This winter has been one of the harshest in memory. Most of us made it through, but the butcher’s bill was pretty high. Off the top of our collective heads, we counted 6 boats sunk, and at least 3 boat fires. Seems like after all this, we have earned a good season! If you winterized, and we hope you did, now would probably be a good time to get on your mechanic’s list to de-winterize and spring commission your water-hoopty. If you followed our “advice” from last year’s article on winterizing your fresh water system with vodka, you already have a head-start on the party!
We know some of you are thinking, “It’s only the beginning of March. Shouldn’t we be worried about another freeze?” Ya, I guess you can worry, but we find bourbon helps with that. We can’t tell you what to do but its nice to have a place to crash on St Patrick’s Day.
On an even more positive note, the season’s activities are already lining up and here’s what we know so far:
DC Boat Show at National Harbor – May 2-4
This show is on the water and is aways a fun event. Find the latest upgrades for your money-pit, or shop for the next big thing! They also have live music and other entertainment. It’s certainly worth a day at National Harbor. Tickets are already on sale, so go snatch them up now! More info here.
ORMA Blessing of the Fleet – May 17
An annual tradition on the Potomac River. Join the boat parade and get your vessel blessed for the season. You don’t want to sink, do you? More info here.
Belmont-a-Palooza – June 21
Perhaps one of the craziest and largest raft-ups on the river. The usual suspects will be gathering at Belmont Bay starting around 10AM and although the Facebook event says it will end at 10:45PM, this party will last all weekend. More info here.
Holiday Island Party – July 26
It has been confirmed that the massive raft-up and party at Holiday Island will happen again this year. We don’t have all the info on what bands will be playing yet, but as soon as we do, we will spread the news. Here is the info from last year’s party!
Of course there’s a lot more going on this year, but these few events should be enough to get your juices all worked up! Stay tuned for more!