Cruise the Potomac on a Private Boat Tour
Washington, DC is often the most beautiful from the water. Away from the busy hum of city life, a cruise on the water can be a great escape without leaving the area. And Jerry Lee, Captain of Reflections DC, is ready to take guests on a new kind of boat tour.
Unlike most boat tours, this cruise is private and limited to four people. It’s perfect for a small group of friends, a double date, or a family of four with little ones. Jerry creates an interactive trip with his cruises. “People don’t really expect that when they join me for a tour,” he says. “While most boat tours in DC focus on the boat, I try to focus on giving guests a one-of-a-kind experience.”
Like many of us, Jerry was working a traditional 9 to 5 as a lawyer pre-pandemic with a dream to do something new. Boating has been a longtime passion and something he wanted to share with others. While he has been developing this business for a long time, 2020 gave him the time he needed to get ready to launch. In 2021, he started taking guests out on the water full-time.
Jerry has always loved boats and has been boating and sailing since he was twenty. Washington, DC has been the longest place Jerry has called home and he is an active member of the local sailing community.
“My whole goal is to be able to share with people what boating actually is. In DC, you may have noticed the boat tours are very focused on the party. It’s about being fancy. People want that and someone has to run those cruises!” Jerry explains. “But I wanted to focus more on the experience and share what I think boating should be –actually visiting places and having conversations about them.” Jerry especially enjoys boating in DC because you can see so many historic places from the water. Boating offers a truly unique perspective of the city for both tourists and locals.
Need to Know
Reflections DC offers two river cruises Wednesday – Sunday: a daytime cruise and a sunset cruise. Daytime cruises can depart at 11 am, 1:30 pm, and 4:00 while the sunset cruises depart at 6:30 pm. Tours explore two of three neighborhoods depending on conditions and preference: The Wharf, Georgetown, and/or Alexandria.
Arrive about 15 minutes before your trip at Gravelly Point Park where there is plenty of free parking. If you haven’t visited Gravelly Point Park, it is worth arriving early just to watch the planes from DCA fly overhead.
Guests are invited to bring snacks on board and a sweatshirt in case it gets chilly. Hot summer days won’t get too cold but if you visit on a cooler day or in the shoulder season, expect water temperatures to be about 20 degrees cooler on the water.
Guests are invited to bring snacks on board and a sweatshirt in case it gets chilly. Hot summer days won’t get too cold but if you visit on a cooler day or in the shoulder season, expect water temperatures to be about 20 degrees cooler on the water.
Tours last about 2 hours and return to Gravelly Point. Book your tours at reflectionsdc.com or follow along on Instagram @reflectionsdc.