Sailing in Alaska
Dave Mrowiec never surrendered the helm when he took his wife and another couple sailing along the York River in strong winds. I’ve never seen anyone happier behind the wheel. “My father sent to me Alaska when I was 19 to work on a fishing trawler. It was 52 feet and we’d fish for salmon. […]
Celebrity Sailing
An experienced actor was among two couples from North Carolina who went sailing near Williamsburg on a blustery afternoon. Annette and Paul White travel together at least once a year with Lynda and Mike White. While enduring stiff winds that heeled the boat, Lynda mentioned that Mike White took up acting as an adult and […]
First Communion Sail
People ask, “Do you sail on special occasions?” His grandparents brought Gianni LaLota and his older brother Sal from the Fredicksburg area to go sailing after he made his First Communion that morning with his Catholic school class. The boys took the wheel with their grandfather Jim Moore in control. They managed fluky winds and […]
Norfolk Boat Memories
While taking their gals sailing near Williamsburg, two fellows recalled their Norfolk boat memories, having grown up together during the 1950s. Dale Murray said, “I’ve been around the water all my life, but I’ve never been sailing.” He did just fine on the helm. On the water indeed. “I have a center console 22-foot fishing boat […]
Sailing Past C-Span
When people go sailing on the York River, they seek a unique and fun adventure that’s also educational. Sometimes they’re surprised to see “C-Span” in the form of the Coleman Bridge swinging open to let US Navy ships pass. Every ten days or so, and sometimes as frequently as twice a day, cruisers and […]
Sailing for Blood
Remember when giving blood was important because it was in short supply? Not any more, or at least not so much. Kenny and Anna Marie Lamberth of Clever, Missouri talked about the world of blood while sailing on a warm afternoon near Williamsburg with their friends Joy and James Mathias. The men switched operating the […]
W&M Alumna Sail
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 and the School of Education, […]
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 […]
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 […]
Sailing with Bernoulli
I get asked all the time, “How does a sailboat sail against the wind?” Albeit counterintuitive, sailboats have to stay close to the angle of the wind to get the most power and speed. It’s explained by Bournelli’s Principle in which air going over one surface of an object (the mast) is faster than the […]
