For $30,000 a year, you can have a yacht and captain at The Wharf

WASHINGTON — For $30,000 a year, you can have a yacht and the services of a captain, at The Wharf in D.C.

Barton & Gray Mariners Club, a luxury day-yachting club based in 20 harbors from Nantucket to Miami, is bringing its Hinckley yachts and captains to The Wharf.

The privilege to have access to boat and crew doesn’t come cheap.

Barton & Gray Mariners Club memberships come in four tiers, starting at $29,500 a year plus a $12,000 initiation fee. Tiers go up from there, to $39,500 a year and $49,500 a year, and a top tier “Fleet Admiral” membership that is only issued twice per year and isn’t publicly priced unless you inquire.

The various levels range from unlimited reservations, to complementary yacht upgrades to out-of-season scheduling.

Membership does include access to the club’s fleet of crewed Hinckley Yachts throughout the Eastern Seaboard, with “all the joys of yachting in their life without any of the hassle,” according to the club.

“From the Potomac to the Chesapeake, this area boasts two of the most historic rivers in the country and is well loved for boating and entertaining on the water,” said Doug Gray, co-founder of Barton & Gray.

“It has been a dream of ours to expand into the area and as D.C. transforms into a true waterfront destination, we are excited to bring our Mariners Club to locals who are looking to enjoy yachting without any of the commitment of boat ownership,” Gray said.

What can the crew do for you?

Anything from an onboard clam bake and Champagne toast under the stars to trips to private islands and harbor cruises, the club said.

Captains also provide towels, phone chargers, sunscreen, drinks and snacks, fishing gear, paddle boards, snorkeling gear and towable inner tubes.

Barton & Gray currently has 30 Hinckley yachts in its fleet — and they’re not shabby boats.

Hinckley, founded in 1928, is known for its handmade mahogany and teak decks, rails and cabinetry, and classic designs. Hinckley, based in Southwest Harbor, Maine, builds what are known as downeast-style lobster boats, and they’re powered by a jet drive, not a propeller.

Hinckley & Gray Mariners Club will launch at The Wharf June 1.

Jeff Clabaugh

Jeff Clabaugh has spent 20 years covering the Washington region's economy and financial markets for WTOP as part of a partnership with the Washington Business Journal, and officially joined the WTOP newsroom staff in January 2016.

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