Entire house boat

A Warm and Cozy 50' Houseboat in gated, quaint and peaceful marina near the city

Photo gallery for A Warm and Cozy 50' Houseboat in gated, quaint and peaceful marina near the city

Property grounds
Lake
1 bedroom, in-room safe, iron/ironing board, WiFi
Fridge, microwave, oven, stovetop
Reviews
9.6

Exceptional

Popular amenities

  • Pet friendlyPet friendlyPet friendly
  • FireplaceFireplaceFireplace
  • Outdoor SpaceOutdoor SpaceOutdoor Space
  • Air conditioningAir conditioningAir conditioning
  • WasherWasherWasher
  • DryerDryerDryer

Check out the area

Map
Richmond, VA
  • Popular LocationRichmond National Battlefield Park11 min drive
  • Popular LocationDorey Park13 min drive
  • AirportRichmond, VA (RIC-Richmond Intl.)18 min drive
  • Popular LocationHenricus Historical Park35 min drive

Space details

1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, sleeps 4
350 sq ft
Bedroom 1
    1 queen bed
Common area
    1 sleep sofa/futon
Bathroom 1
    Shower

About this property

Entire place

You'll have the entire house boat to yourself and will only share it with other guests in your party.

A Warm and Cozy 50' Houseboat in gated, quaint and peaceful marina near the city

Note: IF THE GIAMARIA IS NOT AVAILABLE, please check out my other boat the COOKIE B.
Available this spring. The ELIZABETH CLEMENTINE

Dear future guests,. I will admit there is no completely safe place to spend your time, but if you must get away please do it where the air flows free up and down a river or across farmer's fields or through a nearby forest if possible; areas similar to the one where all three of my boats are berthed.

We are blessed to be in a very unique country setting near the beautifully renovated Lily Pad Cafe; the only true outdoor riverside eatery in the Richmond area.

Here you will find what I believe is a safe place to hike, bike or run on nearby county roads in National Parks, or on the VIRGINIA CAPITOL TRAIL. Or you could just choose to read, paint, write, fish, sun, or work "from home" by using our internet service You will also find a great deal of personal space and solitude which will become immediately apparent as you drive down either of our three first highways in the entire United States of America: Osborne Turnpike, old route #5, or Kingsland Road before you get to experience America's first river; the James.
The GiaMaria and the Cookie B are berthed in very calm waters and are Indeed, awesome places to spend your time. They are in fact, places like no other in the entire United States, and I will make an honest attempt to back up this statement in the description that follows given the few words that are allowed.

As for the GiaMaria, she is a 50' Chris Craft houseboat that has been completely remodeled inside and out in order to give our guests a home-like atmosphere without losing the feel of being on an old riverboat. It is modern in every sense of the word. It has been reconstructed to have a large bathroom with a full sized vanity, a 4' designer shower, ventilator fans, and its own USCG certified sanitation system. It comes complete with a queen eleven inch memory foam mattress (Sleep Innovations) and high quality bedding, a small but complete galley and a large colorful salon with carpeted floors a 46" TV, and a fireplace to keep you warm and cozy. Outside you will find a large open upper deck with great views for morning coffee or evening drinks and a lower covered bow deck.

The Cookie B is equally as nice, however character limitations in this space do not allow such an elaborate description if I am to describe this unique area where these vessels are docked. But you can find the Cookie B's unique listing here on Homeaway as well.

But it is not just the GiaMaria or the Cookie B that you will enjoy. It is also there unique location. The Richmond Yacht Basin is less than 10 country road miles from downtown Richmond. And their setting cannot be duplicated. It is adjacent to the Richmond National Battlefield Park and well kept privately owned farms. Just one mile away is Osborne Landing, a county owned facility which has a nice fishing pier, a Bass Master's boat launch, a nice walking trail along the river's edge, a canoe and kayak launch ramp, pavilions for picnics/cookouts, bathrooms and a wonderful playground for kids. It is always kept in tip-top shape, and it is all free to the public.

After a beautiful canopied drive which will take you to the marina, you will find yourself standing on the ground where so many famous people lived and events took place that shaped our nation's history. Some of the historical people who lived in the nearby Indian settlement of Arrohateck included Chief Powhatan's son, Tanx or (Parahunt) and Pocahontas his daughter, who married her English born husband John Rolfe. Pocahontas and John Rolfe after marriage made their home on this property, and with the help of indentured servants and later African slaves, they helped to save Jamestown by producing tobacco from the "Varina" seed. It was the only "gold" that those early colonists would find, yet it would have tremendous economic value in many European countries and save the colony from being abandoned..

