08/23/2026
From Dan Tucker...
I am pleased to announce an opportunity to give back not only to the JRBF community and the Virginia Canals & Navigation Society, but to the mighty James River itself, through the resurrection of the Tireless James. This program's previous scope had volunteers dropping tires off along the entirety of the James River at pre-selected sites. Volunteers were typically in canoes and kayaks, and were able to collect a modest amount of tires.
I'm unsure of the exact year (2013?), but at some point, several batteaus showed up to help with the Tireless James. In typical batteau fashion, the boats were quickly loaded with dozens and dozens of tires. The batteaus pulled some tires themselves, but were well supported by numerous volunteers in canoes and kayaks, who brought them tires as their own vessels filled up with the rubbery pollutants.
My plan is to focus our efforts on the stretch from Scottsville to the New Canton boat ramp over Labor Day weekend, September 5 through 6.
The Route
Boats will leave Scottsville Boat Ramp at approximately 8 a.m. (river time) and begin collecting tires in the area. Will Smith has arranged with a local landowner for a drop site about two miles downstream of Scottsville. Tires will be unloaded there into Ralph's car hauler, although he's just finding that out via this email.
From there, boats will continue poling toward the Hardware River boat ramp, which could serve as a second drop-off point. I don't currently have a truck and trailer organized for tire extraction at this location, so it may end up being superfluous. It's also a great spot for anyone who doesn't want to camp overnight.
The batteaus will then traverse my favorite scenic stretch of the river, Seven Islands. I'm hopeful this section will be less polluted with tires than the more accessible areas. I'm aiming to camp at the end of Big Island, right where the river leaves the network of islands and returns to a sandy bottom. Reaching that site may be a lofty goal given how much time we'll spend on tires and navigation. If it doesn't pan out, I'll find us a spot under a gnarled sycamore and an open sky instead.
The morning of the 6th will be spent finishing the float to New Canton, collecting tires along the way. I have a truck and trailer scheduled at New Canton for the final unload.
I've been slow getting this information out, and apologize for the short notice. Here's where I still need help:
Volunteers. Is your batteau in good shape from this year's festival? Bring your boat and crew. Is it beat up and waiting on white oak lumber, like the River Cooter? Bring a canoe or kayak instead. Know anyone who'll take any excuse to get on the river? Call them, and lend them a boat if you have a spare. If you know of any other groups that might want to contribute, please reach out to them or connect me with them.
Tire disposal. The Rivanna Solid Waste Authority has generously offered to waive all normal disposal fees for the tires we collect. Since we're collecting over a holiday weekend, I expect we'll need to bring tires in for disposal on 9/8, though we have some flexibility on that date. I'll coordinate drop-offs with RSWA.
Trailers. At the first site below Scottsville, I have a trailer lined up, but no plan yet for getting it to or from the site. It needs to be moved out by Sunday evening. At the Hardware River ramp, our second site, I don't have a truck and trailer. If anyone wants to organize one, we'd gladly use it, though it's not mission-critical.
Photos. Please snap photos while we're collecting tires and loading up the batteaus. If you're a photographer who'd rather stay dry, let me know. RSWA has requested pictures in exchange for the waived fee, and they're also great for batteau publications and promotional material.
One of the things I love most about JRBF is this community's eagerness to show up and make things happen, literally and metaphorically keeping the community afloat. Whether it's helping preserve artifacts from the pump house, donating time and boats for historic documentaries, or loaning a spare battery to a pump in need, batteau folks always help.
If you can contribute or have any questions, comments, or suggestions, don't hesitate to reach out.
Dan Tucker
