Liveaboard in the DC area?

Anyone liveaboard in the DC area? I was looking at the option of working out of IAD airport and was wondering if there are any liveaboard marinas on the Potomac.

Thanks for the info!

ERJpilot said:

Anyone liveaboard in the DC area? I was looking at the option of working out of IAD airport and was wondering if there are any liveaboard marinas on the Potomac.

Thanks for the info!

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Pull up Active Captain. Zoom in on the Washington Channel. There should be several markers for marinas come up. I have see livaboards at most. It's a very convenient location to Washington National. Walking distance to downtown.

Here are a couple of tips:
Tantallon Marina on the Maryland side, just upriver from Ft. Washington. I have no personal experience with Tantallon. Just passing this along. I believe the small channel from the Potomac is very shallow - entry/exit from the marina may require a high tide.

Home Page

National Harbor may host liveaboards. This marina is also on the Maryland side, just downriver from the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. I've fueled there and that is the extent of my personal experience with National Harbor.

National Harbor Marina

I'll check them out, thanks for the info

Any thoughts on marinas farther down the Potomac? I wouldn't mind be about an hour away from IAD.

Traffic congestion here can be intensely congested. IAD to the Washington Channel marinas or to Tantallon/National Harbor could easily be a 1-hour plus commute, depending on time of day, etc. Sorry to sound so gloomy. If possible, I'd recommend getting some firsthand commuting information from your counterparts already working out of IAD. Or - If you can get yourself a seat out of DCA it would be a breeze - you'd be dealing with a 20 minute drive.

Well we are opening a new crew base in IAD so at the moment there isn't anyone there I know of who could give me much info on the commute. Since I only do one trip a week and it's not normally at rush hour times I was looking into some of the marinas farther down river, even as far as Quantico.

I'd suggest starting at the MetroRail/MetroBus...

Metrorail and Metrobus

...then find a marina in a good neighborhood along the Metro.

Gangplank Marina is located near the mall and appears to allow liveaboards.

http://www.gangplank.com/documents/2013-14ScheduleofFees.pdf

It's a half mile/5 minute walk to the L'Enfant Metro Station on the mall.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=map&...F-8&ei=mA6ZUenrI6HJiwLCt4DIBQ&ved=0CAsQ_AUoAg

If you need advice on which neighborhoods to avoid, PM me.

I just checked Gangplank's website. Liveaboard rate quoted at $150 a month in 2011 (prices were couple of years old). Looked pretty good. I know that neighborhood is good. Wish I'd known about that when I was stationed at the Pentagon!

I think you might find you almost need to be grand-fathered in to get a spot at the Gangplank, particularly if you intend to bring your own vessel. And I do not know of many for rent....if any?

As others have said the commute around DC can be a REAL problem. But if you only need to do it for 1 day a week, and not at rush hour, that is a whole different story. You could live at any number of marinas down near Annapolis,....many more choices, and generally much nicer accomodations.

I've been thinking about moving back on a vessel again with my Thai wife for those portions of the year we are in the US. And initially we would live in the DC area.

When do you plan on doing this? I might be able to steer you to some locales. But I am leaving for the month of Aug to visit Thailand.

Tantallon Marina on the East side of the Potomac just south of National harbor has openings. Home Page

Thanks for all the info folks. I am still considering it but have had some other things going on so haven't made a scouting trip up to DC yet. Long Island area is another possibility for me so I have been researching that as well. It might be difficult to leave the year round warm weather of Houston, but perhaps exchanging blazingly hot summers for freezing winters won't be the worst transition...

Can you safely live aboard year round in freezing climates? I'd hate to be on a trip when a severe cold snap hits and hoses and components and their contents start freezing, expanding and splitting. I'll take the heat over the cold for a live aboard life any day.

If you don't trust your heating setup and/or have someone to check on the boat...usually draining the fresh water and winterizing it should be set up to be able to do it and undo it in just a few minutes...

jwitzel said:

Tantallon Marina on the East side of the Potomac just south of National harbor has openings. Home Page

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I had another look at this marina just a few weeks ago, and met the lady owner. This marina is located in a nice residential area that is a LONG bike ride to a small shopping area (but easy car access). Its quite, peaceful, with nice baths and community room. Prices not too bad either.

