff.

Earl

[btrayfors]

Here are some more pix of the Fourth of July in the Washington Channel, and a great shot of the Channel in 1935 (courtesy of Capt. Phil Johnson).

Bill

[Sam Plan B]

The SW waterfront developer is PN Hoffman. They are fine people and have not a greedy bone in their collective bodies. Monty Hoffman put the deal together over several years by bringing community, government and commercial interests together to find common ground, namely, the improvement of a long neglected part of DC. The waterfront will provide an opportunity for the world's best architects to do their best work. In the end, the area may rival Baltimore's Inner Harbor. The thing to understand about real estate developers is this. They have a certain artistic vision and can see big building potential on vacant land. But they are also objective about the economic return on their personal time and on the cash involved. The SW waterfront development will be upwards of $2B and that is serious money even in Washington DC.

As for extending the Gang Plank Marina, nothing is set. PN Hoffman has a marina consultant designing the new piers. It is understood by all parties that the residential component is there to stay. As for increasing the number of residents, that is controlled by the logistics of pump out stations, power availability and distance from marina services (showers, laundry, community room, etc.) Having said that, Gang Plank has not even accepted new names on the residential waiting list for many years. So, the market is definately there if the economics can make it pay.

If the above sounds like I know what I'm talking about, well, I do. I leave it to the internet to invent the next consparicy as to who I am, where I live and what I do for a living.

[ANCHOR DC]

I agree that Hoffman has done some wonderful things. I also agree that the developers are driven by economics. Taking 26 acres of water from the anchorage is fine for those living in DC who want to live aboard and stay, but what about the visiting crusiers? What about those voyagers who travel from port to port and stop to visit our Nations capital? They don't want to dock, they may not even want to take a mooring. Many crusiers anchor 60% - 80 % of their time while in cruise mode, somtimes much more. I'm against taking the anchorage away from these crusiers and giving it to the developer for docks and boats that rarely move.

[Sam Plan B]

There is plenty of anchorage along the waterfront just off of Buzzards Point Marina and James Creek Marina (where the local fuel dock is located). That is technically speaking, in the Anacostia thouth it is 1/4 mile from where the Anacostia flows into the Potomac. It is about a 10 minute walk to the Waterfront Metro stop as opposed to a 5 minute walk from the Washington Channel.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Sam Plan B

... If the above sounds like I know what I'm talking about, well, I do. I leave it to the internet to invent the next consparicy as to who I am, where I live and what I do for a living.

No need for the internet to invent a conspiracy as to who you are, etc. You identified yourself, right here, back in 2010:
➥ http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...0-a-43353.html

Is it your work with EE&K that provides your insight as to what is going on?

[ANCHOR DC]

Unfortunately, The anchorage you suggest is not a very protected anchorage, it has lots of wakes, long fetch, and some current, it is also a much longer walk to the National Mall, the Museums, and while near fuel, is not near anything else. Have you ever anchored there? I rarely see anyone anchor there, it is not even listed in standard anchorages by Active Captain, Water Way Guide, Skipper Bob etc.