Batteauing the Cowpasture and Upper James

OVERVIEW

Come Float the Cowpasture and Upper James on a replica of a late 18th and early 19th century cargo vessel. The Batteau, a large flat bottomed boat, was designed to navigate the shallow waters of the James and its tributaries and was crutcail to commerce in Virginia before the advent of the canal and railroad systems. My boat is a 44x8ft replica, featuring ample deck space and a fire pit for cooking. Particiants should bring standard camping gear (sleeping bag/ pad, utensils, rain gear) in addition to large dry bags. Typically we sleep on the deck of the boat, however given the strong chance of rain you may want to bring a tent. Batteauing is a great way to experience the river, and provides a prospective and set of challenges that simply do not exist in any other vessel. I realize that this my sound a bit abstract, so please feel free to contact me with any questions.