We are also located where Captain John Smith found his "sweetest water" during his early explorations, while others like, George Washington, Patrick Henry, Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee and his mother, Anne Hill Carter, John Marshall, 4th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Susannah Bowling, Layfayette, Benedict Arnold, Gen. Cornwallis and thousand of bound African slaves passed thru this oxbow in the James River on their way to build and transform our nation. Battles on land and in the river were fought here too, during both the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. During the Revolutionary War, Benedict Arnold sank our Colonial Fleet within eyesight of the GiaMaria and the Cookie B before burning Richmond. Union Ironclads like the Monitor and Galena fought other Ironclads like the Confederate's CSS Virginia while trying to pass Drewery's Bluff, the confederate's "Annapolis" while trying to subdue Richmond.

And Just around the river's bend east of Richmond Yacht Basin is Henricus, the London Company's second settlement after Jamestown in the New World. Unfortunately the original "cittie" was destroyed by Opechancanough, Chief Powhatan's successor "brother" during the Indian Massacre of 1622.
Today however, Henricus is a thriving reconstruction of what it was like in the days of Sir Thomas Dale's early 1600's "town", and many of my guests who have visited there say it is on par with Jamestown.

Just down the road heading east along Route 5 (a Virginia Bi-Way) are plantations like Shirley, still owned and operated by the same family since its beginning in the 1600's and Berkley, where Taps was first composed and played, and also where the first Thanksgiving was arguably held. There is also Westover, the home of President William Henry Harrison (Ole' Tippecanoe), Sherwood Forrest, the home of "His Accidency", President John Tyler, and Evergreen, the birthplace of Edmund Ruffin, who is the father of modern agriculture and the southern firebrand who is credited with firing the shot that started the Civil War. These are just a few of the historical places or attractions to be found within a few minutes of the docking space of the GiaMaria or the Cookie B. Then going west on Route 5 into Richmond you will find St. John's Episcopal Church where Patrick Henry told the King of England, to go to hell, or Hollywood Cemetery where a great many historical figures are buried like the Presidents Monroe and Tyler. Within minutes if you are a Civil War buff, then you are in luck because you will be set squarely in the middle of where the Battle of the Crater took place, as did Cold Harbor, Malvern Hill, White Oak Swamp, Deep Bottom, Chaffin's Farm, Pamplin Historical Park and City Point (Gen. Grants headquarters during the siege of Petersburg) and many other well known and not so well known battle sites and fortifications.

Much about our old and dusty beginnings causes us to be proud, but at the same time ashamed. However, because of the lessons learned from our past, the Richmond area today has become a bright and shiny place which is set like Rome on seven hills.
Here you will find many and varied museums or river rapids for those brave enough to take the plunge, sports events of every kind, major universities and hospitals like Virginia Commonwealth University's Medical College of Virginia, world class car races at Richmond International Raceway and cycling (the UCI world championship 2015), as well as the Richmond Marathon (rated the 18th largest in the nation). There are also restaurants galore from local favorites to world class dining. Richmond is fast becoming a gourmets delight and the Craft Brewery Capital of the South. Chic shopping districts like Carytown, River Road, Short Pump or Stoney Point are all within a short distance, as are outlet malls and several large shopping centers.
Watersports and tours of many kinds are offered in several nearby places. Major garden tours (voted one of the best in the country) like Lewis-Ginter Botanical Gardens or Maymont Park as well as national, state and local parks are all within minutes of the GiaMaria. And in one to two hours by car you can be in the Blue Ridge Mountains or Charlottesville or Virginia Beach or Washington, DC, or Williamsburg or Jamestown, or Yorktown, or Petersburg, or Kings Dominion, or Busch Gardens, and several major outlet malls.

We even now enjoy the Virginia Capital Trail. It is a cycling/walking, running hard surfaced path of 52 miles that links Richmond, the Capital of Virginia, and the Colonial Capitals of Williamsburg and Jamestown. And all of this is only a sampling of what you will find within a stones throw of either vessel.

