The 2019 Potomac River Swim is looking for a few good Whalers!

[GoldenDaze]

Early each summer, 40 or so moderately crazy swimmers make a 7.5 mile crossing of the mouth of the Potomac River, from the Northern Neck of Virginia to Point Lookout State Park in Maryland. The swimmers are escorted by kayaks, and the kayaks in turn are escorted by Whalers (and sometimes some non-Whaler friends as well). We also have the support of the US Coast Guard, USCG Auxiliary, and the Maryland Natural Resources Police.

This year's swim will be on Saturday, June 1st. Activities commence on Friday evening at 6pm with a spaghetti dinner at Trinity Parish Church in Saint Marys, Maryland, followed by some beers and fish stories sitting around by the boats. Overnight hotel accommodations are provided at no charge for the boaters (details to be determined). We launch at Point Lookout at about 6:30am, with the swimmers and kayakers typically transported across the Potomac on some commercial fishing boats; the smaller Whalers then ferry the swimmers from the boats to the beach for an 8am start. In the event of bad weather, which seems to happen as often as not, we'll generally avoid the river crossing and hold a shorter out-and-back swim from the park.

During the swim, the Whalers patrol the swim area, coordinating with the USCG and the DNR to keep passing boats away from the swimmers and kayakers, and occasionally picking up a swimmer who is unable to complete the crossing. The swim organizers typically terminate the event by about 3pm, since afternoon thunderstorms are typical in the area this time of year. While there is an after-swim picnic at the park, the boaters are usually the last ones off the water, so we generally join up for an early dinner at a nearby seafood restaurant before heading home.

Swim event information can be found at http://www.potomacriverswim.com/, and boater-specific info is at http://www.potomacriverswim.com/pr2019b.htm. You can see my photos from the 2016 and 2009 events at http://www.potomacriverswim.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1102571418993&set=a.1102430775477&type=3. In the past we've had people come from as far away as Ohio (more than once!), so from near or far we'll do our best to make you feel welcome!

Sound like fun? If you'd like to participate, email me at bobkurtzjr@gmail.com.

Thanks,
Bob

[Jefecinco]

When I returned from an assignment to Italy in 1978 I was assigned a short distance from Mount Vernon on the Potomac River. Our boating area was the upper river from DC to the US 301 bridge. Back then, due to contamination, we were advised to consume no fish caught North of the Quantico Maine Base. Times have changed for the better.