Belle Haven Marina Inc - Mariner Sailing School

"My husband and I have gotten excellent sailing instruction here! We've also enjoyed renting their Flying Scots many times to build our skills. We especially appreciate the staff for graciously towing us in when the gusts got stronger than we could handle!"

"This review is only for those who are considering launching their boat at this marina, not kayaks, conoes, etc. Belle Haven offers a daily boat launch ramp for a very reasonable cost (about $16), and the staff member we encountered was a nice guy. That said, the state of the marina coupled with the the actual ramp is so bad that I won't be returning. First, the ramp. They have one for motorized boats, and it has a very narrow lane. Not that big of a deal. However, while a typical launching area allows you to place your boat in the water and tie the boat off on the dock, that is not the case here. Plan on having someone in the boat to steer it into the water, turn a very tight corner, and tie it off on one of the docks. But, oh, the docks... The construction is such that the of the three docks, only one is accessible for a boat. That dock is constructed in such a way that you can't pull your boat alongside the dock and tie off like normal, and that's because it the posts, which are telephone poles, are on the outside of the dock along where you'd normally pull your boat into. I think there's one side that isn't but if it's taken you're stuck. The other dock is free to tie your boat to, but it's not accessible from land, which is weird. The other is really for jet skis. Also, the dock we were able to tie off on (only the back of the boat mind you, due to the inaccessibility of the side), was topped with metal sheets. It's Summer. It's 90 degrees outside. I was barefoot when I realized what they had done. Second, the grounds. It's in terrible shape. Some of my family wanted to use the restroom before we left, but the marina's restroom was broken. They pointed us tot he adjoining park, where restrooms could be located. It was a bit of a hike, and when they got there, the entire bathroom was infested with gnats, including dead ones in the broken sink. So, yeah. I won't be back."

"Sailboat rental: It is so nice to walk out onto the dock and just hop on a boat and go! No hauling or rigging necessary. The Flying Scots aren’t fancy but they are clean and sail nicely. The sailing area (Wilson bridge to Fort Washington) is substantial and nice. When you’re done all you have to do is pull up to the dock and hop off. Well worth the cost!"

"We rented kayaks for a couple of hours and about 45 minutes later it started pouring rain and thundering. After a little bit of trying to wait out the rain on the shore, the staff called us and came to pick us up. We really appreciate their professionalism and concern for our safety in bad weather, plus everyone was very friendly and helpful before and after the weather turned bad."

"Staff was friendly, kayaking rental rates were very reasonable and on line reservation process was easy. Heading north out of the marina was very scenic. Woodrow Wilson bridge and 2 bald eagles up close! A nice, relaxing and safe way to spend a couple of hours during the week."