James River Batteau Company

08/05/2024

A well timed afternoon storm can be the perfect ingredient for a Sunset Cruise. Cooling the temps, mist over the water and a backdrop for the colors to pop against

07/30/2024

We were happy to host The Daily Progress for a day during the James River Batteau Festival!

Thanks to The Daily Progess and Emily Hemphill for a great article on the tightknit community that keeps these boats on the river! Check the link out below!

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https://dailyprogress.com/news/local/history/one-day-on-the-batteau-250-years-of-history/article_6272044c-4081-11ef-b2b4-8355de286ad6.html

07/06/2024

Plenty of rocks and low water during the 2024 James River Batteau Festival gave us quite a bit to navigate around!

07/02/2024

So many memories for this years James River Batteau Festival are fresh in our minds. This is one of our favorite runs down the backside of Patterson Shoals.

06/29/2024

We're honored to be featured in Edible Blue Ridge's summer issue!

Thanks to Lisa Archer for her lovely writing and Justin Ide for contributing great photos from last year's Farm to Batteau.

06/26/2024

The 39th Annual James River Batteau Festival ended as a success as always. It was a continued reminder of how the unique atmosphere these boats create has fostered community and friendships that last lifetimes. We consider it a great privilege to be on the James with our batteau family and continue to encourage the interested to join in!

Thanks to Ian Newell for these photos. We look forward to continuing with our normal operating hours tomorrow. See you on the James!

06/14/2024

The Morning Dew is back in Lynchburg and we’re excited to share a week on the river with our batteau family for the 39th Annual James River Batteau Festival!

We’ll be away from the phone and feeds all week. If you’re looking to catch up with the festival or find information on it check out the link below!

vacanals.org/batteau

06/09/2024

“Deep greens and blues are the colors I choose”
-James Taylor

06/05/2024

James River Batteau FestivalGuide-2024  Requests from the JRBF Leadership Land Owner Appreciation - The JRBF depends on the generosity of numerous land owners to make this event possible.  It is absolutely crucial that we respect and take care of the property which is made available for our use. A...

05/31/2024

Unbelievable weather out on the river this week!

05/24/2024

Experience Independence Day out on America's Founding River!

Our Fireworks Float provides the best way to experience the amazing display put on by the Town of Scottsville and the Scottsville Fire Department. Not only will you be out the river with the colors reflecting on the James around you but we include parking, food and live music!

Bookings are made per boat (6 persons/boat) and can be booked at jamesrivertour.com

04/22/2024

Check out our feature on WTOP! Big thanks to Jessica Kronzer and WTOP for spreading the word about James River Batteau and our experiences!

The James River Batteau Company in Scottsville, Virginia, shares the history of the boat that helped establish colonial Virginia — and the men who piloted the vessels in the 18th century.

03/25/2024

One more week before we're back on the river!

03/23/2024

Off goes the old planking and on with the new. We're stoked on how this refit is shaping up!

03/15/2024

Spring time is well on it's way!

03/13/2024

The Harvest Moon is a 15 year old boat and so we were excited and somewhat apprehensive to see the condition of the ribs under the planking. It was with relief and excitement that we discovered the ribs in great condition for their age. White oak is the choice wood for batteau for several reasons, one of which is rot resistance. The state of the ribs gave a lot of confidence that this boat has many years of service left.

03/12/2024

It was wonderful seeing familiar faces at the Richmond Pumphouse this weekend. A group of Virginia Canals and Navigations Society volunteers spent this past Saturday waste deep in muck, working to move the precious remains of original 1800’s batteaux to a more permanent location where they can be preserved.

These are the very batteaux artifacts that kickstarted the modern batteau era. They were discovered in 1983 during the excavation for the James Center’s foundation.

Find out more information or become a member of the Virginia Canals and Navigations Society at their website www.vacanals.org

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03/09/2024

Flipping the Harvest Moon in preperation for the refit

03/08/2024

Evenings like these are just around the corner!

03/05/2024

It’s been an eventful off-season at JRBC and we’re excited to have the wheels turning towards our first cruises in April!

While we are not building a new batteau this year we are giving the Harvest Moon a new lease on life by replacing much of its planking. Over the next few weeks we’ll be posting photos of the refit as well as other content to get the stoke flowing for spring.

01/15/2024

Snow on the James!

01/11/2024

NOW BOOKING for 2024!

We're excited to announce that our calendar is up and running for the 2024 season and we look forward to being out on the James with you all again this year. See you on the river!

12/30/2023

’Tis the week after Christmas, and all through the land
Not a boatman is stirring, as winter is at hand;

The batteaux are all sunk in their ponds with great care
In hopes that Springtime soon will be here;
The crew are nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of river shoes dance in their heads;
So put on your kerchief, slippers and cap,
And rest up your brains for a long winter’s nap,.

When the rains come in March, they will make such a clatter,
You’ll spring from your bed to see what is the matter.
Away to the window you’ll fly like a flash,
Tear open the shutters and throw up the sash.
The moon on the rain will create a bright glow
Give the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to your wondering eyes will appear,
But a miniature drop that looks just like a tear,
With a little warm breeze, where the air seems to sing,
You’ll know in that moment that it must be Spring.

With the blink of an eye and one last little shiver,
Mr. Winter is gone – time to head to the river;
You call up your crew, and go straight to the task,
Of raising the boat (perhaps raising a flask);
The pumps you’ll get ready, you know this by rote
All the caulking you must do to make it afloat;
When you race to the pond, to your crew give a whistle,
And to you they will fly like the down of a thistle.
They will hear you exclaim, as it floats into sight
“We need some more oakum or we won’t last one night!”

11/02/2023

Many thanks to Mary Esselman for a wonderful write up about her Sunset Cruise experience for C-ville Weekly !

Check it out!

Something about October makes me melancholy. The waning light, the dropping leaves. Back-to-school schedules, and the looming pressure to make happy holidays happen. All I really want to do is...

10/07/2023

Our first “Farm to Batteau” collaboration with was a blast! Great weather, good people and fantastic food combined for a incredible evening. A big thanks to everyone who joined us! We look forward to more of these dinners next year!

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09/08/2023

We’re happy to share the very kind words from The Charlottesville 29! It’s extremely gratifying to read reviews like this one from fantastic groups that are a joy to host!

I don’t have a bucket list, but those who do might consider adding a tour from James River Batteau Co. For those of us who value experiences over things, it offers an experience unlike any ot…

08/16/2023

Chasing light on America’s Founding River

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08/14/2023

The summer sunsets have been incredible the past few evenings. There’s nothing like golden hour on the river!

08/04/2023

We're very excited to announce a special collaboration with Two Fire Table! We will be hosting a "Farm to Batteau" dinner on October 6th at 5:15pm.

This experience will showcase the agricultural and historical richness of the Scottsville area. It includes an open fire, family-style, farm to table dinner during golden hour on America’s Founding River. A local and seasonal menu will be announced closer to the date. Regional story telling of the batteau era and live acoustic music will also be included.

There are 12 seats available for this experience and it can be booked as individual seats or as a full boat. We can't wait!

Learn more at jamesrivertour.com/farmtobatteau
twofiretable.com

08/02/2023

We've been humbled by another round of great news stories! Huge thanks to Haley Sandlow for a great article and Cal Cary for killer photos. This story originally ran in the Daily Progress but has also been picked up by The Washington Post, Associated Press, Richmond Times Dispatch and News and Advance! We're feeling very thankful at JRBC.

“This is a story of a small town that’s got a lot to offer, and we’re bringing the town’s history and heritage to life.”