Sailing Safety
A hazardous PVC pipe was removed as a prank and dropped into the York River, making it a worse hazard to navigation.
Sail Air Force
A local couple took their family sailing on a beautiful Sunday morning. Enrique Lara is retiring from the Air Force after 23 years in a unique career. “I run vehicle logistics for the Air Force,” he said casually and added, “all over the world.” Not planes, mind you, but vehicles. I asked how many. […]
Sailing with Heroes
People ask, “Who has inspired you the most?” Among 900 essays in the Captain’s Blog over the past seven years, Sailing with Heroes from 2016 is the most poignant. On a dark and dreary afternoon, a couple from Portsmouth drove up to the Peninsula to go sailing on the York River. Then they found the […]
Anniversary Cruise
After a rainout one afternoon, a couple from Hampton went out for an evening sailing cruise to celebrate their anniversary. Kelly Anderson is in the Air Force at nearby Langley Air Force Base, where she works on the ground with the planes. Keisha Pexton is director of training at Newport News Shipbuilding. Keisha said, “I […]
The Oil Scoop
A Richmond family drove down to get away from the lockdown and the George Floyd protest violence to enjoy a quiet and picturesque day on the York River. They enjoyied a big day of sailing and got the oil scoop on barges. Faika Zanjani is a professor at VCU specializing in bacterial issues, but we […]
Magic of Sailing
People ask, “Is it hard to learn how to sail?” Here is a short video that conveys how easy it is to sail. Even a teenager can do it well the first time. This became the Tussing Family’s Magic of Sailing. While visiting Williamsburg on vacation, the Tussings went sailing on the York River on […]
Levittown Reunion
People ask, “Do you do reunions?” Four guys who grew up together on Long Island went sailing on the York and took one of their nephews along. They had a great adventure on the water in rising winds as we headed out toward the Chesapeake Bay. They rotated on the helm and were quick studies […]
Sailing in May
People ask, “Do the winds pick up during the day?” A Yorktown couple took her parents and other family members sailing on a light day that turned into 15 mph gusts. They loved it. They had gathered for the graduation of John Bednarek from the College of William & Mary this weekend. Julie Bednarek’s folks […]
Sailing the Great Loop
People ask, “What’s the Great Loop?” One of the most ambitious sailing adventures in America is the Great Loop, essentially up the East Coast to New England, down the St. Lawrence into the Great Lakes and on to Chicago, down the Mississippi to the Gulf, and across to Florida. Meet David and Susan Houghland of […]
Connecticut Sailors
People ask, “Are there things you don’t talk about onboard?” A family from Newtown CT took a sailing adventure along the York River on a sparkling spring afternoon. I didn’t mention the recent tragedy Sandy Hook Elementary. “We sailed once before,” Chris Whorf mentioned brightly of he and his wife Maria Arnoldy. “It was a […]
Sailing with Manufacturers
Over the years, I’ve found that three things depress people about work: their boss, the commute, getting laid off. One of the intriguing things about work is people who actually manufacture something. There is something robust about Made In America, and it makes people proud. On a day blowing 12-16 mph on the York […]
Sailing with Experience
In the annals of “Sailing Fails” there lies the successful outcome of a bad situation. While sailing the York River on a magnificent day with his wife and family, Bob Benton recalled his sailing experience from long ago. “We had 20 people on a 27-foot sailboat, if you can imagine that. Seven of them were […]
Great Day to Learn Sailing
The 17th annual spring sailing class of WALT rose to the occasion in rising winds that started flat and grew to 15 mph over the course of a six-hour run. Under the guidance of Williamsburg Charter Sails, the class learned the three reaches of sail. They got numerous and extensive turns on the helm as the […]
Sailing with the Air Force
After Hurricane Matthew, it took two days for the winds to return to normal. Grace and Jim Christy live near the marina of Governor’s Land on the James River, and decided to see if the other river had any wind. It did. With Grace on the helm, we tacked down the York River eight times […]
Fear of Boating
“My wife insisted that I wear a life preserver. She is fearful of the water. Her family was not of the water and she’s just not comfortable.” Chuck Armstrong of Richmond was explaining why he showed up alone to sail the York River on a late summer afternoon. As the winds caused the boat to […]
Sailing Back to the 1600s
My typical history cruise covers the battles of the Capes and Yorktown, but this one had us sailing back to the 1600s. Kate and John Jesberg drove up from Virginia Beach to take their friend Gayle Smith sailing on the York River. But instead of heading east, we motored northwest. Here’s why. “I’m descended from […]
Sailing before Deployment
Three couples from nearby Langley Air Force Base took their last sail together near Williamsburg before they start deploying overseas as physicians. Two are dermatologists and three are anesthesiologists. They had a fun time sailing in gradually rising winds. When the winds subsided we sailed over to the north shore for swimming. Near the channel […]
Sailing Fourth
The Fourth of July fizzled in the morning with a steady rain that eventually canceled the evening fireworks. But the Hoolahans of Randolph, New Jersey, braved the weather and headed for a quiet sail on the York River during their vacation in Williamsburg. Sure enough, the rain tapered to a drizzle and then stopped altogether […]
Sailing Good Winds
Question: Who should run the boat in brisk winds? Answer: A former Navy jet pilot. Moderate winds of 12 mph turned to a brisk 18-20 mph on a bright sunny day, leading to one reef in the genoa to make it more like a jib. The mainsail was full. Kathy Fanney brought her family […]
Sailing Trifecta of Cool Sights
Three couples from West Virginia, Illinois and Texas nearly hit the Sailing Trifecta of Cool Sights on the York River. They had never met before and had a fun time on a beautiful fall afternoon. First, they got to see a small pod of dolphins frolicking in front of Sara Creek. Two and then three dolphins romped […]