The Port of Alexandria's Waterfront Commission studies issues and makes recommendations about the Port of Alexandria waterfront to the City Council. The Commission reviews commercial and private uses of the waterfront and advises the City Council about the Port of Alexandria's historic waterfront on the Potomac River. Established in 2012, the Commission replaced the earlier Waterfront Committee.
The City Marina in the Port of Alexandria offers overnight slips and short-term docking space for recreational and commercial boats in the Port of Alexandria. Restrooms and showers are available to marina users. Each slip has a 30-amp electrical connection and water. Docking is available at this Port of Alexandria marina on a first-come first-served basis. Overnight docking of pleasure boats can be secured by reservation. T-head docking is available for boats more 12.2 meters (40 feet) long. Each T-head has 50-amp electric service.
Limited docking is available by reservation in the Port of Alexandria's City Marina for charter, cruise, business, and commercial vessels. Berths are located at the east end of the Port of Alexandria's Torpedo Factory South Pier, which can accommodate vessels to 24.4 meters (80 feet), and at the east end of the Founder's Park North Pier for vessels up to 67.1 meters (220 feet) in length.
While it is closed on some city holidays, the City Marina in the Port of Alexandria is open from April through mid-September from 9am to 9pm from Monday through Thursday, from 9am to 10pm on Friday and Saturday, and from 8am to 9pm on Sunday. From mid-September through the end of October and from mid-May through , the Port of Alexandria's City Marina is open on Monday through Thursday from 11am until 7:30pm, on Friday and Saturday from 9am to 10pm, and on Sunday from 9am to 7:30pm. From November until March, it is open from 10am until 6pm seven days a week.
Sightseeing cruises and water taxi service are available at the Port of Alexandria's City Marina. Cruises include the monuments of Washington DC, Alexandria's Seaport, and Mount Vernon. The water taxi service transports visitors to Georgetown, Mount Vernon, the new National Harbor, Washington Nationals baseball games, and the Gaylord National Convention Center. The cruises and taxis are provided by the Potomac Riverboat Company. The Potomac Riverboat Company and LA Yachts also operate a private charter boat service from the City Marina in the Port of Alexandria.
The Port of Alexandria's Washington Sailing Marina is on state-of-the-art facility for small sailboats offering sailing lessons and host to the Sailing Club of Washington, the Georgetown Sailing Team, the Potomac River Sailing Association, the Daingerfield Island Sailing Fleet, and the National Yacht Club. The Washington Sailing Marina in the Port of Alexandria offers dry storage on a seasonal and annual basis. The marina has four launch docks, three one-ton launch cranes, and a launch ramp. Dry storage is also available for transient boaters at a rate of $15 per night.
The Washington Sailing Marina in the Port of Alexandria also offers rack space for sailboats up to 4.3 meters (14 feet) without trailers. The space is ideal for windsurfers and dinghies and offers covered storage near the marina launch area. Rack space is available for the winter and summer seasons and on an annual basis. The Port of Alexandria's Washington Sailing Marina offers floating slips on seasonal and annual bases. Most of the 7.6-meter (25 foot) slips include 30-amp electric service and water. The 9.1- and 10.7-meter (30- and 35-foot) slips have electricity and water, dock boxes, and mooring pilings.
In addition to self-help services, the Washington Sailing Marina in the Port of Alexandria offers a variety of services that include haul and launch, ramp launch and pull-out, power washes, towing, and setting boats on trailers. They also offer a Race Special Tuesday Lift and Wash. This Port of Alexandria marina also offers some yard work including bottom preparation and painting, mast stepping/unstopping, and boat cleaning and waxing.
The Port of Alexandria's Washington Sailing Marina offers sailing classes for kids aged 9 to 15 and for adults. The Youth Sailing Day Camps include five 6.5-hour sessions from Monday through Friday from 9:30am until 4pm. Adult classes are available weekends and weeknights, and there is an adult basic day camp for Flying Scot sailboats and weekend basic classes for Sunfish and Keelboats.
In addition to boating services, the Port of Alexandria's Washington Sailing Marina offers boat and bicycle rentals throughout the year. Located on the Mount Vernon Bike Trail, bicyclers can enjoy a 19.3-kilometer (12-mile) ride south to George Washington's Mount Vernon or a 9.7-kilometer (six-mile) ride north across Memorial Bridge to the Washington Monument. Bikes can be rented from 9am until 4pm every day. Single-speed cruiser bicycles are also available.
Boat rentals are available in the Port of Alexandria on weekends from the point at which the water temperature reaches °C (60°F) until mid-October. Renters can reserve one of the marina's Flying Scots or one of their daysailer Aqua Fins. The rental dock opens at 11am, and all boats must be returned by 5pm. Renters must present on-the-water certification from a recognized sailing school or pass a written test at this Port of Alexandria marina.
The Port of Alexandria's Belle Haven Marina is located just south of historic Old Town. Owned by the National Park Service and operated by Belle Haven Marina Inc., the marina offers moorings, a launching ramp, and rack and dry storage. The Port of Alexandria park is open from sunrise until sunset, and the office is open from 9am until 5pm daily. Founded in 1975, Belle Haven has the biggest full-time sailing program on the Potomac at the Mariner Sailing School. Classes begin in early April and continue every week through the end of October. They include a summer Youth Sailing Camp.
The Port of Alexandria's Belle Haven Marina offers boat rentals, and their fleet includes the 10.4-meter (34-foot) C&C sloop Canadame that includes a captain, 5.8-meter (19-foot) Flying Scots, and 4.3-meter (14-foot) Sunfish. There are also kayaks, canoes, and row boats available for those who want to paddle leisurely through Dyke Marsh, which surrounds this Port of Alexandria marina.
The Potomac Riverboat Company in the Port of Alexandria is a family-owned company providing tours since 1974. In addition to river cruises, the Potomac Riverboat Company offers two water taxis that connect the Port of Alexandria with the National Harbor and the Gaylord Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Maryland. The company's boats are used for Port of Alexandria tours and private charters. The Cherry Blossom is used exclusively for private charters for parties from two to 200.
The Potomac Riverboat Company operates cruises that move between the Port of Alexandria and Georgetown in Washington DC. On the route, travelers see some of the country's greatest monuments and the spectacular natural beauty and wildlife of the Potomac River. They also operate a cruise from the Port of Alexandria to the Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens, America's most popular historic home. The company's baseball boat takes passengers to the new stadium on the Anacostia River for the Washington Nationals. Visitors can choose from a group tours and a variety of themed cruises:
- Monuments Cruise
- Mount Vernon Cruise
- Seaport Cruise covering the Port of Alexandria's historic waterfront
- Pirate Cruise for children of all ages
- Canine Cruise where dogs ride free
- Fireworks Cruise for private parties
- Skipjack Minnie V aboard an historic traditional fishing boat used on the Chesapeake Bay
The Port of Alexandria's Potomac Riverboat Company fleet includes several wonderful vessels. The Cherry Blossom is an authentic sternwheeler that recreates the 19th Century Victorian riverboat. Used exclusively for private parties, the sternwheeler can accommodate up to 350 guests. The Miss Mallory and Matthew Hayes are used for public sightseeing tours. The Miss Christin is a double-decker vessels for private parties and corporate events of up to 125 people. The Admiral Tilp is available for smaller parties and events for up to 50 people.
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