The Appomatix River on October 29,2007

The final segment of the trip on the INDEPENDENT PURSUIT was from Chester, PA to Richmond, VA. Captain Pop told us, "You will see one of the most beautiful rivers in America on the trip." The pilot got on the ship at about 6 in the morning and by 10 we had turned up the James River into the Appomatix River. It was a big surprise for us. Not only is the river itself a lovely waterway, lined by miles and miles of forest. It feels like the forest before Europeans came to the continent. You can see in the bottom right of the photo, on the river bank, a small landing with a row boat and a path cut and lined with logs coming down to the shoreline. You can also see the reflection of the ship on the water. The ship has a draft of 21 feet and the river is only 23 feet deep. But the other wonderful thing about the trip was the way the ship handled in the tiny river. You could almost reach out and touch the trees. I couldn't believe the way the pilot maneuvered the ship. Many times in the length of the ship, he would turn to port or starboard by single compass degrees. Back and forth, just like riding a bicycle. Slowly but surely the ship went forward. There were houses once in awhile on the banks. Very large mansions with a Southern feel. In fact, the pilot pointed out "Jimmy Dean's Sausage Biscuit" house, which was white with a portico porch and even a boat house and dock on the bank. We spent almost 8 hours on the bridge as the ship walked its way up the river. It was true: this was a spectacular sight. We congratulated the pilot at the Richmond dock, and he told us that he was a 42 year old pilot who had followed his father and his grandfather into the trade. We asked him how he maneuvered the ship and he said, "I know the trees." Any problems? "Oh, sure, if the mist in the morning is bad, I can't see the trees and then I have to use the computer." The Appomatix River was a perfect ending to our two week trip back to America.