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A piece of Indiana helped carry America’s 250th anniversary celebration onto the Potomac River.

On Monday, July 13, Smoker Craft, Inc. hosted two Great American Expedition journeys in Washington, D.C., and Maryland as part of the Department of the Interior’s Freedom 250 campaign. The expeditions brought Smoker Craft, Inc.’s 250th-branded Sylvan and Starcraft boats to Theodore Roosevelt Island and Fort Washington, connecting Indiana-made boating with public lands, public waters, conservation, national parks, and the continued celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.

The Great American Expedition celebrates America’s public lands and waters and the people who help care for them. For the recreational boating community, the campaign is also a reminder that many of the nation’s most historic and meaningful places can be experienced from the water.

The day began on the Potomac near Theodore Roosevelt Island in Washington, D.C., where Smoker Craft, Inc. hosted an expedition with NOAA focused on conservation and responsible recreation. The setting was especially fitting. Theodore Roosevelt Island honors one of the nation’s most influential conservation leaders and serves as a reminder that public lands, public waters, and natural resources must be cared for across generations.

The second expedition brought participants to Fort Washington, a historic National Park Service site along the Potomac River. Fort Washington has stood along the river approach to the nation’s capital for more than 200 years, making it a powerful place to mark the country’s 250th anniversary from the water.

The Fort Washington expedition included Department of the Interior Deputy Assistant Secretary Aaron Calkins, Senator Todd Young (R-IN), Congressman Rudy Yakym (R-IN), Serena Bellew, the Superintendent of National Capital Parks-East, Smoker Craft, Inc. representatives, NMMA, and leaders from the recreational boating community. The group traveled on the Smoker Craft, Inc. 250th branded Sylvan and Starcraft boats to experience a DOI-managed historic site from the water and to highlight the importance of public access, outdoor recreation, and strong recreation infrastructure.

The Indiana connection was central to the day. Smoker Craft, Inc. is a family-owned Indiana manufacturing success story with deep manufacturing roots dating back to 1903, located in New Paris, Indiana. Today, the company is one of the largest manufacturers of aluminum fishing and pleasure boats, with five distinct brands: Smoker Craft, Starcraft, Sylvan, SunChaser, and Starweld. Built across generations by the Schrock and Smoker families, Smoker Craft, Inc. supports skilled manufacturing jobs, a strong dealer network, and a broader supply chain of marine businesses across the country. The company’s continued investment in innovation, from aluminum boatbuilding to advanced pontoon and fishing boat designs, reflects the strength of American manufacturing and the role Indiana boatbuilders play in helping families get on the water.

NMMA thanks Smoker Craft, Inc. for hosting the Great American Expedition on the Potomac River and for showcasing American-made boats as part of America’s 250th anniversary celebration. Smoker Craft’s support helped demonstrate how the recreational boating community connects people to history, conservation, outdoor recreation, and the public waters that help tell America’s story.