January 19th – 22th

January 27th – 29th

February 17th – 19th

March 9th – 11th

March 23rd – 25th

Generally speaking, green markers are kept to the RIGHT when leaving a harbor and red markers are kept to the RIGHT when returning to harbor, thus coining the famous phrase: “Red, Right, Return”

Learn more about the marinas located along the Occoquan River.

The Featherstone National Wildlife Refuge is a strip of 325 acres of pristine riverfront property wedged between Route 1 and the Potomac River.

In 1970, the refuge was made off-limits to the general public. As of today, access is no longer limited. At this point, only boaters can access the refuge via the trail at the southernmost point of Farm Creek, which leads out to Occoquan Bay.

If you’re a fan of hiking and boating, you’re in luck!

Not the most dramatic rescue but a rescue nonetheless! WARNING: Watch out for those unexpected rocks on the north side of the Occoquan walking bridge.

Red Bull National Wake 2.0, a professional wakeboarding competition, will take place July 23rd at National Harbor. This very cool event will feature professional wakeboarders Brian Grubb and JD Webb, along with a crew of local riders. It seems that all-star Parks Bonifay will be M.I.A. from this year’s competition.

These tremendous water athletes will be flying off of custom made features built especially for National Harbor. Towed by Red Bull Waverunners, the riders will put on quite a show for National Harbor visitors. There will be a post event autograph signing and give-a-ways throughout the day.

Check out the Facebook page here and the official event page here.

When: Saturday, July 23, 2011 @ 11:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Where: National Harbor, Maryland

Aquapalooza 2011, the world’s largest boating event, will once again have an outpost in Washington DC, along the Potomac River. The floating party is sponsored by the Prince William Marina. Following last year’s lead, the merry mayhem will take place at Tim’s Rivershore in Dumfries, VA (AKA Tim’s 1).

By road, access will be limited (you will have to shuttle to Tim’s from a parking area). By water, just pull on up! All of the fun’s on the water, so bring your beach towels, sunscreen, water and snacks! And get ready to listen to some country music.

Have fun, be safe, see you at Aquapalooza 2011!

Quick public safety announcement: as of July 1, 2011 PWC operators 50 years of age or younger and motorboat operators 20 years of age or younger are required to complete a boating safety education course. You can find the complete rules and phase-in schedule here.

No worries though, getting your boat license is pretty easy. You just need to buy a DVD from the Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries. The DVD is only 60 minutes long, broken out into 10 minute chapters (looks like the video was filmed by BoatU.S. in 1987). Then you have to take a 50 question multiple choice test (open book) and mail your scantron back with $5.

It takes about 2 weeks to get our licenses in the mail. You can send a copy to your insurance company (and hopefully chop 10% off your boat insurance).

Summer is just around the bend, time to sit back and unwind (once your hull is waxed). To get things crackin’ this year, the Potomac River Party Boaters Association is organizing the3rd Annual Spring Dust-Off during the afternoon/evening of Saturday, May 7th.

This year, the floatilla will take place off the sandy beach at Belmont Bay.

Last year it was a great time (despite the rain delay). This year, the forecast looks sunny! All boats are welcome.

Join the best Facebook group for Potomac River boaters and connect with local boaters! The mission of the Potomac River Party Boaters Association is to promote the tradition and sport of responsibly enjoying the Potomac River each and every summer.

This weekend, for the third year in a row, the Prince William Marina is hosting a boat show along the Occoquan waterfront. The boat show will be running all weekend long, from Friday at 2:00 until Sunday at 5:00. The event has been rebranded this year, with the curious name “Washington Capitol Boating Show” (not to be confused with the “National Capital Boat Show” that took place in Dulles 2 weeks ago).

There is an impressive list of 50 vendors that will be in attendance. Prince William Marina is a Sea Ray dealership and they will have many new & used boats on display. This year promises to include a large number of boats to explore, as both Hoffmaster’s Marina (Chaparrel Boats) and Holly Acres (Bayliner and Regal Boats) will also have boats on display.

If you’re thinking about buying a boat or just counting down the days until summertime, you should plan on stopping by.

The river will be rocking with live music, contests, prizes and more! Visit Tim’s for more information.

The image above, courtesy of the Fairfax County Stormwater Management Program, indicates that the watersheds around Mount Vernon are the lowest quality in the county. The areas around Belmont Bay, fortunately, are high quality.

With the exception of the Colchester stretch, the entire Fairfax shoreline of the Occoquan river is a high-quality watershed.