Paddle Club RVA: Paddle, pour, explore on the James River
RICHMOND — Grab your friends and family, bring some food and booze, possibly a bottle of sunscreen and head down to Rocketts Landing to enjoy a peaceful cruise down the James River. Paddle Club RVA invited Progress-Index reporter Kristi K. Higgins and news intern Anna Chen to board the pontoon.
Paddle Club RVA, owned by Jack Maher and Jack Walten, boasts the first booze, social and cycling pontoon boating experience in Richmond.
The business offers up to 20 passengers at a time, a chance to cruise along Rocketts Landing. There’s a cycle station with adjustable heights allowing passengers to cycle along with the motor to help with the ride. The station also includes a cooler to store beverages and food.
Passenger Jeff Haynes of Mechanicsville enjoyed the ride with his friends and colleagues.
"I think it's really cool that they're able to do this and make it similar to how they have bicycle carts in cities," Haynes said.
Cruises take about 90-120 minutes per ride and tickets range from $45-75 per person. Passengers are encouraged to bring their own foods and drinks on board the paddle boat to enjoy.
Matt Dellinger, Rocketts Landing co-owner and manager said it’s a great way to bring people together.
Many of the passengers aboard the pontoon had a terrific time.
Passenger Stefanny Romero of Chesterfield thought the cruise was wonderful, and she would like to try out a night cruise one day.
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The pontoon is also fully equipped for evening voyages as there is plenty of light to help the captains sail and dainty string lights to keep the party going for the passengers.
Higgins said she was happy the pedaling was optional because of how much there is to see along the cruise.
“I got snap-happy capturing wildlife with my lens,” Higgins said.
Passengers observed people fishing along the shore, jet skiers, boaters as well as bicyclists, walkers and joggers utilizing the Virginia Capital Trail.
The mission of Paddle Club RVA is to bring everyone together for “scenic celebrations to sea and be seen” while remaining committed to protecting the health and beauty of the ecosystem.
“Getting out in nature is one of the key draws of our cruises, so it's important to us to do our part to protect the natural beauty and ecosystems that surround us,” Maher stated in an email.
To help with this initiative, solar panels rest on the boat’s canopy which aids the battery power. This makes the boat less reliant on shore power to charge the boat’s systems.
“Ultimately solar power is better for the environment overall since it’s clean and renewable energy,” Maher stated in an email. “We also have a net on board that we use to fish out any trash we pass during the course of our route.”
Passengers are also encouraged to pedal as the pedal power can augment or even fully propel the boat. This, in turn, can help to reduce the ecological impact, according to Maher.
Guests have an option to make a donation to the James River Association to help keep the James River clean when tickets are purchased online.
“We care about the health of the James and its enjoyment for current and future generations,” Maher stated in an email.
Follow Paddle Club RVA on Instagram, and read this story online at progress-index.com to view a gallery with over 30 images.
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— Kristi K. Higgins aka The Social Butterfly columnist is the trending topics and food Q&A reporter at The Progress-Index. Have a news tip on local trends or businesses? Contact Kristi (she, her) at khiggins@progress-index.com, follow @KHiggins_PI on Twitter, @socialbutterflykristi on Instagram, and subscribe to us at progress-index.com.
— Anna Chen is an award-winning student journalist and the news intern for The Progress-Index. Reach her at achen@gannett.com or contact her on Twitter @annasummerchen.