Canal Boat
The C&O Canal became a National Historical Park in 1971 - the same year the first Canal boat tours were given. In 2011, the most recent Canal boat - The Georgetown - was damaged beyond repair and deemed inoperable.
Now, for the first time in more than a decade, a Canal boat is back in Georgetown! The new boat was funded by a grant from the District of Columbia, and designed as a historic replica of the boats you would see in the 1880s, during the heyday of the Canal’s commercial operation in Georgetown. With a few modern upgrades, of course. (We’re talking bathrooms.)
Construction
The new canal boat was designed and built by Tridentis, LLC, a local naval architecture firm headquartered in Alexandria, VA. Fabrication took place at the Roudebush Yacht & Engine Works shipyard outside of Baltimore. The canal boat was created in two halves that were eventually put together after the boat was delivered to Georgetown. Measuring 80 feet long and 12 feet wide, the boat is modeled after designs for historic packet boats that were used on the Canal during its early years of service, and were built to fit the Canal locks.
This replica includes modern amenities and materials, including an onboard restroom, battery-powered electric motor, and a fiberglass hull to ensure visitor comfort and safety.
The Big Tow Out
If you visited Georgetown anytime between 1980 and 2011, you probably have a memory of The Georgetown - the old, mule-drawn Canal boat that operated for nearly 30 years. After it was decommissioned, the boat sat rotting in the canal until 2016, when it was given a proper community send-off and towed away.