Association Forum - Haul out services near Washington D.C.

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Haul out services near Washington D.C.

New Topic

Reply to Topic

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

Mmlspace
Deckhand

Member Avatar

USA
3 Posts

Initially Posted - 11/02/2020 : 09:28:14

Hello Everyone.

I'm new to the forum and sailing. Please point to the right forum if I'm choosing the wrong one.

I've been doing my research and taking classes this year to get ready to buy a catalina 25 or 27. I'm interested in the logistics for how people in the D.C. metro area get services on the Potomac, especially since Covid.

Where do you go for haul out, power washing, bottom painting and service staff who are good with sailboat/catalina issues? Are there storage yards in the area that allow DIY work, especially if you don't have a trailer and need to be blocked?

Or am I better off just driving past the river I live near and storing a boat on the Chesapeake's Western shore?

Marshall

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3367 Posts

Response Posted - 11/02/2020 : 20:57:36

North of the Wilson Bridge, the Washington Sailing Marina on the Virginia side just south of Natl Reagan Airport, has a travel lift. They perform pressure washes and can move your boat into their maintenance yard for when you need bottom painting and mostly minor work items. I have not checked recently as to their maintenance yard practices but you were able to also work on your boat yourself while in the yard. Regardless of who works on the boat, they charge for each day the boat is in the yard and max days in the yard use to be and may still be...2 weeks. The boat could be put on supports outside the maintenance yard but those spaces are for dry slips/storage and may have a wait list.
South of the Wilson Bridge, the next best option close to DC area would be the Fort Washington Marina (on the Maryland side). For sailboats, the inlet toward the marina is shallow especially around time of low tide but depth is okay at the Marina. The Fort Washington Marina has a travel lift but the marina personnel, at least the last time I was there, do not perform maintenance other than set your boat up on blocks or travel lift your boat to a maintenance facility located toward rear and side of the marina - The facility I used 5+ years ago was Fiberglas Fabricators but not sure if they still are there or changed ownership. I had blisters removed from my hull and Then waterproofed the bottom with 7 coats of Epoxy paint, then copolymer anti-fouling paint. (Photos on my website.). I believe there is at least one, maybe two other maintenance service providers located at the marina working out of trailers.

I was at James Creek Marina , adjacent to Fort McNair. But I just relocated my boat in October, south on the Potomac River to the Quantico Marina. Both marinas lack maintenance services but you find out the mobile mechanics that regularly perform work when you need specifics performed.

Also, the oldest marina in the DC area is the Washington Marina and they can perform work on outboards/engines. Also, they sell various outboard brands. However, they are located just north of the fish market on the Washington Channel. Maine Avenue runs past their marina but best to use Waze to get there by car as it is a bit tricky accessing that area. Traveling by sailboat, the marina is not that accessible (check). The Washington Marina is mostly a motorboat Marina. Only a few slips are accessible by sailboats due to the somewhat low bridge overpass on south-side of the marina.

By the way, many keep their boats in the water year-round. Except for the one year I had the bottom restored, my boat has been year-round since 2005....and same by the PO. At James Creek Marina, they have flow agitators that they turn on during winter months to protect the floating docks allowing them to freely move up and down the support poles. The boats generally benefit depending on where those agitators are located, so little or no ice forms around the boats, Since 2005, only 1 or 2 winters, there was a deep freeze around my boat but no damage after the thawing out a couple of weeks later. Every year, I have been able to go sailing during the winter but obviously a lot less often dependent on weather conditions.

Larry
'89 Robin's Nest#5820, Potomac River/Quantico, Va
http://catalina25.homestead.com/olarryr.html

Edited by - OLarryR on 11/02/2020 21:20:39

Mmlspace
Deckhand

Members Avatar

USA
3 Posts

Response Posted - 11/03/2020 : 06:54:42

Thank you so much, Larry.

Have you ever had the need or motivation to go further south to Occoquan area? I've seen several marine service providers online down there but I wasn't sure if they are really more for power boats.

Marshall

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3367 Posts

Response Posted - 11/03/2020 : 07:37:24

If in the Wash DC area like James Creek Marina, Washington Sailing Marina, Gangplank Marina, etc then the best place to go for regular maintenance items like power washings and bottom painting is the Washington Sailing Marina. The Occoquan area is at least 4 hours away by sailboat and so not a primary choice. Also, I believe most of the marinas in Occoquan are way inside the inlet/channel taking a long time to get to them and believe they mostly cater to motorboats. Also, when you check out haul-out facilities - they would have to have an open travel arm lift to accommodate the mast , so another thing to check out.

Starting about a year or so ago, I have started to use a Davis Scrubbis for cleaning slime off the hull bottom versus going for a pressure wash and it works pretty well but not as good as a pressure wash. Washington Sailing Marina use to have a Tuesday special for pressure washing - $80 for any size sailboat haul out, pressure wash and dropping the boat back into the river. Anyway, for a 25 foot sailboat, the cost was about $90 on the other days as well, so pretty much the same extremely low cost. But they changed the pricing structure and did away with the Tuesday specials - Now everything is per foot cost for the haul out/in for pressure washing and a separate cost for the pressure wash itself. Believe it is now something like $200 but you would have to check. So, for the last 1 1/2 years or so I have been using the Davis Scrubis.

