Four Couples Sail the York
People ask, “Do couples enjoy sailing?” Sailing gets in your blood, as discovered with two of four couples sailing the York River on a magnificent spring day with 10-12 mph winds. The couples were open completely to capture the adventure. Two couples sailed in the morning and two in the afternoon. Years ago John Tropilo […]
Sailing Near Dolphins
A lovely couple from Hampton Roads moved to Maryland and like to return to Williamsburg on vacation. In all those years, they hadn’t sailed the York River until now. As part of the adventure, we saw a fleeting glimpse of two or three dolphins swimming toward us. They disappeared under the hull as quickly as they surfaced. Then […]
Boating Fails and Tales
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlEdBRv7B-k “We went offshore in New Jersey looking for bait fish,” said Colleen McGowan while taking her children for a sailing lesson on the York River. Hers is the first of several bizarre boating tales this season encountered by Let’s Go Sail. “We ran into a crowd of fish so great that it felt like there […]
Mega-Yacht Sails into York
A 142-foot mega-yacht sailed into the York River before landing at York River Yacht Haven. It trailed a substantial tender with three outboard engines. Out in the middle of the river, the yacht stopped to reel in the boat hawser so a driver could get aboard. He proceeded ahead of the yacht, criss crossing the […]
Serenity Sailing, Then Dolphins
A York County woman took her family sailing on the York River and found it a serene setting of mild winds and warm breezes, part of the outdoor fun near Yorktown. The anticipation was that of a family outing. The adventure arrived in the quietude, as they chatted for hours. In the process, we sailed under […]
Chesapeake Sailor Qualifies
Alex Grunsfeld completed all three on-the-water tests for SailTime Virginia Beach by running a 36-foot Hunter outside the shipping lanes of Chesapeake Bay. He brought his wife and children out on Mother’s Day, and it’s one they’ll remember. He did great in rising winds of 15-18 mph, gusting over 20. As a result of reefing both […]
Sailing Near the Navy
A dreary day on the York River perked up with the siting of an exceptional Navy ship. It was quite an adventure. Amy and John McCarthy took a long-awaited sail with their daughter C.C. and her boyfriend Chris Coe, in town from Ketchum, Idaho. C.C. sailed competitively in high school, so she had no trouble […]
Crisis After Yorktown
For two years after the American victory at Yorktown in October of 1781, the Continental Army remained in the field. Peace with Great Britain was still uncertain. By March of 1783, Army officers and soldiers in Newburgh, New York, were growing impatient with Congress over back pay. Discord at headquarters was rampant. An inflammatory address circulated […]
Minnesota Sailors Race the York
Korine and Mitchell Arseneau of Hampton took her parents Kathy and Paul sailing on a sunny, breezy afternoon along the York River. They used their extensive sailing skills to race downriver on five tacks at 10-15 degrees heeling before running with wind upriver. Paul spent 25 years in the US Navy. “I was only five […]
New journalism, rationalized
People frequently buttonhole me about why The Virginia Gazette is declining. Corporate guidance explains a lot. This is why I took up sailing. –Capt. Bill NEWS Emphasize the digital website as timely and relevant. Print is dead. Substitute the idea of genuine news with “content.” More catchy. Jettison experienced reporters and editors. They’re too costly. […]
Returning for a Second Sail
A Philadelphia couple reprised their sail from August 2015 by returning on a sunny but cool spring afternoon. They sailed in moderate winds that clocked around north and occasionally gusted. Iris Carter is a hospital administrator who coordinates admissions thousands of children among nine hospitals. The last time we talked, she and Raymond Bey were […]
Sailing into Historical Feuds
Sometimes the stars align for the perfect publishing break. That was the case last summer when Colonial Williamsburg released “Founding Feuds” in the middle of the presidential primaries. The subtitle seemed ripped from contemporary headlines: “The Rivalries, Clashes and Conflicts That Forged a Nation.” This week, author Paul Aron will discuss his book at the Virginia […]
Happiness on a sailboat
Happiness on a sailboat comes in many forms. There is first of all the sheer joy of running a boat on the wind. With a few minutes training behind the wheel, anyone can enjoy the sensation of guiding a sailboat through the waves. Boats steer like cars except that the “wheels” are in the back […]
Privacy Policy
Last updated May 4, 2017. Wendin LLC t/a Williamsburg Charter Sails operates http://www.williamsburgchartersails.com (the “Site”). This page informs you of our policies regarding the collection, use and disclosure of Personal Information we receive from users of the Site. We use your Personal Information only for providing and improving the Site. By using the Site, you […]
Sailing on Three Anniversaries
By coincidence, three couples from Chesapeake, Williamsburg and Minneapolis celebrated by sailing the York River. They were followed by two college chums. Rebekah and Jonathan Macalvey got married three years ago after meeting on duty in Afghanistan. She’s a physician’s assistant in the Navy and he’s a SEAL with 20 years in. Rebekah said, “I’m on […]
Sailboat Essentials
One of the most frequent questions fielded by Let’s Go Sail is, “What should I wear?” Here are the sailboat essentials for a day’s adventure on vacation. The easy answer in summer is whatever you have on for the day in the way of shorts and shirt, plus a hat and sunscreen. Temperatures out on […]
Sailing Under Air Force 1
Two couples from Pennsylvania and New Jersey got to sail the expansive and historic York River while Air Force One flew overhead. The presidential jet, of which there may be three, flies from Dover AFB to Langley AFB in Hampton to do touch-and-go practice landings. Sometimes it lands at nearby Williamsbrg-Newport News International since the […]
Sailing with the Army and Navy
Five couples from diverse backgrounds got to sail the warm spring winds of the York River while taking in an air show overhead. Two intriguing fellows had never sailed before but quickly got the knack of the helm for a particular reason. Steven “Junior” Sawyer was a parachutist in the US Army, and Joshua Franck is […]
Living and Boating Along the Intercoastal
An experienced boating couple who spent decades on various cruisers and motor yachts got to go sailing for the first time. Charles Grimes took Tammy Bell and her parents JoAnne and Tom Bell sailing on the York River, and they loved it. The Bells found it exciting in a brisk wind of 15 mph that […]
Rigorous Sailing Class, Day 2
The rain held off and the wind held up for Williamsburg Area Learning Tree’s second rigorous sailing class. Seas built to three feet as a northeast wind rotated north with chilling breezes. Participants felt the tug of a vigorous close reach, taking the boat to 15 degrees heeling but no farther. They tacked and turned […]