The big fireworks show for America鈥檚 250th is coming with broader, multi-day waterway restrictions covering key viewing areas near the National Mall, and that is forcing last-minute changes during what is usually the most profitable day of the year for boating companies.
鈥淵eah, so the July Fourth is basically the Super Bowl for boaters in D.C.,鈥� said Jack Maher, co-founder of Sea Suite Cruises.
Jack Maher, co-founder of Sea Suite Cruises, said the holiday typically brings huge crowds and major revenue for businesses operating on the water.
But this year, new restrictions are limiting access to core sections of the river where boats usually gather to watch the fireworks.
From 8 a.m. July 2 to 6 a.m. July 5, all waterways along the Potomac River from the Francis Scott Key Bridge to 200 yards south of the 14th Street Bridge will be closed. On July 4 from 6 p.m. to 11:59 p.m., waterways along the Anacostia River from the 11th Street Bridge to 200 yards south of the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge will also be closed.
Those closures cover some of the most popular on-the-water viewing areas for the fireworks, where hundreds of boats typically anchor each year.
鈥淲e decided we’re just gonna move our operation to Navy Yard for the weekend,鈥� Maher said.
Maher said his company relocated operations before the restrictions came out keep cruises running, and he is glad he did after learning some other operators were forced to cancel tours because they couldn鈥檛 find an alternate location to dock.
鈥淭heir Super Bowl got canceled, and that’s just really unfortunate,鈥� he said.
He said even with him acting early, the timing and changes have created major challenges.
鈥淭he whole thing, even with these different security zones, planning the logistics around moving the home base of our operation to a different location for the busiest weekend of the year is insane, and it’s frustrating,鈥� Maher said.
Maher said another complication is the timing of the fireworks display, which is expected to begin close to 11 p.m.
鈥淚’ve personally never really heard of a Fourth of July fireworks show that starts at 11 p.m.,鈥� Maher said.
For customers, that could mean fewer options to watch from the water, longer outings that cost boat operators more and last-minute changes to plans.
At Adventures Unbound, co-district manager Catherine Brenner said the expanded restrictions are also affecting multiple days of operations, not just the Fourth of July itself.
While their used to shutting down their Tidal Basin rental location on July 4, this year it and the Thompson Boat Center will be closed for two days, starting July 2nd. The company has been adjusting plans because of that, including moving its fourth of July Kayak event outside of the no-go zone.
鈥淲e have heard from some boaters and the coaches that have crew teams here that are upset about those, but sadly, we just lie within the boundaries,鈥� she said.
As they come up with alternatives, co-district manager Gabi Muskett said they鈥檙e creating new experiences, including land-based ticketed event on the roof of Thompson Boat Center for the fireworks show.
“We’re rolling, we’re rolling with the punches here,鈥� she said.
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