New Sailors
While sailing in a wonderful breeze, I explained to the Bartlett family of Minnesota how the Coleman Bridge met deadline when it was replaced over the York River between Yorktown and Gloucester Point. For a detailed look at the history of the bridge, check out the video below. Mike Bartlett served in the “Brown Navy” […]
Night Sailing
Certain navigation lights have to be turned on at night depending on whether you’re sailing or anchored. These lights do not impinge on the dark magnificence of sailing beneath millions of stars on a crystal clear night. But crab pots do. These pesky lines are connected to cages usually found in 10-15 […]
Lights for Sailboats
The US Coast Guard has developed an elaborate scheme of navigation lights for boats and sailboats of all sizes on the York River and around the world. Thay way, everyone can recognize each other at night and tell what direction they’re going. The easiest example is the one here of a sailboat with red, green […]
Sailing War Stories
People ask while sailing the York River how Gen. George Washington could communicate with Admiral Francoise DeGrasse in the Caribbean to get the French fleet here. Much it transpired by letters sent by couriers on single-mast sloops that could go faster than conventional warships. Frigates with two masts comprised sloops. The most famous early sloop […]
Father’s Day Sail
Thom MacDonnell took his wife Kaja and friends out on the York River for a glorious Father’s Day cruise on a 32-foot boat that Bill O’Donovan operates as Williamsburg Charter Sails. Thom won the cruise during the annual auction held to benefit the Williamsburg Kiwanis Foundation. (Father’s Day Sail) This is a rare use of […]
Building a Sailboat
People ask, “Is it hard to build a sailboat?” They find it surprising to learn how to do it, at least in the factory. It takes fabrication, in three parts. The fiberglass hull is laid up with a mold, and the interior gets built separately. They add parts inside and out until the decking drops […]
American Hero
George Washington secured his place as an American hero at Yorktown, where Continental and French troops beat the best Army and biggest Navy in the world. Patty DeMuth knows that well, as she related while sailing the York River with her family in the shadow of the battlefield. “I’m a direct descendant of Washington’s […]
Mariner Spectrum
Two ends of the mariner spectrum were captured in a sea change along the York River. A waterman sets up for the day to harvest oysters off the river bed while the destroyer USS Mitscher transits toward the Coleman Bridge and Yorktown Naval Weapons Station. The Mitscher was the Navy’s official welcoming ship when […]
Girl Talk
Sometimes the best place on a sailboat for girl talk can be the bow. Out there, with the boat slicing through the waves, one can find solitude to scrutinize nature and wind up falling asleep. Or you can hold a private conversation. Here, Ashley and Andrea Kieffer of Shawnee, Kansas, enjoy some girl time while […]
First Hot Shot
Early during the Siege of Yorktown in October 1781 the French got the bold idea of heating solid cannonballs red hot and firing them at a ship. They succeeded by arcing at least three balls a mile away toward the HMS Charon, the 44-gun lead ship of Lord Cornwallis, anchored in front of what is […]
Museum Confusion
The Museum of the American Revolution at Philadelphia opened in 2017. But one should not confuse it with the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown (pictured). Because that’s the new name for the Yorktown Victory Center overlooking the York River. Groundbreaking in Philadelphia was in spring 2017. In fact, Yorktown opened first, six weeks ahead of […]
Sailing Excellence
Thanks to all the guests who have enjoyed Williamsburg Charter Sails for their kind reviews on Trip Advisor. As a result, the charter just won the Certificate of Excellence after rising to No. 7 on the list of 71 things to do in Williamsburg. Who knew there were 71 things to do in Williamsburg? My […]
Kennedy Sailors
People ask, “Who are the most inspiring sailors?” Kennedy sailors are an American icon. President Kennedy made it glamorous by sailing on his sloop Victura out in the Atlantic off the coast of the Kennedy compound. Ted Kennedy enjoyed the contemplative nature as a sailor so much so that he cruised off Hyannis Port the […]
Sailing to Mexico
Ramona Findley of Los Angeles has crewed in offshore races from Newport Beach to Ensenada, Mexico, a 125-mile stretch that includes overnight sailing. So she and her colleagues from the LAPD and LA Sheriff’s Department had no problem sailing a mid-size Hunter on the York River on a beautiful afternoon. “I worked as the spinnaker […]
Sailing Blind
By sheer coincidence, we had two sight-impaired ladies onboard among three couples. One of them was Brenda-Ann Gillis. She ran a summer program for blind children on Florida’s Indian River. “The ages ranged from 9 or 10 up to 16. Their sighted siblings were included as part of the group, to help teach them how […]
Sailors Launched
Six adults excelled this spring in the class “Adventures in Sailing” class offered on the York River under the tutelage of the Williamsburg Area Learning Tree. They learned all six points of sail, how to tack sharply, how to gibe safely, how to rescue a man overboard, how to communicate on marine radio, how to […]
Pursuit of Sailing
Renee Williams took her husband Spencer sailing on the York River as a surprise birthday present. She was reluctant to take the wheel but proved highly capable in brisk winds that required reefing (reducing) the sails. They want to get into motorboats or sailboats near where they live in Northern Virginia. I told them […]
America’s Cup 2013
The fastest sailing on Earth took place during the 2013 America’s Cup in San Francisco Bay. These $100 million catamarans rose up out of the water on hydrofoils, which can be seen in this video. They touched an astonishing 55 mph. America was down 8-1 and roared back to win 8 straigt to win 9-8. […]
Great Sailing Day
People ask, “Aaarrrghhh! Are we tipping over?” Landlubbers, women and other reasonable people are put off at first by the heeling effect of a sailboat. The optimum tilt under sail in a good wind is 10-15 degrees off center. Anything beyond that is uncomfortable and surprisingly inefficient. Despite what you’ve seen on TV or in […]
Air Force One Flies By
Every other Thursday, Air Force One flies low over the York River to nearby Langley Air Force Base for a touch-and-go landing as a drill, and then returns to Washington by a different route. I was explaining this to a couple out sailing the river when lo and behold Air Force One swooped in a […]