Yacht Basin No. 2 (former) – Washington DC

Description

Yacht Basin No. 2 was part of a large-scale New Deal redevelopment of the Washington Channel and Southwest Waterfront area.

 The Diamond Construction Company started building the basin in 1938, supervised by the Army Corps of Engineers. The basin was completed t in 1941 and leased to the Yacht Club in 1942. 

The location of the new Yacht Basin #2 was described as “downstream of the fish wharf, at the foot of Tenth and H Streets SW” (Evening Star, May 26 1938). Further, it was said to have “570 feet of street frontage,” slips for about 100 vessels, and included the area of the Capital Yacht Club building, which at the time was “near 9^th Street” (Evening Star, July 7, 1939; and Capital Yacht Club). 

Considering the above details, it would seem that Yacht Basin No. 2 was located in the vicinity of today’s Transit Pier (home of the Cantina Gambina restaurant and the Wharf Water Taxi) and the northernmost boat slips of the Capital Yacht Club.  The Capital Yacht Club is now in a different building, a little further downstream at Sutton Square and Wharf Street SW 

Most of Yacht Basin No. 2 was destroyed during a 1960s redevelopment. The loss of the docks nearly did in the Capital Yacht Club, whose membership dwindle to just 17 people. Fortunately, subsequent redevelopment restored boating facilities to the Club.

It is unknown to the Living New Deal whether anything remains of Yacht Basin No. 2, but it is unlikely.