Occoquan River
3rd Annual Occoquan River Cleanup
The 3rd Annual Occoquan River Spring Clean-Up with take place on Saturday, April 14th from 9:00am to 3:00pm.
The Prince William Trails and Stream Coalition is looking for experienced kayakers and canoeists to go for a paddle and pickup trash and debris along the way. Shuttle service for kayakers and canoeists will be available on a scheduled basis on both the Prince William and Fairfax sides of the river.
Register now and join your neighbors and volunteers in sprucing up the shoreline in town! Meet at Town Hall wearing sturdy shoes. Dumpsters, toilet facilities, trash bags, gloves and refreshments will be provided.
Buy the Island in Occoquan Bay – UPDATED
Unbelievably, the tiny island in the middle of Occoquan Bay (known as Holiday Island, Dogue Island, Smoot Island, or Rock Island) has turned up for sale! The county assessment? $2,500 The list price? $477,000 ouch! Here is the virtual tour, courtesy of MRIS.
For some unknown reason, the address of the island is 15751 Featherstone Road. The island is 1/4 acre and zoned A-1 (agricultural) but you could probably talk Corey Stewart into rezoning the island for commercial office space.
Correction: A previous version of this story included photographs of Conrad Island.
Occoquan Panorama
I just stumbled across this awesome video taken from a remote control airplane as it soars along the Occoquan River. Worth watching!
Occoquan 5th Flight from Paul Thompson on Vimeo.
Occoquan River Rapids
Posted by Lou on December 9, 2011 in Occoquan River, Video
After a lot of rain, the Occoquan River is no joke. This 30 second video was shot from Nathaniel Ellicott Footbridge on the North side of town.
Navigating the Occoquan River
The Occoquan River contains many aids to navigation, commonly known as buoys or channel markers, which are designed, built and maintained by the United States Coast Guard. While some Aids to Navigation are buoys, many others are day markers. The general purpose is to provide the boating public with a “sense of direction” while on the water.
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”
The Muddy Waters of the Chesapeake
Posted by Lou on September 18, 2011 in Boating News, Chesapeake Bay, Occoquan River, Pictures, Potomac River
The “true color” image below, courtesy of Maryland’s Eyes on the Bay website, shows just how unbelievably muddy the Chesapeake Bay has become the in the wake of the copious amount of rainfall that has fallen in the past 2 weeks.
Stuck on a rock
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.
Future Home of Occoquan Riverfront Park
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Will Occoquan Riverfront Park finally become a reality? The Prince William County FY 2012-2017 Capital Improvement Plan calls for a radical revitalization. According to the document:
Occoquan Riverfront Park will be developed on a portion of two parcels of land owned by Fairfax County Water Authority and located at 415 Mill Street and 460 Mill Street in the Town of Occoquan. The site was previously utilized as a water treatment plant and has been decommissioned by Fairfax Water. Fairfax Water will assist in development of the site by selective demolition of existing facilities. The area will be developed into a small community park with a playground, a spray ground, a small amphitheater, and possibly some indoor space appropriate for community based programming.
Where is the money coming from? Debt financing approved by voters during the 2006 bond referendum provides $1,500,000 for this project. Construction of the park is scheduled for completion in 2013.
Aquapalooza 2011: July 23 @Tim’s 1
Posted by Lou on June 23, 2011 in Aquapalooza, Boating News, Chesapeake Bay, Meetups, Occoquan River, Potomac River, Special Events
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).
[umap id="70144" tp="6" size="c" w="600px" h="300px" alignment="left"]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!
Mandatory Boat Licences Arrive
Posted by Lou on June 16, 2011 in Boating News, Chesapeake Bay, Occoquan River, Potomac River, Washington DC News
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).
3rd Annual Spring Dust-Off
Posted by Lou on May 4, 2011 in Boat Clubs, Boating News, Meetups, Occoquan River, Potomac River, Special Events
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.
[umap id="99430" tp="6" size="c" w="500px" h="200px" alignment="left"]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.
Occoquan River Spring Clean-Up
The 10th Annual Occoquan River Spring Clean-Up with take place on Saturday, April 9 from 9:00am to 12:00pm. Join your neighbors and Friends of the Occoquan volunteers in sprucing up the shoreline in town! Meet at Town Hall wearing sturdy shoes. Gloves and trash bags will be provided.
Prince William Boat Show
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.
2011 National Capital Boat Show
The largest boat show in the Washington DC region takes place this weekend at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, Virginia. If you’ve got spring on your mind, check out the details! Saltwater fishing boats, ski boats, runabouts, motor yachts, jet boats, jon boats, PWC, bass boats, inflatables, deck boats and pontoons will all be onsite, ready for you to hop aboard.
Here are the boat show hours:
Friday, March 12, 2011: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Saturday, March 13, 2011: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Sunday, March 14, 2011: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
On Saturday from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM, there will be four Washington Redskins Cheerleaders hanging out at the Prince William Marina (Sea Ray) booth, signing autographs.
Remember, boat manufacturers usually team up with dealers to offer special incentives during boat shows, so it can be a favorable time to buy a boat. If you are thinking about buying, maybe now is the time!