James River bateau

Anthony and Benjamin Rucker were the original inventors and constructors of the James River bateau in 1775.

[2] Jefferson had been present at the first launching, and forty-six years later he was witness to the successful patenting of the bateau by heirs of the Ruckers.

Some remains were uncovered by construction workers at the site of the James River and Kanawha Canal Basin.

[2] The need to transport large hogshead of tobacco to the port at Richmond, Virginia, likely motivated the Rucker brothers to develop the bateau.

Tobacco was a very profitable crop, and because of cheap slave labor vast amounts were produced by planters along the James River basin.

During the period of 1820 to 1840, at least 500 bateaux and 1,500 bateaumen operated on the James River between Lynchburg, Virginia and Richmond.

[6] The use of the bateau sharply declined after 1840 when the James and Kanawha River Canal reached Lynchburg.

They had no keel to interfere with navigating river rapids and were well adapted to shallow water, having a draft of about 12–18 inches (30–46 centimetres) when loaded.

The nose cones were built and attached separately to facilitate maintenance since the ends of the bateau received abuse from the river rocks.

The bateau had no rudder and was guided by long sweeps that engaged notches formed in the tip of the nose cones.