There is also a relative new houseboat for sale there as well,....I think the story is the fellow bought it to live on (had it built) following a divorce, but now his plans have changed.

I may be looking at another trawler vessel that has recently come up for sale at a marina that is just a little bit more down the Potomac from Tantallon in the next month, and can give you a report on that one (and the Defever vessel) if you wish.

**(I'm hesitant about buying a vessel, as I so much want a Pilgrim type vessel)

If you can get in, the Capital Yacht Club is absolutely the best. Interesting mix of people. You have to be there to appreciate it. Every time we are in DC we anchor in the channel and use the dingy dock and club facilities. Very friendly. A can't miss with them.

Barpilot said:

If you can get in, the Capital Yacht Club is absolutely the best. Interesting mix of people. You have to be there to appreciate it. Every time we are in DC we anchor in the channel and use the dingy dock and club facilities. Very friendly. A can't miss with them.

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It's a great place to tie up or anchor. Close to everything including a subway stop. Short bike ride to all the activity around the Mall.

Here's a picture on a rainy day from my boat at the Capital YC.

Moonstruck said:

Here's a picture on a rainy day from my boat at the Capital YC.

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Are you there now? If so is there a Pilgrim 40 on the docks? I was led to understand their is a member there who has one, and that he is an architect (perhaps marine architect) ?

You can also try James Creek marina as well, its pretty close to gangplank. I've tied up there a few times for a week in their transient slips over the 4th of july.

jmonster said:

You can also try James Creek marina as well, its pretty close to gangplank. I've tied up there a few times for a week in their transient slips over the 4th of july.

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James Creek is a Non-Liveaboard marina.

Ah, I stand corrected, James Creek is not a live-aboard marina. Thanks Brian.

brian eiland said:

Are you there now? If so is there a Pilgrim 40 on the docks? I was led to understand their is a member there who has one, and that he is an architect (perhaps marine architect) ?

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Nope. I am on the boat in Ft. Pierce.

Almost all marinas run under the National Park Service do not allow live-aboards. There are at least 3 of those in the DC area

I don't know if this place allows livaboards. You could call them.

Columbia Island Marina on the Pentagon Lagoon

WesK said:

I don't know if this place allows livaboards. You could call them.

Columbia Island Marina on the Pentagon Lagoon

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See the comment just above...

brian eiland said:

Almost all marinas run under the National Park Service do not allow live-aboards. There are at least 3 of those in the DC area

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First hand I have been to Talon looking to live aboard, I would not do it. The wife at the time said not just NO, but H NO! As for Gang Plank, it is very nice, but as mentiond before, the only way I was to get a live aboard slip,was to buy the boat and the slip lease.....they had an extensive wait list.

I too used to commute out of IAD, and lived in Calvert County, i was only making the drive once a month each way so it was not too bad, but over an hour and VA traffic makes the SF Bay Area look good, depending on how you want to boat Solomon's might be an option, but the further north on the Chesapeake certainly gives you more city type things, but Saint Marries county has grown expodentialy and traffic trying to cros the bridge at Pax river is even worse!

So I have taken drastic measures and am moving to FL!

>So I have taken drastic measures and am moving to FL!<

You should hurry , some states tax any retirement earned while in that state.

Vote with your feet , while it is still legal!

There are marinas on the Occoquan River not all that far from DC and you would be on the rights side of the Potomac for Dulles Airport.

ERJpilot said:

I'll check them out, thanks for the info

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Contact Joe at Gladys Marine, he is right at the Gangplank and lists about 90% of the liveaboard yachts. Usually if you buy one you can keep the slip with the liveaboard status. It is the easiest way to get in there.

Tantallon is horrible.

Thanks for the info everyone. I ended up getting based out of Newark NJ so my focus will be up there for now, I really appreciate the info. Hopefully someone else looking for liveaboard in DC will find this thread and get to use some of the info.

Happy Boating!