The area though is also a wildlife lover's delight. There are many native species of plants and animals such as rare Lady Slippers, Bald Eagles, ancient swamps of Cypress and Junipers, Running Cedar, and Song Birds galore. There are Foxes, both red and silver, and occasional bobcats, beavers and otters. We are also a flyway for many species of creatures, such as Butterflies, Purple Martins, Ducks, Geese, Humming Birds, Robins, Northern Bald Eagles. Fish such as Striped Bass, American and Hickory Shad and American Eels spawn here in the spring. And in the fall, ancient Sturgeons weighing more than 500 pounds can be seen jumping out of the water.
As for fishing, we have both Large and Small Mouth Bass, several species of Catfish, record sized Crappie and several local guides will guarantee that you will catch a catfish of 40 pounds or more during late fall and throughout the winter.

But if dancing is your thing, then the Tobacco Company is just down the road where you can party late into the night.

Property manager

Ronald M. Blaha

Languages

English

Property amenities

Beach

  • On the beach

Internet

  • Available in the accommodation: WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Car recommended
  • Parking on site

Kitchen

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Cookware, dishware, and utensils
  • Electric kettle
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Refrigerator
  • Spices
  • Stovetop
  • Toaster

Bedrooms

  • Bedroom
  • Bedsheets provided
  • Sofa bed

Bathroom

  • 1 bathroom
  • Bathtub or shower
  • Hair dryer
  • Shampoo
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels provided

Living spaces

  • Fireplace
  • Living room

Entertainment

  • Books
  • Stereo
  • TV

Outdoor areas

  • Barbecue grill
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Patio

Laundry

  • Coin laundry
  • Washing machine

Comfort

  • Air conditioning
  • Heating

Pets

  • Pet friendly

Suitability/Accessibility

  • Smoke-free property

Services and conveniences

  • Iron/ironing board
  • Safe

Location highlights

  • In a rural location
  • In a village
  • In the city center
  • In the mountains
  • Near a hospital
  • Near a zoo
  • Near an outlet shopping mall
  • Near the marina
  • On a river
  • On the waterfront

Things to do

  • Boat on site
  • Kayak on site
  • Basketball nearby
  • Birdwatching nearby
  • Cycling nearby
  • Ecotours nearby
  • Fishing nearby
  • Golfing nearby
  • Hiking/biking trails nearby
  • Horseback riding nearby
  • Hunting nearby
  • Ice skating nearby
  • Jet skiing nearby
  • Rafting nearby
  • Sailing nearby
  • Swimming nearby
  • Theme park nearby
  • Water skiing nearby
  • Water tubing nearby
  • Winery tours nearby

Safety features

  • Carbon monoxide detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector)
  • Smoke detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property)

General

  • 1 unit
  • Unit size: 350 square feet

Similar properties

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 3:00 PM
Minimum check-in age: 21

Check-out

Check-out before 11:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions

Pets

Pets allowed
Service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees
Restrictions apply; for more information contact the property at the number on the booking confirmation

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Parties and events are allowed on site
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property
This property is managed through our partner, Vrbo. You will receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account, where you can change or cancel your reservation

We should mention

A car is recommended for transportation to and from this property

Property is also known as

Warm Cozy 50' Houseboat Gated Quaint Peaceful Marina cit
Warm Cozy 50' Gated Quaint Peaceful Marina cit Richmond
Warm Cozy 50' Gated Quaint Peaceful Marina cit
Warm Cozy 50' Houseboat Gated Quaint Peaceful Marina cit
Warm Cozy 50' Gated Quaint Peaceful Marina cit Richmond
Warm Cozy 50' Houseboat Gated Quaint Peaceful Marina cit
Warm Cozy 50' Gated Quaint Peaceful Marina cit Richmond
Warm Cozy 50' Gated Quaint Peaceful Marina cit

About the neighborhood

Richmond

Located in Richmond, this houseboat is in the city center and on the beach. Malvern Hill Battlefield Park and Virginia Capital Trail: Richmond Trailhead are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those wishing to experience the area's natural beauty can explore Presquile National Wildlife Refuge and Pocahontas State Park. Richmond Railroad Museum and The Lazy Daisy are also worth visiting. Discover the area's water adventures with jet skiing and water skiing nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with cycling and horse riding.

What's nearby

  • Richmond National Battlefield Park - 11 min drive
  • Dorey Park - 13 min drive
  • Broad Street - 22 min drive
  • Greater Richmond Convention Center - 25 min drive
  • Henricus Historical Park - 35 min drive

Getting around

  • Richmond Main Street Station - 22 min drive
  • Richmond Intl. Airport (RIC) - 19 min drive

Restaurants

  • The Taphouse at Rivers Bend - 18 min drive
  • McDonald's - 18 min drive
  • McDonald's - 20 min drive
  • Pietro's Pizza & Italian Restaurant - 24 min drive
  • Chipotle Mexican Grill - 23 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is A Warm and Cozy 50' Houseboat in gated, quaint and peaceful marina near the city pet-friendly?

