Batteau.net
home of the
James River Batteau Festival
a program of the Virginia Canals and Navigations Society
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above: Mason Basten jumps for joy! (click photo to see larger view and crew names)

The new Batteau "Grace of the James" was turned over on Wednesday May 5, 2008!

Please note that the 2007 photos and memorials have been removed to make room for this new year!
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Saturday, June 14 – Saturday, June 21, 2008

Pre-Festival - Friday June 13:
• Friday Night Cheers - Downtown Lynchburg
• Boats parked at Amherst Boat Landing.
Day 3 - Monday June 16:
Depart Bent Creek.
Arrive at Wingina.
Day 6 - Thursday June 19:
Depart Scottsville.
Arrive at Slate River.
Day 1 - Saturday June 14:
Depart Lynchburg at Percival's Island 11:00 AM
Arrive at Galt's Mill Sat. June 14 - evening.
Day 4 - Tuesday June 17:
Depart Wingina.
Arrive at Howardsville.
Day 7 - Friday June 20:
Depart Slate River.
Arrive at Cartersville.
Day 2 - Sunday June 15:
Depart Galt's Mill.
Arrive at Bent Creek.
Day 5 - Wednesday June 18:
Depart Howardsville.
Arrive at Scottsville.
Day 8 - Saturday June 21:
Depart Cartersville.
Arrive at Maiden's Landing approx. 4 pm (or later).

For more details for each day, click on the day above. (under construction - coming soon.)
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2008 Meetings, News and etc.:

• 2008 Photos – See photos from the February 24th, 2008 meeting in Scottsville.

• Food Lion MVP Card Numbers Needed! – The Batteau Festival gets a check from Food Lion
every so often as a donation based on the purchases when you use your MVP Card.
1. Please go to the following web page:
https://www.foodlion.com/IntheCommunity/ShopandShare/secure/RegisterMVPCards.asp
2. Find the organization choice: JAMES RIVER BATTEAU FESTIVAL / VA. CANAL
3. Enter your First and Last Name, Phone number and all 12 digits of your MVP Card number.
Note: This 12 digit number includes the small numbers before and after the main large numbers!
Or you can email Barbara Haney at Huckleberryann@aol.com with the above information,
and she said she can do if for you. It doesn't cost you anything and it helps the festival. Thank you.

• Music Committee – If you would like to participate in the Music Commitee for the 2008 Festival
please email Dale Johnson Raney ( djraney@springsted.com) from the Lady's Slipper Batteau.
Click here to email Dale Johnson Raney:

• New Batteau to be built: Mason Basten reports that he will be building a new batteau, "Grace of The James"

•Byrd Park Pumphouse (Richmond, VA) – Information on restoration and Canal usage to be posted soon.
email Paul Hammond at paxham@hotmail.com for more details.

• Please email news, photos, etc that you would like to see posted
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Batteau video on You Tube:

If you would like to see this video click here to go to You Tube's site:

This is a little video I did with some photos that a friend helped me pick from the 2007 library and shared the music off his CD.
The song "Au Revoir Les Bateaux" is by Elise Witt and she has given me permission to use the song and post it on You Tube.
I hope you enjoy the video and that it brings happy memories from this years festival. Holt

Click here to go to Elise's website:
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PRINTS For Sale

Please help support batteau.net. Photo sales help the photographer with the expense of equipment and travel to take the photos everyone enjoys.

Please also note that the Batteau Festival and Virginia Canal's and Navigation's Society are always given free usage rights to photos they need.

If you would like to buy premium quality color prints please see the prints purchase page:

CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTS PURCHASE INFORMATION PAGE:_____________________________________________________________________________

2008 Boat Building Tips

Here's a tip for coating your wood. It's expensive but it works. Don't skip the Japan Drier since it thins down the pine tar to make that sticky stuff go down into the pores of the wood good. Get a thick knappy roller and slop it on the bottom and inside of the boat. It helps seal the small cracks and keeps the wood from drying out so bad off season too. See the batteau Thomas Jefferson's Spirit of New London, built last year, as proof! You may be able to find the pine tar at a tack shop since it's used for horse hooves, but many thanks to Hamilton Marine for their "OLD DOWNEAST DECK COATING FORMULA". Also, it's probably better to go ahead and get a gallon of the Pine Tar. The other ingredients you should be able to get locally. I know Lowes carries the other items. See page 318 of Hamilton Marine's online Catalog.

Old Downeast Deck Coating Formula
(Thanks to Hamilton Marine)
1 Quart Turpentine
1 Quart Boiled Linseed Oil
1/2 Pint Pine Tar
1/2 Pint Japan Drier

Note: When mixing for a batteau bottom, You will probably need a big buckett and mix a gallon of turpentine, gallon of Linseed oil, 2 pints pine tar and 2 pints japan drier (comes in little pint cans). On the Pine Tar, just guess how much, you can have more or less, it is sticky stuff. stir it up, slop it on and let it dry a couple of days. Turn the boat over and to the ribs and inside to the water line at least. You might want to leave off the gunwale and walkboards etc, so you don't get it on you later.

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Important Festival Information:

Emergency Phone Numbers for for various localities along the festival route.

River Levels from NOAA
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Historical Information:

Batteau or Bateau, by T. Gibson Hobbs, Jr.

More on the spelling of Batteau, by Bill Trout

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If you would like to buy premium quality color prints please see the prints purchase page:

CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTS PURCHASE INFORMATION PAGE:
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Web Site Information:

Batteau.net welcomes anyone with a love of Batteaux and the James River. Batteau.net was born May 25, 2005!

Some of the web content from the previous site that was maintained by Lynch's Landing ( http://www.batteaufestival.com/river/index.asp )
will be moved to this site soon. Thanks for your patience.

For information on the Virginia Canals and Navigations Society please see: http://www,vacanals.org

For information on the Batteau newsgroup, please see: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Batteau/

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Batteau.net has become the official site of the
James River Batteau Festival
a program of:
The Virginia Canals and Navigations Society, Inc.
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Batteau.net is designed and maintained by Messerly Photo.


Daylilly grown by Batteau Captain, Don Bright in Chesterfield County, Virginia.

Click here to email Batteau.net:

or send to this address: holt@messerlyphoto.com
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Special thanks to for their web hosting service.
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And many thanks to Ralph Smith for his support from day one of batteau.net.
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Photos & Web design © 2005-2008 Messerly Photo.