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With each pedal boat tour launching from Rocketts Landing, customers are taken northbound for a scenic view of Richmond’s skyline. ( Filip De Mott photos )
A company that offers pedal vessel rides in the Washington, D. C. area has set a new course for Richmond.
Sea Suite Cruises launched a new outpost based at Rocketts Landing on Memorial Day.
Jack Maher
Founders Jack Maher and Jack Walten said the move came after a handful of VCU graduates who had tried the company’s cruise trips in D. C. approached the owners with the particular idea of extending the practice to the James River.
With a bring-your-own-beverage policy onboard and options to organize party events on the 20-person vessels, Maher says bookings for the summer have been filling up fast in Richmond.
“I expected Richmond to be a great market, ” Maher said. “But I definitely didn’t expect for it to take off this quickly. ”
To establish themselves in Richmond, Maher and Walten decided on Rocketts Landing, appreciating how near it is to the city’s downtown. The northbound boat launch gives passengers a picturesque view of the city skyline, balanced out by natural surroundings on the route back.
They began the process in the fall and spent several months collaborating with Rocketts Landing developer WVS Cos. Beyond leasing a space at the marina, Maher said expanding into the new city also required boat and drinking permits. Maher would not say exactly how much the company invested to launch in Richmond.
“Financial pressures this time around weren’t as extreme, as we knew what we were getting ourselves into, ” Maher said, referencing the founding of the company.
Jack Walten
In 2018, Sea Suite Cruises began as a semi-gamble, an idea the two founders came up with during a night out. Inspired by land-based trolleys, Maher and Walten wanted to bring an aquatic version to the Potomac River. What resulted was their first boat purchase from the Oregon-based manufacturer Sculpin Marine and a cross country road trip in order to retrieve the vessel.
The initial funding came from a capital raise through friends and family plus the emptying of both Maher and Walten’s bank accounts. Originally operating as a side gig, the pandemic kept the business inoperable from April to June of 2020 and gave the founders grounds with regard to concern.
“We were 25, 26 in that time, so it’s not that we had huge checking accounts to fall back on, ” Maher said: “It was just kind of scraping by. ”
However, the particular pandemic eventually helped boost the popularity of pedal boating, a sport that was outdoors and could be organized around private groups, without the fear of transmission.
Sea Suite Cruises more formally came to fruition in Deb. C. in 2021. The company employs 30 people in the D. C. area, while 10 people work at the Richmond branch, including a captain, deck hand and management.
Sea Suite now owns five boats, along with one sailing the James River. Dependent on what’s added to the motorboat, Maher estimates the average cost of one of the vessels at $160, 000. Included in the company’s D. C. fleet is a relatively new investment, the particular tiki club cruise, which builds more upon the party-themed experience.
In order to expand into Richmond, Sea Collection Cruises worked with developer WVS Cos. and now leases a space at the marina in Rocketts Landing.
Still, most of the revenue comes from its pedal boat offerings. Within Richmond, up to 20 customers pay for a 90-minute ride — $45 on weekdays and $55 upon weekends — and spend the time pedaling while drinking.
Ocean Suite continues to operate well into October, beginning its season in April. When it comes to long-term goals for that organization, Maher declined to comment on details. But he cited interest in different boat types, experiences and markets with an eagerness to explore the uncharted seas ahead.
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