[ Longtime ARC customer Mr Lawrence provided this great legacy paddlesports write-up. As a family of paddlers here at Appomattox River Company with granddaughters paddling with granddad, Bob Taylor, we can relate to this sentiment. And that glass-rack is amazing! We're coming for a river trip and a drink! ]

Write Up by - Robbie Lawrence

I have been a dedicated paddler since 1988. 

I purchased my first boat back in 1988, after a floating trip with a friend.  An Old Town Tripper.

After many years of use, I finally had to retire this boat, and purchase a new one.  I could not bear to waste the boat that gave me many years of floating adventures, so I re-purposed it.   I made a glass-rack over my bar in the basement. I rolled it upside down, used a level to cut the bottom out and hung the majority of it over my bar.  

Of Course the 17 foot Tripper was to long for the basement bar… so I cut off one end and placed it over my shed doors outside with a sign under it “Lawrence Livery”.

I get plenty of complements for my handy work.  Best of all my first paddling companion will continue to give me more years of great memories to come. I have been paddling for many years with friends and family, our entire family enjoys the adventures on the water.  Over the years we have pulled in family, friends and even co-workers to enjoy the experience, all with enjoyable outcomes. I would say we are a family that is Canoe and Kayak poor, once we have a boat we do not get rid of it, it stays in the family, we don’t get rid of them so we always have boats available to invite others. We consider each float an adventure, you never know what the river Gods have in store for you.  

The beginning of each float brings excitement and it’s own experiences.  We are proud to say we raised 2 daughters who grew up paddling rivers and enjoying primitive camping on the river banks of Virginia. They have continued this experience in their new families, and our granddaughter enjoyed her first year paddling the river last year at 2 ½ years old with many more to come.