Calm water, good business: Rivanna River Co. expands to Fluvanna

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The company that opened the Rivanna River to equipment-challenged canoers and kayakers is expanding its operation to Fluvanna County with water excursions beginning Saturday from the village of Crofton to the county seat of Palmyra.

"It's fun to try something new," Rivanna River Co. co-owner Gabe Silver told The Daily Progress. "We have wanted to run trips in Fluvanna County for a long time."

Silver, who operates the watersports company with his wife Sonya, said that the 6.5-mile Fluvanna journeys will offer a peaceful paddle for kayakers and canoers.

Rivanna River Company customers float down the Rivanna River in Charlottesville on Tuesday, June 6, 2023.

"We really love the stretch between Crofton and Palmyra," said Silver, "because it's more beginner-friendly and more smooth-sailing."

Avid Charlottesville kayaker Milo Farineau can attest to that.

"It's a very good introduction for anyone who's slightly nervous about rapids," Farineau told The Daily Progress.

Farineau said that several years ago a buddy invited him to paddle that stretch of the Rivanna.

From left to right, Gabe and Sonya Silver, owners of the Rivanna River Company, at the office of the Rivanna River Company in Charlottesville on Tuesday, June 6, 2023.

"I’m putting on my kayaking gloves, and he says, ‘Help me with the floating grill.’"

Floating grill?

As Farineau said he watched in amazement as his friend began firing up a Hibachi-sized cooker bolted onto a homemade float consisting of a sheet of plywood atop sealed sections of PVC pipe.

"It was my job to flip the burgers, and I would flip them as we floated," said Farineau. "Does that tell you how calm it is?"

This rapids-free excursion appears to have excited the Fluvanna business community, including the owner of E. W. Thomas Grocery, who has agreed to let river runners park at her store to get shuttled upriver.

From left to right, Gabe and Sonya Silver, owners of the Rivanna River Company, stand at the dock at the Rivanna River Company in Charlottesville on Tuesday, June 6, 2023.

"It was really easy for me to say yes," store owner Beth Thomas told The Daily Progress. "They’re gonna smell my fried chicken; they’ll see that I’ve got ice, sandwiches and even worms for fishing."

She predicted that her shop won't be the only one in Palmyra to benefit.

"We’ve got historical sites within walking distance," said Thomas. "We’ve got a winery and artisan shops. All of these small businesses are ready, willing and able."

Perched on a bluff overlooking the river just footsteps from the Palmyra boat landing, the grocery will serve as the rendezvous for Silver's company to drive customers to Crofton for self-guided, self-paced voyages back to Palmyra on the river.

"It gives them the convenience to run it at their schedule," said Silver.

Signs for the Rivanna River Company in Charlottesville as seen on Tuesday, June 6, 2023.

What Silver is calling the "Fluvanna Scenic Cruise" will be offered each Saturday morning starting this weekend and carry participants through water that's usually low and clear, factors that he said will encourage swimming, snorkeling, wading and fish-watching over the course of three to 3 1/2 hours.

"It helps everybody if nobody is worried about the time," said Silver. "River time is supposed to exist outside of our normal time."

Even though the trips, priced at $23-42 per person, will occur in Fluvanna, the Rivanna River Co. is winning kudos from the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau.

"On behalf of the CACVB, I’m excited to see Rivanna River Co. realize such success that it is able to grow in the region," Director Courtney Cacatian wrote in an email to The Daily Progress. "Our rivers are becoming a greater visitor draw as outfitters find new ways to explore them."

From its base on the so-called Circus Grounds near Free Bridge, Rivanna River Co. has offered rentals of canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and innertubes since 2016 — as well as a shuttle-only service for people with their own equipment.

Hawes Spencer (434) 960-9343

[email protected]

@HawesSpencer on Twitter

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