Claire Fortier took her partner Maria Pialeat and one of their grown children and his girlfriend sailing on a brisk afternoon along the York River. Claire was an editor colleague of mine at The Virginia Gazette who wound up in California editing the South Lake Tahoe Tribune, where
“Did you know that a DNR doesn’t apply if you go into surgery?” That provocative notion was told by Joel Dixon, who with his wife Hamet works as an Operating Room nurse at the University of Virginia Hospital in Charlottesville. They were in Williamsburg for an afternoon sail on the
The Hasz family was fully aware of the need for lifejackets because the waters of the York River are still cold. Tamara and Eric Hasz were in Williamsburg from Northern Wisconsin, where they live near Lake Winnebago. “It’s 30 miles long and 10 miles wide, but only 15 feet deep,”
Angela Goodhart brought two of her children from Northern Virginia to Williamsburg to show her daughter the College of William & Mary as a potential applicant. Angela is a W&M alumna from the 1980s who majored in business. She was impressed by the size and scope of the Mason School
You’ve no doubt seen images of the US Coast Guard rapelling down a line from an MH-60 helicopter to scoop someone from the water. There are two methods of rescue, and one of them could be fatal. That was among the revelations of an all-day seminar in Annapolis on “Medical
Gina Womack took her parents, Stephanie and Tom Womack, sailing on the York River on blustery afternoon. We motored across the water to the Yorktown side to get into the lee of the wind, where the trees and the cliffs knock down the gusts. There we cruised up and down
Submarines that are partially surfaced are hard to see, especially when they’re in dock. Sailing past a submarine can therefore be tricky. Arelene and Marvin Birnbaum enjoy the great outdoors by camping. They live in the Hudson Valley of New York and thought they’d take a crack at sailing, since
Don Schreffler just bought an old sailboat with another fellow and then went sailing on a new boat to get the feel. (New to him.) “We were going to pay $2,500 but the owner couldn’t start the engine. He was really frustrated about it and gave us the boat for
Before Jack Kennedy made sailing glamorous, Franklin Delano Roosevelt enjoyed it as an elegant pastime. His uncle John Roosevelt was a noted sailor who developed a large ice sailboat to run up and down the Hudson River from the family estate at Hyde Park. It was so fast that he
The Siege of Yorktown had everything: Cannon fire, sea battles, death, destruction, sickness, victory— and spies. So it’s odd when people ask, “Was Yorktown important?” In the summer of 1778, George Washington authorized the formation of a secret chain of agents known as the Culper Ring to operate in British-occupied New
The Museum of the American Revolution, opening in Philadelphia next year, has partnered with the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution on an ambitious artistic endeavor. The DAR will underwrite the framing and installation of a hand-painted copy of the Siege of Yorktown (1781), the subject of an optional 20-minute talk for guests
People ask, “What’s the worst thing youi’ve seen at a marina?” In late February 2016, a married couple perished on a 43-foot Hatteras when fire broke out at the beginning of the main dock at Dozier’s Port Urbanna and raged outward toward Urbanna Creek. Just up the hill, Buddy Wyker
Five decades removed from where I grew up, we ventured back to go sailing home. Bonnie and I met our younger daughter Wendy in New York for three days of touring that included a day in the suburbs of Westchester. Wendy was in town from Denver to deliver a talk
There comes a time in a man’s life when he hears the call of the sea. If the man has a brain in his head, he will hang up the phone immediately. –Dave Barry That explains why many people are reluctant to buy a boat, much less board one. Despite
A toy boat launched in the Atlantic Ocean by South Carolina school students has reached the coast of Wales, after a stopover in Bermuda. The Royal Gazette reports that the Carolina Dreamer was built by the St. Andrew’s School of Math & Science in Charleston and fitted with a GPS
In 1781 the First Rhode Island Regiment fought successfully at the Battle of Yorktown. Alan Gilbert’s new book, “Black Patriots and Loyalists: Fighting for Emancipation in the War for Independence,” shows how the promise of freedom drew enslaved blacks into the Continental Army and the British Army during the
When visitors to Williamsburg are looking for a family sailboat trip in Virginia, my charter often pops up on the Internet. Aside from the fun of sailing, I take photos under way and back at dockside to document the adventure. Sometimes these are the only photos of the entire family
Virtually everyone I take cruising along the York River on their charter outing is fascinated by the sport of sailing. Some express the dream of owning a sailboat one day. A few have done it, with no regrets. Yet sailing isn’t all that expensive when compared to other sports. Columnist
Bonnie and I toured South Florida off the Gulf of Mexico to pursue charter and teaching opportunities. We sent sailing in Charlotte Harbor and fell upon Let’s Go Sailing Englewood, which closely resembles my brand Let’s Go Sail Williamsburg. This excursion was the highlight of our ten-day trip. Capt. Levi provided
Here are six lessons learned while sailing this summer. WEATHER – So many people, especially out West and in the Midwest, have suffered incalculable psychic and monetary damage from floods, drought, wildfires, snow and bitter, bitter cold in recent years. We have it easy here in Williamsburg and throughout Tidewater