It’s been a nasty cold winter, but after a few false starts, it looks like spring is finally upon us. Engines are starting up, marinas are starting to get busy, and we are starting to see more boat traffic on the river. Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for most of 2021, you are probably aware that this year will be a bit different than others. There’s been a few changes, both good and bad, so we’ll highlight some of the big ones here.
The Good
Due to the continuation of the ‘rona, boat sales have not slowed down. According the the National Marine Manufacturers Association, new powerboat sales exceeded 300,000 units for only the second time in 15 years. Marinas in the area are also nearly filled to capacity. What does this mean? Well, on the positive side there will be a lot of new people on the water, providing new opportunities to make friends. This also means that there are many folks who might benefit from the experience of others. Don’t be afraid to offer pointers and help where you can!
BARCA Pier and Wine Bar, new waterfront restaurant opened last year. They have a nice dock with lots of room for boats to pull up and dine/drink. They currently serve up Spanish-Mediterranean small plates, wine, sangria, and cocktails plus weekend brunch. It’s a place you should probably check out!
The Bad
As most of you know already, 2021 was the last year for Tim’s Rivershore in Dumfries. Tim’s 2 at Fairview Beach will still be open though, so we have that going for us. Also, Gilligan’s Pier was sold to Charles County, MD, and they just announced in their final newsletter:
Gilligans Pier is now permanently closed I would like to thank all the people that have come over the years and I thank each and every one of you THANKS ! Gilligans will have a auction on line go to rasmus auction .com it will be on the 15th of April. CHEERS !!!!!
And finally, Rick’s surprised many with the news that this will be their last year in operation. From their facebook page:
We also want to let everyone know that this is acutallly our last year (this time we mean it!!). These past 11 seasons have been one hell of a ride, but all good things must come to an end. That being said, we hope to see EVERY SINGLE LAST ONE OF YOU this summer to help us send this season off with the biggest bang yet!!!!
Ouch. That sucks. But at least we still have Captain Billy’s and Tim’s 2 in that area of the river. As far as we know, that’s all the closing for now.
The Maybe
Yes, we are starting out the season with record high fuel prices. At the time of this writing, the average price for gas was $4.50/gallon, and diesel was a little over $5/gallon. You don’t even want to think about Premium! The prevailing thought is that this will go down a bit, but there’s no doubt that this will affect those long cruise plans for many folks. Either way, we will keep our eyes open, and continue to update the Fuel Prices page every Thursday.
That’s pretty much it. If you know of other news, drop us a line here! We look forward to seeing everyone out on the water for another season soon!