Mazboot is moving

[DCatSea]

After almost 5 years of bouncing around in the Chesapeake Bay (and loving every minute) we have been offered, and have accepted, a slip in Alexandria (VA) City Marina, which presents several Pros, and few Cons:
Pros:
a) Only 30 minutes WALK from our home.
b) 1 slip away from the Alexandria Seaport Foundation, which has an apprenticeship program for budding boatbuilders AND a steam bender.
c) Close to Starbucks, Misha's Coffee, and dozens of decent restaurants and several good bars.
d) A short run to Nats Park (that's baseball for the uninitiated).
e) Two off-leash dog parks within 5 minutes walk.
Cons:
a) Diesel is 20 minutes cruise away (but the trusty Lehman is cheap as chips)
b) Ditto travel-lift and winter storage.
c) Floating debris sometimes begs keen marine environment awareness.
d) Needs good charts and depth sounders (Mazboot offers a consensus of three)

SO - If you are in the upper Potomac please drop by. (There are several transient slips available, and I have gin.

We hope to be moving in on or around April 21st.

[motthediesel]

Hey, that sounds great Doug! I know little about the area, but when my wife and I visited DC a couple of years ago, we met up with our niece in Alexandria for dinner and drinks. She is an AF JAG attorney (and full coronel!) at the Pentagon, and Alexandria was her suggestion.

It was out of boating season (late winter) but I was very impressed with Alexandria. The area near the river has a nice "small town" feel, and of course I checked out the marinas along shore. Not much in common with our little Alexandria (Alexandria Bay - New York), but I bet it has a nice shorefront scene in the warm months, just like ours does.

Have fun there

Tom

[DCatSea]

The, albeit very small, issue was always a lack of security. This has now changed with the installation of dock gates and cctv.

[DesertAlbin736]

You forgot one other pro, being able to watch July 4th fireworks from aboard Mazboot while anchored in the Tidal Basin. That was kind of our plan when we had La Dolce Vita on Chesapeake Bay in 2015 when we launched on the Nanticoke River in Blades, DE, but the hot weather convinced us to stick to Solomons, Cambridge, & St. Michaels rather than run all the way up the Potomac.

[Bearkeley]

Wow! That’s like winning the lottery! Congrats! We used to live on Princess street and enjoyed Old Town. Great catfish fishing by Mt Vernon too!

[DCatSea]

Thanks LDV and Mary Jo,
If you find yourselves back this way please drop in.

Regarding The Fireworks, last year was a bit of a debacle; the Mayor of DC, who has mostly done a great job, announced, at 2230 on 7/4, that all anchored boats had to leave the area for security reasons. Despite protests that not a small number of the skippers had been imbibing, the MPD moved through the assembled fleet saying it was time to leave. Apparently a sizable number of boaters had never cruised at night, so you can imagine the degree of trepitude. Luckily there were no real issues.
Also, National Harbor/MGM Casino has FWs Every Saturday Nite, and Alexandria celebrates the 4th on the following weekend, for noted Alexandrian George Washington's birthday, so we'll have front line seats.

[motthediesel]

The, albeit very small, issue was always a lack of security. This has now changed with the installation of dock gates and cctv.

I understand that's necessary now, but it's really too bad that it is. One of my favorite memories of my dad was going to the local marinas on Sunday mornings after church. We would walk up and down the docks, looking at the boats and talking about the rigging details and the owners modifications. Now, whenever I visit someplace with shorefront docking I wish I could still do the same, but most places it's not possible.

Boy, do I sound like an old phart or what?

[DCatSea]

I know the feeling, but it's fact of life these days. I'm told the biggest issue in Alexandria was people climbing onto boats to take wedding pictures. Seems strange to me, but I doubt if our "experienced" 27FC would be a target anyway.

I'm also known for "Old Phart-ness"; Maybe AOG needs a separate OP forum.

[Ambler27FC]

Exceptional, but hope you don't abandon the bay! I remember driving up and down the Potomac as a long day, but surprisingly nice. That is a great location, especially if it near home. North or Georgetown was a very relaxed.

There is a certain civility in being in the middle of nowhere. I remember a lot of boaters up there driving like they were on the beltway - but no worse than Annapolis. A great location, but hope you search out quite waters when you can.

[DCatSea]

As an old River Thames driver (upper and lower reaches) in my teens and 20's I am looking forward to being a riverine sailor again, with an occasional foray into the salt just to clear the mud off the bottom.

[DesertAlbin736]

"Exceptional, but hope you don't abandon the bay!"

A must see stop in vicinity of Patuxent River is Vera's Beach Club near the upper end of St Leonard Creek.

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I once saw this Albin 27 docked there. Wonder whose that was?

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