Sailing from Iowa

Paul and Linda Johnson brought their children east from New Hartford IA to tour American history at Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown. They always wanted to sail, which they did splendidly on a brisk day along the York River where everyone got a turn at the helm. In their spare time, the family performs as The […]

Sailing Class

Sam Melville, Jon Sargent and Robert Dexter Lilley concluded an intensive two-day course with SailTime Virginia Beach by running a Catalina Capri 22 out of Willoughby Bay at Norfolk beside Interstate 64, over the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel toward Thimble Shoal Lighthouse, and back to port at Willoughby Marina. The crew fought a wicked ebb […]

Why Do Sailboats Lean?

People wonder, “Why do sailboats lean?” The short answer is that the power of the wind tilts the boat slightly. On a more technical level, the breeze passing through the sails creates a “lift” like that of an airplane taking off. But in this case the “wing” operates sideways as the mast holding the mainsail […]

Sailing with Critics

People ask, “Do you have any professional video?” Michelle Alexandria was in Williamsburg shooting video with her crew Tom Allen and Kyle Ervin for eclipsemaganize.com and blogcritics.org. She views around 200 movies a year as a member of the Washington DC Film Critics Association. Once a year she gets the full treatment of promotional materials […]

Racing and Sailing

I get asked, “Do you race?” Bob Davies told me while sailing that he once got to race a Jaguar XKR up to 170 miles per hour on a track. It was rated at 150 mph but was juiced up by the factory. (I explained how my sailboat was juiced up to exceed the 7 […]

Sailing to Victory

Family and friends of Bob Davies celebrated his 60th birthday by sailing along the York River. Bob and his wife Jennie are Brits who return to England frequently. He brought up an interesting dichotomy about history tourism. “At Jamestown, they love the British. At Williamsburg, they fear us. At Yorktown, they hate us.” After I […]

Sailing off the Beaten Path

The Zahns and McMandons live in Palm Coast, Florida, an hour south of Jacksonville and an hour north of Orlando. Part of Palm Coast’s charm is that it’s relatively remote, off the beaten path and away from a metropolitan center. But you have to want to get there to go there. Similar places are Charleston, […]

Where Do You Sail?

People often ask, “Where do you sail?” The question is answered magnificently in this photo by pilot Chris Herion of Queens Lake. His aerial shot captures the breadth of the lower York River as it extends out Sara Creek and across to Yorktown, below the Coleman Bridge (on the right, out of view). The boats […]