What's happening around the Marina

Everyone had a great time at the barbeque June 9th. Over 90 people showed up and it was a blast! Thanks to the Clevengers', Balls', everyone else who helped, and especially Wendy and the marines for helping out a lot from the marina side. As an added bonus we now have new picnic tables over by 1204.

We reconfigured the south and north field so there is more car parking on the down river side of the property.
Article June 3 in Washington Post

New Belmont Marina Making Some Waves
Extension of No-Wake Zone Sought

By Lisa Rein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, June 3, 2001; Page PW01
Another marina has opened along the Occoquan River, with 158 wet slips below a new development called Belmont Bay. Now, like cars on the on-ramp to an interstate, the Belmont Marina wants the motorboats that ply the waterway to slow down as they cruise out to the Potomac.
On Tuesday, the Board of County Supervisors is expected to approve a request to extend the river's 4.5-mile no-wake zone by 600 feet east of the point where, until now, boats could motor full throttle out to Occoquan Bay.
The extended protected zone in front of the marina means that motorboats will take two to five minutes longer to head downstream to the Potomac, county officials said. In a no-wake zone, boats must idle to avoid creating powerful wakes that can jostle other watercraft moored in nearby marinas.
The Belmont Marina is on the Prince William side of the Occoquan east of the Route 1 bridge. Half of the 75 slips have been taken and are home to 30- to 50-foot motorboats and sailboats, said John Creasy, a partner in the marina. The facility serves Belmont Bay on the cliffs above, which has 200 town houses and single-family houses. The development will have 1,500 houses when completed.
"It's a common-sense safety issue," Creasy said. "You don't want boats to be at full speed as they enter or leave the marina."
The marina has a floating breakwater that stretches about 200 feet and contains refueling tanks. Creasy said he is concerned that large wakes could erode the breakwater and slosh gasoline around while boats refuel. As boats idle out of the marina on the river, he doesn't want them crashing into other watercraft.
The navigable portion of the Occoquan River extends from the Town of Occoquan to Occoquan Bay, then to the Potomac. Numerous other marinas do a brisk business along the waterway. Some of Belmont Marina's competitors said that although extending the no-wake zone at Belmont Bay will slow boaters, it won't be a major inconvenience.
"There would be grumblings if it went much farther" downstream, said John Click, sales manager at Prince William Marina, a mile south of Belmont Marina. "A boater is responsible for his wake whether or not he is in a no-wake zone."
© 2001 The Washington Post Company

The Following is a new regulation for Maryland Waters so bear this in mind if you go to Mattawoman in a small boat

Notice to MD Boaters: Mandatory Lifejacket Requirement
Effective June 1, 2001, all children under the age of 7 must WEAR a United States Coast Guard approved Personal Flotation Device (Life Jacket - Type I, II, III or V) while underway on a recreational vessel under 21 feet in length on Maryland waters. Recreational vessel includes motorboats, sailboats, canoes, kayaks, rowboats, and any other device capable of being used for transportation on the water, when the vessel is being used for other than commercial purposes.
The Life Jacket must be the proper size for the child and must be in good and serviceable condition.
This requirement does not apply when:

* A vessel is moored or anchored.
* A child is below deck or in an enclosed cabin.

Is it OK if we gather all the email addresses for mail outs to all customers?


Upcoming Events
Keep in mind some of these things to do:

1214 Swan Point Rd. * Woodbridge, Va. 22192
Phone 703.494.7161 Fax 703.494.8786
Open 8-4 M-F, 10-4 Sat, 12-4 Sun