Tying-up at the New Rocketts Marina

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

The marina at Rocketts Landing is finally starting to look like – well – a marina. Bayliners, SunTrackers and Benningtons are just a few of the boats occupying 17 of the newly built dock slips.

Now residents motor along the banks of the James River, watching the occasional water skier pass by and enjoying the sunset. It surely helps, too, that the last few weeks have been unseasonably pleasant.

The slips at the new marina cost $10 per foot a month for an annual lease, and five are reserved for transient boaters who wish to visit Richmond by water and park their boat for up to 45 days.

Most resident boat owners purchased their boats just after the marina opened on May 1st, according to Eileen Davis, the proud owner of a double-decker, 24-foot Sylvan pontoon boat.

Davis says she grew up around boats on the New Jersey shore, and that she and her husband, Martin, are currently “transitioning” from their house in the far west end, near Short Pump Town Center, to their condo in Fall Line.

“When I first moved to Richmond 15 years ago, I couldn’t understand why the city’s beautiful waterfront was undeveloped,” she said.  “My husband and I decided to move to Rocketts when we found out they were planning to build condos with water access. We intend to retire to our condo at some point after our daughter graduates from college, but for now, having it and the new boat is like having a vacation house without the long drive.”

Davis currently teaches nursing at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, and for her, weekends at Rocketts Landing and dinner onboard the new boat is the perfect way to unwind after a long week.

“The new marina is a genial environment that always seems to put me in a good mood,” she said.  “Everybody is always lending a hand and giving each other boating advice. It’s just another fun thing to do and talk about with your neighbors.”

Davis expects more slips at the marina to fill up once the economy takes a turn for the better. She also thinks the opening of the new Boathouse Restaurant will play a role in attracting a significant amount of boat traffic to the area, but she isn’t concerned.

“The more the merrier,” she said. “Even if they extend the marina all the way to the club house and more boats come, I don’t think too much traffic will be an issue. Rocketts Landing is a deep water port and the James River is wider than you think.”

A part from having dinner on the water, Davis also enjoys viewing all the wildlife the area has to offer, especially the rare birds.

“Out on the water we’ve spotted turtles, herons and even a Peregrine Falcon,” she said. “The falcons have almost disappeared from the Richmond-area, but we saw one right there from the deck of our boat.”