Photo by Ken Odor
Jimmy Kidd hops off the Lord Chesterfield to tie it up as the batteau pulls into Maiden’s Landing last Saturday.

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High water level makes the going easier

It was sunny and breezy last Saturday at Maiden’s Landing as a crowd packed the public boat landing waiting for the batteaux to arrive at the end of the 24th Annual James River Batteau Festival.

Karen Partridge of Cartersville found a comfortable spot stretched out on a downed tree while she waited for her husband, Scott, who was helping pole the “The Brunswick Belle.”

“We plan on building our own batteau,” said Karen. Luckily Scott is a manager for a home improvement chain and she thought maybe he could get a discount on the lumber.

Although the schedule called for the craft to arrive around 4 p.m., several floated in almost two hours ahead of time, due to the fast, high water, said the crews.

While they waited for the remaining boats to land, the crowd had plenty to occupy their time.

As they are every year, the ”Tasty Critters” bunch was on hand, cooking up venison, frog legs, squirrel and other tempting dishes for spectators.

Bill West, of Chesapeake, said the group started feeding the crews about 16 years ago. Most of the group is from Tidewater.

“We take contributions,” explained West. “We can’t charge because we serve game.”

Shortly before 4 p.m. boats started coming in.

“It was the highest water for 10 years,” said Scott Partridge. “It was a beautiful trip except for the headwinds.”

Jimmy Kidd of Mineral concurred that headwinds were a problem after helping tie up the Lord Chesterfield.

“They were coming directly at us,” he said.

Nineteen vessels set out from Lynchburg June 20 and their progress was chronicled daily on the group’s Web site Batteau.org.

Paul Gross and John Scott of Richmond brought their teenage sons to watch the boats come in.

“We canoe a lot,” said Gross. “Three or four years ago we were canoeing here the same time they landed.”

“We just happened upon it,” said Scott. Now the two come out each year to watch the batteaux make landing at Maidens.

And guess what? They’re thinking about signing up as crew for any boat that will have them.

Photo by Ken Odor
Karen Partridge waits for her husband Scott, crewing on the Brunswick Belle batteau, to arrive at Maiden’s Landing last Saturday.