TAPPAHANNOCK, Va. — The Rappahannock and Tappahannock. A river and town forever linked by a ribbon of waves.
Different crafts have sailed these waters over the centuries, but nothing has ever dropped anchor and made a splash here like “Wild Sally” and “Big Jack.”
“Some people said they look like they belong in a Star Wars movie,” David Hennage said.
The vehicles, which are part boat and part truck, now call Tappahannock home.
“They are the largest single piece of equipment I’ve ever worked on,” John Hennage said.
John Hennage is the proud new operator of the voluminous vehicles known as Lighter Amphibious Resupply Cargo vehicles or LARC-Vs.
“This is unique in that it can hit the beach. Drive out of the beach and keep right on going,” John said.
“It touches my heart deeply to have these two pieces of equipment here. They’re very, very impressive pieces of equipment,” Nate Parker, who owns June Parker Marina, said. “I’ve had so many people ask me what did they transport the pieces of equipment in with? What did they bring them in with? I said they came in on their own.”
Standing three stories tall, the LARCs are hard to miss.
"These behemoths are so big, they’re 60 feet long, nearly 30 feet wide and their tires are nearly nine feet tall.”
But John, an engineer, didn’t buy Jack and Sally as a conversation starter. His family business Tidewater Subsea will use the LARCs to dredge area creeks.
“We realized the road system in the area couldn’t really handle large trucks. It wasn’t going to work,” said John.
In their past lives “Wild Sally” and “Big Jack” had much more dangerous jobs.
These former U.S. military vehicles were used during the Vietnam War to carry troops and tanks.
“These have bullet holes in them that have been repaired,” John said. “They were combat vehicles there was no question about it.”
After the fighting ended, the LARCs sat rusting away in New York for the last 15 years. Only about 950 were ever made worldwide.
“So as far as we know there are only 10 left in the world,” John said.
Earlier this year, John found numbers 48 and 49 on Staten Island. Each cost $25,000. But driving the LARCs down Interstate 95 was out of the question.
“Oh no! We knew there was no way they could be shipped,” John said. “They’re too large to be shipped by truck. Too wide. Too heavy.”
This spring, John and a small crew, including his uncle David, embarked on a different type of voyage. A two and half-week white knuckle ride down the eastern seaboard.
“No, I’ve never done anything like this,” David said. “It got rough enough that water was coming over the back. We were catching waves that were rolling over. We had to run the pumps.”
Make no mistake, a LARC would never be confused with a pleasure craft.
“They are workboats,” John said. “There are no amenities at all. Other than noise and heat.”
Engine issues forced the novice sailors to beach the boats in New Jersey. Where the curious gathered to gawk.
“So yeah. Everybody that saw them was very interested in them. They wanted to know what they were,” said John.
The LARCs finally reached the Rappahannock River in May to begin their new chapter.
“I don’t know if I would use the word fun. It was an adventure,” said John.
The colossal crafts are already generating a lot of interest around town.
“If I’m around on a Saturday and working on them one or two people will stop by and usually want to put their arms up and take a picture in front of the tire because the tires are impressive,” said John with a laugh.
It is not lost on John that by preserving maritime history, he is also honoring the soldiers who served on board. John Hennage, a sea-tested captain pleased with his business decision which was done on a lark.
“I’d rather not see them sit and rust and get destroyed,” said John. “As long as these keep running and doing their job they’ll live as long as we can keep them going.”
John and his crew hope to get “Wild Sally” and “Big Jack” restored and up and running in the next few months.
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