DCist Goes Sailing: Schooner Edition
Last summer, DCist enjoyed a sailing lesson from DC Sail, the city's nonprofit community sailing center operated by the National Maritime Heritage Foundation (NMHF). We joined three of the friendly folks from DC Sail on a five person, 19-foot Flying Scott, and cruised through the Washington Channel past Hains Point.
This past Friday, we joined them again for one of their bi-weekly Friday night cruises on their larger, 65-foot schooner, American Spirit. The schooner can fit 35 passengers, and travels down the Washington Channel past the airport, and all the way to Nationals Park and Alexandria depending on the wind levels.
Setting sail just past 6 p.m., we pulled out of the dock past the Presidential Sequoia and into the open water. The four-member crew raised the sails, and off we went, passing Hains Point on our right, and leaving the Washington Monument in our wake. The large boat provides a more laid-back environment than the more intimate Flying Scotts used for lessons, with little chance of getting splashed, slipping, or having to do any actual work. If you ask though, the crew might let you steer the boat for a bit, teach you the difference between rope and line, or demonstrate various knotting techniques. Three young, aspiring sailors took the wheel during our cruise, managing to keep us on track with the help of our lobster-hatted crewman.
The NMHF provides light snacks and non-alcoholic beverages for all, and passengers are welcome to bring their own food and alcoholic beverages for consumption on the boat. You can expect the crowd on the boat to be varied, with a few families as well as a handful of couples and groups of friends opting for an alternative to the typical Friday evening happy hour by bringing their own coolers of wine or beer.
The two-and-a-half-hour schooner cruises cost $30 per person for non-members, but those who are interested in sailing more than once (or getting a tax deduction) should opt for purchasing a $50 annual membership instead. The membership comes with one free cruise for the NMHF member and one immediate family member (non-married couples will need to pay the full $30 for the non-member passenger), as well as a discounted $15 rate for each additional cruise.
In addition to the bi-weekly Friday cruises, the NMHF offers flat rate charters at $1200, Boating and Baseball cruises every Saturday that the Nats are in town, adult sailing lessons and certification, Thursday evening members race nights, and Wednesday evening social sailing, which costs only $10 for non-members. Social sailors don't have to be trained; just show up at 5:30 p.m. and join one of the more experienced sailors on a Flying Scott.
All cruises and lessons begin at the Gangplank Marina, next to Cantina Marina on the Southwest Waterfront. Advanced registration is required for schooner cruises; call 202-547-1250 or email arediker [at] nmhf.org to sign up.