A Georgetown Icon Has Returned
Georgetown celebrates the new canal boat.
For the first time in over a decade, a canal boat is back in Georgetown with rides available five days a week during the inaugural season with one-hour guided historical tours of the first mile of the Canal.
Several hundred friends of Georgetown came out on April 28, 2022 to celebrate, joined by Georgetown Heritage, their partners from the National Park Service, the District of Columbia, and the Georgetown Business Improvement District (BID).
Guests enjoyed live music, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres under a tent along the Canal, while touring the new boat and participated in a christening and ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Marking the occasion were Kimberly Clapp, Tina Capetta, Muriel Bowser, Brooke Pinto, Joe Sternlieb, and Jennifer Romm.
Kimberly Clapp proudly described the new 80-foot boat that carries 60 people and reflected on the original city boat 194 years ago whose “residents wanted the boat to go through Georgetown.”
Tina Capetta from the National Park Service, inspired that “a Georgetown icon has returned to Georgetown” quoted Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world.
Thanking the community and proud to be here celebrating the new boat, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser “Can’t wait to show it off across the nation.”
Ward 2 Council Member Brooke Pinto thanked Georgetown Heritage and in particular, Jack Evans, stressing that tourism is at the center of economic recovery. She urged continued investment in the Canal.
Known for his love of transportation, Joe Sternlieb, CEO and President of Georgetown BID, recalled the canal project being one of 17 action items 11 years ago and commended the group effort that made it happen.
Georgetown Heritage President and Chair, Jennifer Romm, overwhelmed by all the support, reminisced about her longtime involvement with restoring the canal, and her hope to “bring every 3rd grader in the DC school system here.”
For more information about restoring the Canal, visit Georgetown Heritage.