Captain's Blog

The Art of Sailing

The Art of Sailing

The art of sailing dates to ancient time and has only gotten better. From Monet to Manet, sailing and sailboats make compelling images. Many paintings derive from five scenes. 1.      Sunsets are immortal. They convey the end of a day, and if that day was spent on the water, all the

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Shipshape Sailboat

Shipshape Sailboat

The list is endless to keep a sailboat shipshape. It breaks out into several lists of discrete responsibilities based on timetables. That way, things proceed in an organized way that stops short of overwhelming the skipper. Here is a starter kit for the new sailboat owner.  It’s easy to become

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Birds of the York River

Birds of the York

Birds of the York River are fascinating to watch, every day and any season. Rob and Share Breitenstein  of Pensacola FL took their three beautiful children sailing on breezy York River, where we saw dolphins hunting schools of fish. Either that or they were just playing; it’s hard to tell

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Boats of the York River

Ships of the York

  You can go for days without seeing another boat on the York River. Then they show up in multitudes, seemingly for no reason. In fact, there is a cycle to the boating and shipping traffic. Here’s a rundown of the range of boats and ships along the York River.

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10 Mistakes Newbies Make

10 Mistakes Newbies Make

1. OVER-THINKING—Look, this is a sport. It’s not rocket science. Many of my students had bad experiences on a sailboat as a child or with their dad or first husband. That was then. Now you have another chance. Clear your mind of preconditions and take one step at a time.

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Sail cheap

Sail Cheap

Our charter company Let’s Go Sail offers a special Boat-Buyer Cruise for those inclined toward acquisition. The three-hour cruise is a challenge because the prospective buyer is often a fellow whose wife isn’t all that crazy about the idea. In fact, some women remain hell bent against it. For both

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Top Sailing Songs

Top Sailing Songs

The American Sailing Association is a venerable organization that I belong to as a professional mariner. I hold ASA credentials to teach three certified courses. Having said that, the ASA list is flawed for lacking “Sailing,” by Christopher Cross. It is the single-most mentioned song by guests at Let’s Go

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Sailing with house guests

Sailing with House Guests

I once toyed with running an ad in the Ford’s Colony community bulletin that replicated the info graphic above. It derived from a burst in activity from couples who were visiting friends in the planned community and evidently stayed too long. Normally the home couple would join them, but clearly

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Sail past Navy ships

Sail Past Navy Ships

  Nearly every week, except during the holidays, we sail past Navy ships as they ply the York River to and from Yorktown Naval Weapons Station. They arrive usually on Monday around noon and depart Thursday or Friday morning. These ships are magnificent to see coming over the eastern horizon

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Sailing into History

Sailing into History

A young man from Prescott AZ (grew up in Baltimore) brought his wife to Williamsburg for an annual trip they’ve done for years. They wanted the History Cruise, so I dove deeply in the 1781 Battle of the Capes and the Siege of Yorktown that effectively ended the Revolutionary War.

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