Captain's Blog

Good Riddance

As many as 20 derelict sailboats and motorboats on the Hards at York River Yacht Haven are in the process of being crushed and trucked away. A few wooden boats date to the 1940s. Once the hill is cleared and graded, more current boats will move here from down the

Read More »
Danger Sails

Danger Sails

A couple from metro Richmond returned for another sail and brought friends with them. Donna Ludwig recalled the last time she and Buddy went sailing. “It was with my brother-in-law on his sailboat, slightly smaller than this, say 27 feet. It was a day like today and we had a

Read More »

Arts Quarter Sails

Award-winning actor Glenn Close was the star of the dedication of the William & Mary Arts Quarter, a massive reconfiguration of Phi Beta Kappa Hall into a half dozen buildings interconnected. Before several hundred alumni and guests in the new PBK, Close expressed heartfelt gratitude for their support, tearing up

Read More »
Hover Sail

Hover Sail

Three couples from Georgia, South Carolina and Maryland converged on a cool, crisp Fall day to pursue the History Cruise. But first we sailed under the Coleman Bridge to view a Navy submarine in port. Doug Boyd reluctantly took the helm, having once sailed S-28s in Annapolis. He talked of

Read More »
The World

The World

Albeit pretentious, that’s the name of a massive cruise ship that anchored overnight in the York River. MS The World presages the coming (and controversial) Princess liner with 3,000 passengers disembarking at Yorktown. But this one has only 150-200 passengers who own 165 condo apartments worth millions. As the name

Read More »
Sailing Teamwork

Sailing Teamwork

Let’s go sail the York River, where couples enjoy a serene three hours. Take one of 6 sailing adventures near the Chesapeake Bay for your best vacation excursion: Adventure, Event, Appreciation, History, Lessons, Boat Buying. People ask, “Is teamwork important in sailing?” Very much so. A Portsmouth couple bought a

Read More »
Next Day

Navy Sail

For six weeks, we saw nary a Navy warship. Then two showed up within two days. Three days later, the first ship left to go out to sea. A New Hampshire couple was aboard, having taken their ASA 101 course on Lake Champlain. I thought it only fitting that the

Read More »

Childhood Sail

Some people have wonderful childhood sail memories, largely about their parents. While sailing the York with his wife Melissa, Ralph Leonard recalled his dad. “We sailed a trimaran off the coast of Florida to the Bahamas. I guest it took maybe a day. We stayed overnight on the beach and

Read More »
Elegance of sailing

Elegance of Sailing

People ask, “Can you sum up sailing in one word?” Yes. Except for polo, nothing beats the elegance of sailing. From the yacht club to the ocean and everywhere in between, sailing exudes a special ambiance and attitude that is hard to replicate elsewhere. Few sports compare to sailing. It

Read More »