It’s no small truth that people in the Midwest are more outdoorsy. Consider Ron and Nancy Snyder of Wilmar MN, who spent an afternoon sailing in brisk winds along the York River.
Ron said, “We fish in the winter when the lakes freeze over. It takes 4 inches of ice to be able to sit there and drill the hole. You need 10 inches thick to drive out there.”
Do you drive across the lake to take a shortcut? “No, just to the fishing spot.” Nancy added, “You want to keep your truck door open.” Why? “In case you go through the ice, so you can get out quickly. Sometimes people drive too early in the season, or too late into Spring.”
Ron said, “Walleye is the state fish, plenty of them. Small mouth bass are the best to eat. It’s like out here, no phone and no distractions.”
Their son is a forest ranger in Alaska. Ron said, “He set it up for me to go fly on the Denali, the highest peak at 20,310 feet. But it rained and the plane couldn’t take off.” Nancy looked pleased with that result.
British Sailors
Bill and Stephanie Murray were touring Virginia from Great Britain, and they were determined to take a boat ride. “My father,” she said, “is 93 and used to take us sailing on his boat, 32 feet like this.”
They loved visiting Roanoke, Williamsburg and Norfolk. “We took the Harbor Tour yesterday,” Bill said, “to see the Navy ships.” In the distance, I showed him two warships in dock at NWS from Norfolk.
“We live in Warton, Lancashire, where George Washington’s ancestors came from. They were quite wealthy and as a result we have a very large church in a very small town. Rectory too. A lot of Americans come through as some sort of Washington Trail tour.”
Navy Exit
The USS Delbert Black exited NWS Yorktown under the observation of a Ford’s Colony group led by Margaret Steel. She told me privately that her earlier voyage with Let’s Go Sail was the third date she had with Griff Steel, and they are now happily married. She credited Let’s Go Sail for moving things along.
Liveaboard Sailor
A fellow from Richmond wants to buy a liveaboard to fix up and sail south to Florida. Later, I sent him a video about the Endeavor 42, a live-aboard made famous by the TV series “Miami Vice.” Andrew Abbate brought his friend Cat Giles on a brisk day to learn how to sail. His work surrounds motorcycle repairs.
“I get people who say they don’t want anything for free, but they tell me their long story and finish up by asking, ‘Is there anything you can do for free?’ A lot of people don’t know anything about repairing them. The Harley-Davidson guys are different. They take their engine apart and put it back with parts left over. And then they wonder why it won’t work.
“If you get hurt on a bike, I tell people that anything that goes wrong out there is your fault. You were following too close, or swerving, or cutting a corner. I’ve seen friends maimed and killed. I’m sorry, but it’s on them.”
Drew gets his service leads by word-of-mouth. “Oh, and Dave Crowder. Whoever he is, he fixes bikes and gets it wrong. So, they come to me. I should put up a billboard that says, ‘Go to Dave Crowder first.”
We got to talking about catching squirrels, and Cat weighed in. “I once went to stay at my roommate’s house in Dinwiddie County, very rural. They were having some sort of squirrel and possum stew. My momma always told me to take at least one “No, thank you bite,” so I did. It was awful. Gamey! Thank you no.”
Gifted Sailor
A Williamsburg woman gave her childhood friend of 59 years a Christmas gift certificate to sail. Lynn Kuder had trouble setting up the sail due to email issues and then rain, but finally we made it out on the river in a brisk southeasterly.
Floyd Taylor used to volunteer for the North Carolina Parks system, focusing on lighthouse restoration and preservation.
“Did you know that Cape Hatteras Lighthouse holds two speed records? It moved 222 feet in one day, and then 2900 feet over 30 days. They were trying to move it ahead of a hurricane, and it worked. It holds both the sprint record and the marathon record.”
He also knew a lot about ATONs, so I bragged about how I got R-24 replaced this summer because it was sinking. “That’s a 5-mile ATON because you can see it 5 miles away. They make smaller ones that you can only see 2 miles away.” Who knew.
Women enjoy sailing today more than ever, and particularly a romantic cruise.
Couples get to enjoy a romantic getaway as they sit up on the bow for privacy, and Let’s Go Sail provides professional photos for free. First-time or skilled mariners are welcome to sail a modern-32-foot sailboat in a unique setting of wildlife and Fall foliage or Spring bloom. It makes for an extraordinary anniversary idea, especially in the Fall when winds are brisk and romantic.
USS Porter Arrives
The guided missile cruiser USS Porter arrived at Yorktown on a blustery day. Once again, the Coleman Bridge failed to close in a timely manner. It took an extra 10 minutes, on the south span. We could see men working up there but couldn’t tell what they were doing.
Ohio Sailors
A couple from Ohio touring Williamsburg brought their dog Dunkin’ for his first sail. They have enjoyed recreational boats over the years, except that one time.
Heidi Viccaro said, “We were going to paddle canoes along a river someplace. We had to drive down a long road to Deliverance, seemingly. A woman who looked pretty rough came out and said to wait for her husband, who had taken a bus full of people down the river. Wait. Wouldn’t he have been bringing them back from the end of the river? She added mysteriously, ‘Here’s a bar of soap and a towel.’ We looked at each other and took off instead to go tour wineries.”
Grateful Sailor
Hello Captain Bill,
Malcolm and I really enjoyed celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary on “Deadline”. She is a beauty. We appreciated the trust by allowing us to sail her for a majority of the time in the water. Your knowledge of the nuances of sailing is amazing. Malcolm’s really did enjoy guiding her.
It renewed our love of sailing and may just spark a few lessons again.
Thank you for the photo images as well. Unbelievable the sights we experienced … the Navy warship 78, the tugboat and the opening of the Coleman bridge. Forever memories.
Here is a great photo I captured of you as well. Photography feeds my soul.
Photography is the sharing of stories… not just taking a picture but creating an image of permanent memories. You may use this image if you like but I ask that you credit the photo to: ttchristian.(all lowercase). If you use my image please let me know I would love to see it. I believe it captures you and “Deadline” perfectly.
Thanks again for everything. We must connect again next Spring when we may celebrate Madam President Kamala Harris’ victory.
As Light and Kindness overcomes darkness and hate!
Blessings,
Toni Tillman Christian
#Harris for President 2024
Oh and the YROC restaurant was delicious. Thank you for the coupon. It was the icing on the cupcake of a wonderful 35th anniversary.
Higher Tides
High winds and waves from multiple storms have come close to reaching the boat lifts at York River Yacht Haven. Remnants from TS Helene are likely to make things worse.
Let’s Go Sail
Check Couples and Family rates and pick a day for a sailboat charter. Scroll down reviews on Trip Advisor. Go back to the home page of Williamsburg Charter Sails.
The best Williamsburg boat tour offers safe sailing daily for up to 6 people. It’s an extraordinary experience for couples. Leave your worries behind. Enjoy the thrill of moving with the wind without a care in the world. Put life back on an even keel with a romantic experience for a birthday or anniversary. 3-hour sailboat cruise as a semi-private yachting charter lets you exhale and relax as you enjoy comfort, stability and speed.
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