Every city in America has stories to tell. For the lucky few, the best way to explore those stories is by boat. It could be anything from historical sites to secret coves to dining hotspots—if a metropolis has a navigable waterway, it’s worth hopping into a boat and taking an epic urban cruise. We’ve already taken an Aviara through the downtowns of New York, Chicago and Miami. Here are four more iconic cities to explore on the water.
Washington, D.C.
George Washington may have famously crossed the Delaware in a rowboat, but we crossed the Washington Channel in an Aviara AV36 powered by triple Mercury Verados. The slick helm, sleek T-top and broad beam make for a stylish but stout luxury dayboat with a fortitude that our founding fathers would envy. Via the channel, the Tidal Basin, the Potomac River and the Anacostia River, much of the US capital can be experienced by boat.
We took a water view of the Jefferson Memorial, the neoclassic domed monument to the third president that sits on the edge of the Tidal Basin. Completed in 1943, the Jefferson Memorial is replete with quotes and words of wisdom from the author of the Declaration of Independence.
Running across the Potomac River past Kendall Point and into the Pentagon Yacht Basin gave us a water’s edge view of the Pentagon, America’s military headquarters. Though technically in Arlington, Virginia, the Pentagon is so close to—and closely associated with—D.C. that it should be part of any aquatic tour. Sitting atop 29 acres, with 6.5 million square feet of office space, the sheer size of the Pentagon is difficult to comprehend until you’ve idled through the Pentagon Yacht Basin by boat.
Another architectural marvel best experienced by boat is the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, which spans over the Anacostia River not far from where it joins the Potomac. Completed in 1922, the 1,600-foot-long bridge features three sets of white arches that give off a majestic vibe, especially when lit up at night. The bridge is named after the African American intellectual and author who was one of the chief abolitionist voices in the country during the 1800s.
There’s so much more to see and do in D.C. that it could take weeks, but we got to experience some of the best of it by boat.
Our D.C. Ride: Aviara AV36 (outboard)
- LOA: 36’8″
- Beam: 10’10”
- Draft (max): 2’5″
- Fuel Capacity: 214 gal.
- Time to 30 mph: 10.5 sec.
Detroit, Michigan
The Detroit Lions, once the doormat of the NFL, finally restored the roar this past fall, putting Detroit back in the public eye as a city that all of America can be proud of. Boaters in the know, however, have always been in love with the Motor City because its waterways have long been a boater’s paradise. The heart of the city sits along the banks of the Detroit River, the waterway that connects Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie, which means boaters from anywhere on the Eastern Seaboard can eventually make their way through. They won’t be disappointed.
Founded in the 1700s as a trading post, Detroit has evolved into a working port that moves 13 million tons of cargo through its docks every year. Seeing the Great Lakes while transiting through the shipping channels up close and personal is an amazing experience, one that we got to enjoy aboard an Aviara AV36 powered by twin 430 hp, 6.4-liter Ilmor engines, the type of muscle you’d expect to enjoy in the city that gave us the Ford Mustang, the Chevrolet Chevelle and the Corvette. The sweet rumble of the Ilmors provides the perfect background music to the Motor City.
The most notable part of the city’s waterfront has to be the iconic GM Renaissance Center, a collection of glass buildings anchored by the 73-story tower in the center adorned by the GM logo. The complex houses the General Motors corporate offices, plus a hotel, shops and some choice restaurants. Joe Louis Arena, home of the Red Wings hockey team, sits a short way downriver. The whole historic waterfront is accessible by the Riverwalk, a 3-mile-long park system along the shoreline that also includes William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor, a public marina guarded by the 63-foot-tall lighthouse.
Don’t forget that Detroit is the home of Motown, and the Riverwalk also houses the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre, an outdoor arena capable of holding 6,000 people for some live music. We took it all in aboard our AV36.
Our Detroit Ride: Aviara AV36 (sterndrive)
- LOA: 36’8″
- Beam: 10’10”
- Draft (max): 2’5″
- Fuel Capacity: 214 gal.
- Time to 30 mph: 10.5 sec.
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston Harbor sits at the convergence of three historic rivers—the Ashley, the Cooper and the Wando—so it’s a nautical town by sheer force of nature. It’s one of the most historical coastal cities in the US, with an abundance of cultural riches to explore. We dived in aboard an Aviara AV32 with twin Mercury 300 Verados. With plenty of comfy wraparound seating and no obstructed views, it’s basically a floating living room, and we put Charleston up on the big screen.
We first put in on the Ashley River and cruised over to the Charles Towne Landing, where English settlers first set up shop in 1670, building what would eventually become Charleston and ultimately the state of South Carolina. With more than 80 acres of national park and 6 miles of hiking trails, Charles Towne Landing is a time warp to the Colonial era, with oaks and gardens older than the country itself.
Want more history? Cruise over to Fort Sumter, the fortress in the middle of the harbor that became the site of the battle that ignited the Civil War, when on April 12, 1861, Confederate forces fired on the US federal soldiers stationed there. We were able to circle the 234-acre island fortress in the Aviara as part of our grand Charleston tour.
The opportunities to explore around Charleston seemed never-ending—from transiting under the Ravenel Bridge to exploring the miles of Low Country marshes and creeks to heading over the famous Isle of Palms for a raft-up or a beach walk. It’s the perfect city to get lost in by boat.
Our Charleston Ride: Aviara AV32 (outboard)
- LOA: 32’6″
- Beam: 10’4″
- Dry Weight: 13,000
- Helm: Triple-dash display and joystick piloting
- Max Horsepower: Ilmor sterndrives, Mercury Verado outboards to 800 hp
Tampa-St. Petersburg, Florida
Most people don’t need convincing that Florida is the boating capital of the world, but if you need proof, head down to the Tampa-St. Petersburg area, where the sun typically shines 361 days a year and the average annual temperature is 74 degrees. In fact, the area holds a place in the Guinness World Records for most consecutive days of sunshine, with 768. With 244 miles of shoreline to explore, it’s a boater’s dream.
Tampa Bay itself is Florida’s largest estuary, covering 400 square miles from the north points in Old Tampa Bay and Hillsborough Bay all the way down under the impressive 430-foot tall Sunshine Skyway Bridge, which also happens to be 12 miles long. We decided to explore the area in an Aviara AV32 with twin Mercury 400 Verados, which had enough juice to help us run quickly between myriad boating destinations.
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On the north end of Hillsborough Bay, there are ways to access the historic Ybor City area, the Cuban stronghold once known for its cigar-making that now houses dozens of incredible shops and restaurants. Amalie Arena, home of the Stanley Cup-winning Tampa Bay Lightning, is visible from the water. There’s also the Riverwalk area along the Hillsborough River, where you can see the Tampa Museum of Art and the Armature Works, a former streetcar facility that now houses restaurants, bars, and even more shops.
Moving south through the bay, there are endless miles of shoreline and sites to explore, all the way down under the iconic Sunshine Skyway Bridge, which happens to be the longest cable-stayed concrete bridge in the world. With a vertical clearance of 190 feet under its tallest point, it can handle the largest ships coming into port, so clearance for our Aviara A32 was never a problem. The towering bridge serves as the gateway to the Gulf of Mexico and other great attractions such as Fort De Soto Park, along with miles of Florida coastline and all the sunny days you need to explore them.
Our Tampa-St. Pete Ride: Aviara AV32 (outboard)
- LOA: 32’6″
- Beam: 10’4″
- Dry Weight: 13,000
- Helm: Triple-dash display and joystick piloting
- Max Horsepower: Mercury Verado outboards to 800 hp