I am now due for a bottom painting. My friend has the slip opposite mine at Quantico Marina with a Catalina 32 and he is also due for a bottom painting. Looking at our options north and south on the Potomac, we may go to the Washington Sailing Marina but that would take me about 5 hours to get there (took me 6 hrs to get from James Creek to Quantico by motor) and their travel lift is in an area where you need to be within 2 hours or so of high tide.....so, we probably would have to get there the night before a scheduled lift out of the water. Fort Washington Marina is closer but prefer the maintenance yard at the other marina. Also, Fort Washington Marina would pose a bigger issue timing the inlet shallow entry for my friend's boat and then.......well, Fort Washington is on the Maryland side so it's then added transportation logistic issue to deal with until sailing back.

However, there is a glimmer of hope for another marina that may be able to provide sailboat maintenance and closer to Quantico. South on the river, there is Aquia Creek. There is a low bridge in the creek ruling out access to some of the marinas there but one marina, Aquia Bay Marina is before the bridge, has an open arm travel lift and there are some sailboats at their marina...and they do perform maintenance services. So, I need to check them out and see if a viable option. It is a bit shallow in the creek approaching the marina ...about 3-4 feet at low tide. But with my wing keel, I should be okay especially outside of low tide. My friend's boat would have an issue but close to high tide probably okay. Anyway, something to check out.

Larry
'89 Robin's Nest#5820, Potomac River/Quantico, Va
http://catalina25.homestead.com/olarryr.html

Edited by - OLarryR on 11/03/2020 07:43:25

Mmlspace
Deckhand

Members Avatar

USA
3 Posts

Response Posted - 11/03/2020 : 08:02:52

Thanks!

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3367 Posts

Response Posted - 11/03/2020 : 20:18:32

Marshall, Checked out your username and see you are from Alexandria. Your best option for keeping a sailboat at a marina is probably the Washington Sailing Marina for a few reasons. First, you will have plenty of fellow sailors at that marina to gain from their sailboat, maintenance, marina services and waterway experiences since the marina has only sailboats in it. (Plenty of Catalina�s in the marina.) Secondly, that marina can provide the most common maintenance services and has a travel arm lift. Third, it is probably the closest marina to you and the less time it takes to get down to your boat and sail, the more frequently you will be able to go sailing especially on those days when only a half a day of good weather can be turned into a sailing day versus a driving day back and forth to a further away marina. The negatives are first, that the marina cost is fairly expensive as are other urban located marinas. Second, getting into and out of the marina involves utilizing a fairly narrow channel especially within 2 hours plus/minus of low tide - What this means is that you have to rely on your outboard for getting in and out of that channel since it would be risky tacking that channel unless winds happen to be favorable.

The Belle Haven Marina is just south of the Wilson Bridge - A lot of shallow water surrounds that area but has sufficient water depth to get in and out. Believe they have a long waiting list to get a slip in that marina and there are not that many slips.

James Creek Marina in DC, adjacent to Fort McNair and the Washington Channel is okay but no maintenance services, only mobile mechanics, etc to work on your boat, if needed. I was in the Marina since 2005 thru this past October. Has about 10+% sailboats. Total of 300 slips. Benefit was that if you were headed back to the marina and your motor konked out, you could still sail over to the outer dock of the marina. (Happened twice to me during first month I owned my boat, then bought a new outboard.). Recently two condos built next to the marina one being completed in a month or so and the other presently signing up residents. As a result, the marina has raised their annual fee and the double whammy for me was that they changed from basing cost per foot on the boat length to the boat or finger slip length which additionally would raise my cost starting January 2021. I enjoyed the benefit that the marina was only 10 minutes from work but now I am retired, so not so much a benefit any longer. The Washington Sailing Marina is also fairly expensive but less than James Creek Marina.
On the Virginia side, few if any marinas close to Alexandria......except perhaps right in Old Town. They have slips, a yacht club but not sure of costs, availability or accessible parking in that busy area. Further south, I already mentioned Belle Haven Marina. Then there is Fort Belvoir but you probably need to have a DOD badge to get in there and a lot of shallow water. Mount Vernon ? Not sure. I guess that then leaves Occoquan area but long channel to get in and out of and believe most marinas cater to only motor boats except perhaps one yacht club. A number of those Marina not only cater to motorboats but primarily to customers buying a motorboat from their dealership. (Well....that was what I was told back in 2005 when I was searching for viable Marina options. Maybe times have changed, so maybe check with the marinas......also check any bridge clearances against mast and topsides height.)

Larry
'89 Robin's Nest#5820, Potomac River/Quantico, Va
http://catalina25.homestead.com/olarryr.html

Edited by - OLarryR on 11/03/2020 20:36:36

Topic

New Topic

Reply to Topic

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.