UPDATE: DC Harbor Patrol has verified that you will be able to stay at anchor overnight, but you will be expected to leave in the morning.
Much like every year, Washington D.C. will be putting on their annual Independence Day fireworks on July 4 at the oddly specific time of 9:09PM this year. If you are stuck on land, the best viewing would be on the National Mall. However if you are cool and want to see it by boat, there’s some things you need to be aware of.
The good news is that this year will be much like last year, in that you will want to boat on over to the stretch of river between the Arlington Memorial Bridge and the 14th Street Bridge, to get a view of the fireworks show that is second to none. The show starts around 9PM, but you better get there way early!
As always, there will be special watercraft restrictions that day (like all of DC is a no-wake zone – thanks Chris!), and one new added no-wake zone for you to be aware of. There will be zones designated for anchorage, and other zones in which you will not be allowed to anchor. In the past, people were not allowed to anchor between the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge and the Arlington Memorial Bridge. It’s unclear whether this restriction will be in effect this year, but it probably will. This map was just confirmed (like just now) from the MPD’s Harbor Patrol Unit:
As mentioned above this year there will be an extra temporary no-wake zone starting at the 14th Street Bridge, and extending all the way to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, which will be in effect directly after the show, until the next day. For those who are geographically impaired, here’s a lovely map of the new no-wake zone we did in crayon…
Police will be patrolling this area and cracking down on those folks who violate the no-wake zone, so be careful out there!