By Roslyn Ryan, Editor
editor@powhatantoday.com

To this day, Gail Timberlake still isn’t sure exactly what happened.

All she really knows is that one moment she and the rest of The Lady Slipper’s crew were poling their batteau down the James River — doing their best to avoid the rocks jutting up from the river bed — and the next moment they were sinking.

Fast.

It was 2006 and the Lady Slipper was one of several batteaux taking part in the James River Batteau Festival, an annual eight-day river trip from Lynchburg to Powhatan.

When all goes as planned, the crews spend their days gliding down the river, stopping each night to camp and enjoy good food and the company of their fellow travelers.

But sometimes of course, as Timberlake can attest, things don’t go exactly as planned.

“All I remember is Captain [John] Rothert saying ‘Ladies, steer to shore!’” says Timberlake, who thinks the boat may have sprung a leak after those repairing her didn’t leave enough room for some of the wooden planks to expand.

They made it to shore, but, sadly, the boat was done.

Fortunately, even a sunken ship couldn’t keep a crew like the Lady Slipper’s down.

“I had more fun the year we sank than any other year,” laughs Timberlake. “We love it whether we sink or not.”

As of press time, the all female crew of the Lady Slipper was once again making their way down the river, having left Lynchburg’s Percival Island last Saturday. Should they stay on schedule — and stay afloat — they should reach Maidens Landing in Powhatan by sometime around 4 p.m. this Saturday.

While the end of the trip used to be marked with a large-scale celebration, Timberlake says the festivities have been scaled down considerably in recent years.

After seven nights of crewing and camping, she says, many of the participants just want to head home to a hot shower and a real bed.

Despite the occasional mishaps and discomforts, Timberlake says she wouldn’t miss the trip for the world.

“I just love the river period,” says Timberlake, “but the sense of community is awesome. It’s all good stuff.”

Correction: As this feature was published in the June 24 edition, John Rothert was mistakenly identified as the former captain of the Lady Slipper. In fact, Rothert was the captain of the Chief Powhatan. The captain of the Lady Slipper is Betsy Healey of Cartersville. We sincerely regret the error.

What is a batteau anyway?
According to Dictionary.com, a batteau (plural: batteaux) is “any of various small craft ; especially : a flat-bottomed boat with raked bow and stern and flaring sides.”

Why Timberlake’s name sounds so familiar…
If you’ve lived in Powhatan for any amount of time you’ve likely met Gail Timberlake, a teacher and an active volunteer in many areas of the community.

Those new to the county may know her as the Powhatan Christmas Mother, a position she held in 2008 and will continue to hold until a new Christmas mother is named for 2009.