UPDATE: The marina has been rebuilt as The Wharf Marina and is now managed by Oasis. I'll start…read morewith the positives - overall, the new concrete docks are solid and float well. That alone is a huge improvement that earns one additional star. The new marina office is nice, and the mail area is well-built.
I agree with Tim B. about the not-so-positives. The dock layout was not well-thought out from a boating perspective. Liveaboard boaters who had been at Gangplank Marina for decades provided input on how the layout should be configured to ensure access to boats from land and for vehicles for delivery of large items necessary for boats and for repairs. This was ignored. We also suggested pilings to aid with docking throughout the marina. Pilings were only installed on Z dock and not installed on all other docks (we assume as a cost-cutting measure), meaning that docking in wind in double-loaded slips creates an added challenge.
The facilities are new, which is fantastic, but they are not set up to serve boaters well. Laundry facilities are extremely expensive ($3.00+ per load). Bathroom facilities are not practical (shaving, washing your face, or brushing teeth with an automatic sensor faucet doesn't work well). Shower facilities drain poorly and shower heads seem cheap. Lights are too dim and do not work at all in changing room currently (has been reported numerous times over the past year).
As an over 15-year liveaboard boater in the area, I wouldn't mind any of these things. However, the proposed price increases per foot for 2023 don't make sense. The 2023 slip rates and fees put the cost of living at the marina over twice as high all other marina in DC, including Navy Yard and much higher than Capital Yacht Club, the private member club also located at The Wharf. The level of service also doesn't justify the prices.
I want Wharf Marina to be a world class marina. There is still much work to be done to get there. If the 2023 prices remain, I'll be looking at other marinas shortly.
