Sailing Yorktown
People ask, “What’s the deal with pirates?” Pirates prevailed at Yorktown on Saturday as the Schooner Virginia and RV Virginia sailed into port. The 122-foot schooner went bankrupt years ago and was revived by the Nauticus Foundation, home-ported there in Norfolk. The big white Virginia was just christened as the newest research vessel by VIMS, […]
Anniversary Sail
Young couple celebrated their first wedding anniversary by sailing on the York River.
Girls’ weekend getaway
A unique idea for a girls’ weekend getaway is to go sailing. Many’s the time I’ve had pals show up spontaneously for three-hour afternoon sail. Mothers and daughters find sailing a bonding experience as well. Get out of the parking lot and on to the water. The Adventure Cruise is the most popular, offering a […]
Longshoreman Sailing
There’s boating, and then there’s shipping. Dante and April Turner of Chesapeake went sailing on the York River to celebrate their first anniversary, complete with a picnic basket of wine and cheese. “I’m a longshoreman,” Dante said when I asked what he does. “We have three container terminals in Norfolk, Craney Island and Portsmouth, as […]
Sailing San Francisco Bay
People ask, “How many couples can you take?” Three couples enjoyed unique outdoor fun near Williamsburg by sailing in a light breeze off Yorktown. The York River has never been so serene. Contrast that with the high winds and waves of San Francisco Bay, where Jim Cockrell and his wife Chris sailed years ago. Today […]
Memories of Six-Meter Sailboats
Two couples from Arlington came to Williamsburg and celebrated their dual anniversaries by sailing the York River. They navigated a beautiful east wind that eventually turned to a light rain. A Florida sailor and her friend joined us in a fast day of excitement. Denisse Paz reluctantly took the wheel instead of her beau Jay Sasporlas, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Sailing for speed
We got the sail of a lifetime on a brisk morning breeze coming out of the northeast. Luis and Spring Aponte came from Ft. Eustis to celebrate their eighth wedding anniversary. Spring took the wheel once Luis and I set the mainsail. Before long we got up to 10 mph, and then we rolled out […]
All the Ships at Sail
People ask, “What’s it like to see a Navy ship come close?” With a retired US Coast Guard admiral on board, we encountered all the ships at sea beginning with the big one. The USS Mesa Verde rolled past us as we exited Sarah Creek into the York River. The Mesa Verde is an amphibious […]
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 […]
All the Ships at Sea
Two young couples went sailing for a little adventure on their respective wedding anniversaries. They wound up encountering a lot of adventure, as they saw all the ships at sea. Craig Pancake of New Creek, West Virginia, took his wife Elissa out. Jean-Louis Lombos of Richmond took his wife Jennifer out as well, with a […]
Sailing to Experiment and to Celebrate
Nine eager visitors converged from all over America to experiment and to celebrate with a sailing adventure on the historic York River. Ann and Mark Swindell drove over from Virginia to celebrate their 27th anniversary. “We take a boat trip every year on our anniversary,” Ann said. “Last year we went out on the water to […]
Sailing to Raleigh
What are the odds of three unrelated couples from Raleigh who’ve never met winding up on a sailboat charter near Williamsburg? “That’s not all,” said Larry Maccherone. “We live in Cary in the same neighborhood as Katie, a quarter of a mile away.” Larry and his wife Jennifer ere celebrating their 17th anniversary. As we […]
Sailing to Find Saddam
Three couples with diverse backgrounds enjoyed a smooth day of sailing on the York River. And they drove a considerable way to do it. Gerald Napper brought his gal Renita Marshall from Ft. Lee, south of Richmond. He’s a First Sergeant with 24 years in, and she’s a dental administrator. He drove more than a […]
Sailing with Scholars
And A lovely couple from Annapolis went sailing near Williamsburg for their first anniversary. And it was a joy to go sailing with scholars. “This was a total surprise,” said Sara Crouser as she boarded the boat with her husband Mark. “He can never keep a secret, so this is really special. Plus he knows […]