Ahoy! Alexandria City Council Approves Tall Ship Providence Docking at Waterfront for 1 Year
If approved, the ship will be docked in the Port City from June 1, 2019, through May 31, 2020.
Alexandria, VA – The Alexandria City Council unanimously approved a lease agreement for the Tall Ship Providence to dock at the foot of Waterfront Park for a year. The 110-foot, 12 gun sloop of war is an exact replica of the first war ships used by the Continental Navy during the American Revolution, and council decided on the matter at its legislative meeting on Saturday, April 13.
“We’re excited to bring the Tall Ship to our waterfront,” Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson said.
The ship will be docked in the Port City from June 1, 2019, through May 31, 2020.
The nonprofit Tall Ship Providence Foundation, which now lists its address in Alexandria, has agreed to pay the city $15,000 a year – divided by 12 monthly payments – to dock at the port. The amount will increase 3 percent annually as long as the ship and its crew of 44 abide by the lease agreement.
According to the Tall Ship Providence Foundation:
“When Providence arrives in Alexandria in summer of 2019, we will welcome visitors aboard to see the ship, meet John Paul Jones, and get a taste of what life was like aboard an eighteenth-century sloop. We will also offer cruises on the Potomac, including family-oriented adventures and a regular “craft brew cruise” in partnership with Port City Brewing. You can even rent the ship for special tours to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, or corporate event.”
The city is allowing for a gift shop to operate on the ship, but stipulates that the vessel will not take on any gasoline or fuel; noise on the ship should not be heard as far as North Union Street (the first street parallel to the waterfront) and that there should not be any foul odors or litter debris in the surrounding shore area.
