History was in the air at C & O Canal NHP on August 30th as an old canal boat, the Canal Clipper, was removed and a new canal boat, the Charles F. Mercer, was launched.
The new canal boat is named after the president of the C & O Canal Company who served from 1828 to 1833. Mercer was a Virginia congressman and a strong canal supporter. The 57-foot-long Charles F. Mercer is a replica of a double-decker “packet type boat” that was common to the canal when it was operational.
A park partner, the Friends of Historic Great Falls Tavern, successfully raised the $535,000 required to build the new boat. Significant contributions came from Maryland area students, Montgomery County (Maryland), and the state of Maryland.
Formal christening ceremonies too place on September 9th, 2006. Park interpretative boat rides began on September 10th.
