Adirondack-Inspired Boathouse in River’s Bend at Uncle’s Neck Creek: Toano, Virginia

Take a vertical cliff that has been eroding for years and the dream of preserving the space and allowing for safe and respectful recreational use. Add to the equation a love of all things Adirondack and you arrive at a complicated yet successful boathouse project that JH Fisher Construction, Inc. recently completed in River’s Bend at Uncle’s Neck Creek in Toano, Virginia.

The boathouse project required two main phases: stabilizing the embankment and constructing the structure over the water. Before we could start, however, we had to work with the Wetlands Board, proving that the reventment method of controlling the bank was environmentally prudent. We spent time surveying the property as well as observing the wave action from passing recreational boats and the natural tides to understand what was causing the instability. We concluded that pulling the earth back at a gentle slope, installing large riprap and preventing further erosion was the most logical, ecologically sound and safe way to address the problem.

Board approval and the completion of the cliff reventment weren’t the end of our approval process, however. To start the dock, we drew plans and submitted them to multiple oversight agencies including V.I.M.S., the Army Corps of Engineers and the county. We wanted to build a boat house on the water inspired by the ones you find in the Adirondacks. While we weren’t able to include a game room or suite over the house in that style, we did add an attic for storage, and ultimately the plans were approved.

Building something like a boathouse over the water was an adventure for an often-land-bound team. One of our favorite parts was pulling the pylons straight, which required some real creativity. The results are a gorgeous boathouse, a safer, more stable cliff and a lot of personal satisfaction.

The great news for all property owners is that there are solutions for even the most complex problems. If you have questions about your own project, contact the experts at JH Fisher Construction, Inc. today!