Yes, pets are allowed at this property.

How much does it cost to stay at A Warm and Cozy 50' Houseboat in gated, quaint and peaceful marina near the city?

As of May 12, 2024, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at A Warm and Cozy 50' Houseboat in gated, quaint and peaceful marina near the city on May 13, 2024 start from $100.0, excluding taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.

What time is check-in at A Warm and Cozy 50' Houseboat in gated, quaint and peaceful marina near the city?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at A Warm and Cozy 50' Houseboat in gated, quaint and peaceful marina near the city?

Check-out is at 11:00 AM.

Where is A Warm and Cozy 50' Houseboat in gated, quaint and peaceful marina near the city located?

Located in Richmond, this beachfront houseboat is in the city center, 0.3 mi (0.5 km) from James River, and within 6 mi (10 km) of Richmond National Battlefield Park and Dorey Park. Malvern Hill Battlefield Park and New Market Heights Battlefield are also within 9 mi (15 km).

Reviews

9.6

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 154 out of 191 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 29 out of 191 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 4 out of 191 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 191 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 3 out of 191 reviews" "

9.2/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Staff & service

8.8/10

Amenities

9.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

10/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

8/10 Good

Ken J.

Liked: Cleanliness
Everything we needed
We had an enjoyable stay on the houseboat. The bed was comfortable, and the accommodations had everything we needed. We even made spaghetti the first night for dinner since we arrived later than planned. The area is private, we only saw a few people and those we did see gave a friendly hello if they didn't stop to chat with us. For anyone wondering about the movement of the boat, it is very stable. The boat is docked in a channel off the main river so not a lot of boat traffic and the currents don't really cause any movement of the boat. We had a couple windy nights and the boat barely moved, only a few light bumps on the dock or an occasion rock. Once asleep, you wouldn't know if you were on a boat or hotel room. Plenty to do in the area, we spent 1/2 a day Richmond National Battlefield and another 1/2 day in Richmond. Captain Ron was a wonderful host. We recommend a stay if you are looking for a unique experience.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jason S.

Liked: Cleanliness
Wonderful Escape on the Water
The Gia Maria was everything I was looking for and more. Perfectly serene houseboat on the water. Great views, great space for anyone looking for a taste of the nautical life. I stayed there by myself but it would be perfectly acceptable for a couple and kids. I will most certainly be back. Thank you, Captain Ron, for sharing this idyllic space with us.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Shirley B.

Liked: Cleanliness
Relaxing House Boat
Captain Ron was on sight when I arrived and showed me around. House boat had everything I needed and there were parks close by to walk my dog. The bed was a dream to sleep on. The boat has a lot of character which was delightful. If you need a lot of space this isn’t the place for you. I loved it!
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

E K.

Liked: Cleanliness
Cozy Houseboat
We stayed in the GiaMaria for the weekend and it was lovely. Very cozy and rustic. Capt Ron was wonderful to deal with and gave us great recommendations of things to do in the area. We can't wait to rent one of his other houseboats.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Hank W.

Liked: Cleanliness
Bohemian Skipper 10/22
Amazing and unique place to stay. Captain Ron was a ideal host and was kind enough to give me a ride to downtown when I was running behind. Definitely will be back sooner than later.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Doris B.

Liked: Cleanliness
Captain Ron
Amazing experience!
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Todd B., Verona, VA

Liked: Cleanliness
Our Stay
Very nice time. We'll be back next year!
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2023

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness
Unique Experience
Captain Ron is a gracious and gregarious host. Staying on his houseboat in a quiet marina on the James River was a unique experience. On the upper deck we enjoyed eating breakfast, watching the birds, and toasting the sunsets with a glass of wine. It’s a short drive to the Lily Pad restaurant where we had delicious dinners and great service. The only downside was not having Internet or TV cable service during our stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Rachael W.

Liked: Cleanliness
Place of serenity
Had an amazing weekend filled with serenity laughter and alot of peace.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Erica K.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great place to stay!
We enjoyed the time we were able to be on the boat. We had fun on our stay for our anniversary! It was a unique experience and Ron was a great host.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023

General property information

Check-In Time
3:00 PM
Check-Out Time
11:00 AM
Location
Richmond
Structure Type
Houseboat