LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
For Department of Defense ID holders who make the water a home away from home, the marina at Langley Air Force Base offers accommodations to whet your maritime appetite. On the Little Back River and a short voyage to the Chesapeake Bay, the Langley Marina offers a wide array of nautical conveniences.
Storage areas known as slips provide a safe place to keep your own Black Pearl. There are 75 wet slips and 95 dry slips. A wet slip fee of $5 per foot of the length of the boat per month covers freshwater hookup, electricity and dock box storage. A dry slip fee of $50 per month covers a code-protected secure area of storage and access to the boat ramp.
The marina also offers its customers 24-hour access to showers and restrooms, a gas pump, and pump-out station. Boats must be less than 32 feet long to be kept in dry and wet slips, but there are seven wet slips that can accommodate boats up to 42 feet. With a 3-foot tide fluctuation, the Langley Marina is typically 7 feet deep at low tide and 11 at high tide.
"On a military installation, we can provide a more secure area for boat storage than downtown," said Larry Eason, Langley Marina manager. "In a price comparison of the slip rental and gas, we are below the cost of our civilian counterparts."
To secure a slip, a one-year lease must be signed. Currently, there is a waiting list for dry slips. The lease secures a slip for the remainder of the current year plus one additional year. The fee for the slip is paid on a MasterCard or Visa credit card at the beginning of each month. There is no fee for breaking the lease, but boaters that do so will be put on a one-year penalty period where they will be ineligible to rent another slip.
Retired Lt. Col. Jack Sornberger currently houses his 27-foot Ericson Sail Boat 'Slow Ride' in a wet slip at the Langley Marina. For him, the more affordable price and security is a convenience he can't find elsewhere.
"(The staff of the Langley Marina) does a good job here," said Sornberger. "(Eason) keeps us updated with announcements, and it's convenient for me to get out to the Chesapeake Bay from here."
The Langley Marina also boasts the best barbeque on base. The Harbor Q snack bar serves a full lunch menu Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with daily specials and its famous North Carolina, Virginia and Texas barbeque. There is also an outdoor pavilion that can be rented at $25 for special events.
"We are a support organization with an excellent facility that provides a good service with a personal touch," said Eason. "We welcome all boaters and look forward to serving them."
To better serve its clientele, the Langley Marina underwent a renovation in 2007 to better sustain severe weather since the marina received extensive damage, including the sinking of five boats in wet slips, from Hurricane Isabel in 2003. The snack bar and offices were put on stilts, and the former fixed dock was made into a floating dock that could move with the tides and storm surges.
During last month's Hurricane Irene, all the boats stored in dry slips were moved to higher ground, and boats in wet slips were secured with lines. Per the lease, boaters must move boats in dry slips during severe weather to a more secure area provided on the base. In the case boaters cannot move their watercraft, the marina hires a company to do so safely. Eason also kept boaters informed about the storm development, and this time around only one boat suffered any damage, which was minor scratches.
To learn more about the Langley Marina, call 764-7220 or stop by 202 Thornell Ave. for a visit.