Sailing to Expelled Territory
On a breezy, sunny day three couples who never met had the time of their lives sailing the York River. We extended the run for an hour to enjoy the challenge of achieving speed on the water under sail. Tom and Ann Cook of Fairfax, Virginia, were unusually intriguing because he’s an accomplished sailor and […]
Sailing from Australia
My first Australian went sailing on the York River with his wife’s family. Sean Ironmonger said that one of the stereotypes is that Americans asked if he knew the late Steve Irwin, the crocodile hunter. “They can’t believe I never met him, so sometimes I just say, ‘Aye, we drink at the pub now and […]
Bachelorette Birthday Sail
On this day, the winds died down and clouds filled the air. Rain threatened off in the southeast. People ask, “Do you do birthday sails?” Mallory Beard took her friends and teammates from Hampton University out for her 20th birthday. Their volleyball team travels the country and plays 30 games over the course of the […]
Women and War during 1770s
The War of Independence took a toll on all it touched — men and women, Patriots and Loyalists. In this excerpt from John Ferling’s “Whirlwind: The American Revolution and the War That Won It,” he shows the trials and tribulations women faced during the long conflict. Reprinted from the Museum of the American Revolution, Philadelphia. […]
What’s that Ship?
Drivers along the Colonial Parkway and the York River can’t help but notice an unusual ship docked for months at the US Navy base Cheatham Annex. From afar, the blue hull and white deck resemble a cruise ship, but up close one can see multiple radars and other intel equipment on deck. This is the […]
Sailing with History
Art Burdick and his fiancé Robin Miller enjoyed a dynamic sail off Yorktown on a blustery and cloudy day that eventually calmed down into sunny and smooth. They’re getting married next week at Wren Chapel on the campus of the College of William and Mary, where he got his history degree. He teaches history to […]
Sailing Past Ghosts
There’s the Ghost Fleet of reserve ships in the James River, down from hundreds of boats to around a dozen today. Then there are the ghosts of Williamsuburg, originally compiled in a book by the late L.B. Taylor Jr. He claimed to be agnostic about ghosts but went on to write more than a […]
Sailing Past History
I get asked, “Why did the colonists rebel in the 1770s?” While conveying the Battle of the Capes and the Siege of Yorktown to a group of six along the York River, Susan Jennaro got to talking about what a good job the interpreters do at Colonial Williamsburg. One thing they don’t have time to […]
Sailing to Work
Dayshva and Nathan Smith live in Northern Virginia, where they love their respective work despite long hours and extensive holiday schedules. She’s in retail with a fashion store at the original Tysons Corner while he’s a baker with a large bakery. While sailing near Williamsburg, Dayshva got off on an illuminating tangent about shoplifters. “Near […]
Sailing for Merit Badge
Boys aren’t always the best on a sailboat, but Wendy and Rick Cehon’s were. They came from central Massachusetts for a vacation and went sailing along the York River on a beautiful morning. It turns out they’re scoutmasters. I showed them how one young man on an earlier cruise couldn’t pull a simple […]
