For years, boaters have enjoyed the Washington D.C. fireworks from the special vantage point of the Potomac River. According to the National Parks Service, the show will begin at the oddly specific time of 9:09PM on July 4. If you’ve never done this before, you should probably do it at least once. It’s a hell of a show! However as we come to expect every year, there are restrictions that you need to be aware of in that part of the river.
This year is a lot like last year, in that there will be a Security Zone between the Arlington Memorial Bridge, and the 14th Street bridge, along the eastern side of the river. Some parts of this area are designated for anchoring, and the part closest to shore is an exclusion zone where no boats are allowed. Also like last year, boaters will be allowed to anchor overnight until 9AM July 5 (National Hangover Day).
Also, there will be an extended No-Wake Zone from the 14th Street Bridge all the way down to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge between 9PM and 1AM, so don’t be in such a hurry to get home (unless you like tickets)! All in all, it’s pretty simple. You can download the official announcement here, or just check out this lovely graphic:
Note: Much thanks to Josh Hill at Potomac Marine for turning us on to this info!