The health advisory prompted by a sewage spill has been lifted and D.C.-area boaters can get back out on the Potomac River. A river cruise company is getting its fleet ready to set sail later this month.
Sea Suite Cruises has 15 party boats of different sizes that it operates on the Potomac River, and depending on the boat you choose, you can either bring your own food or drink along, or buy drinks on board.
This year, the company’s Whitlow’s on Water and Cantina Cruises boats will launch first, on March 14, because they have what’s called isinglass. That’s a flexible, clear plastic sheeting that can enclose the boat.
The rest of the fleet will launch March 21.
“We’ve spent a decent amount of time around the water just getting different boats ready for the season,” said company co-founder Jack Maher. “People ask me all the time: Does the water smell? Is it gross? No, it looks and smells just fine.”
Maher said his reaction upon learning of the spill that dumped millions of gallons of sewage in the river was “really just heartbreaking.”
Company co-founder Jack Walten said the situation reminded him of what happened in 2020.
“It’s kind of similar to COVID where we’re going to be continuously monitoring health advisories and guidelines, keeping track of the water testing, and making sure that we don’t have to pivot,” Walten said.
Both Walten and Maher grew up in Arlington, Virginia.
“The river for us is home,” Maher said. “So many of our adult and childhood memories center around the river, and we want to be able to protect that.”
They decided that Sea Suite Cruises will match up to $10,000 in donations that its customers make to the Potomac Riverkeeper Network’s crisis fund that was set up in response to the sewage spill.
“The Potomac is the heartbeat of this city, and as Arlington natives, we feel a deep responsibility to protect it,” Walten said in a statement.
Customers are given the option to make a donation of any size when they book a cruise online.
“I think instead of worrying about it, we decided to channel those feelings of being upset and do something about it,” Maher said.
Looking ahead to the National Cherry Blossom Festival, Walten said the company’s boats are an ideal way for locals to enjoy its beauty while avoiding crowds of tourists.
“Looking at the cherry blossoms from the water is an incredible experience … and it’s not so bad to do that with a beer in your hand,” Walten said.
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