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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Sailing Past Ike
Phil Sorsky flew in from London and went sailing the next day with his friend David on Willoughby Bay and the James River. We cruised past the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, under repairs at Norfolk Naval Base. Phil is an executive with a worldwide company that builds telecom towers. “We are based in Great Britain and […]
Sailing is all about you
Charter sailing is all about you. Exquisite customer service compels attention by the skipper to get it right, and quickly. It’s helpful to size up at the dock some of the things people are looking for on a three-hour sail. They may have already indicated a preference for one of three cruises: Adventure, History, Lessons. […]
Sunset cruise
The romance of a sunset cruise is undeniable, when it goes well. The axiom “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight” is a helpful indicator that the sky will remain clear. Except when it doesn’t, and rain falls—in the dark. After a long day at work, couples enjoy a sunset cruise to relax, but nothing could […]
Sailing into USCG Smoke
While sailing the York River with Kevin and Jennifer Brown and their children, we spotted a rare exercise by the US Coast Guard of deploying flares and smoke simultaneously. It was very dramatic and colorful and lasted all of a minute. The exercise is rare on the York River because the very sight of the bright […]
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 […]
Growing Up Cruising on Chesapeake Bay
Everyone has a recollection about their childhood boating experiences. Valerie Axel recalls fondly growing up on Chesapeake Bay as a continuous adventure. She related her story while sailing the York River with her husband Neil on a magnificent spring afternoon. “We spent the summers cruising the Bay in my father’s 48-foot Chris Craft. He was […]
5 Lessons Learned Sailing on the York
Having not sailed since he was 14, Scott Lints took his wife and four children sailing on the York River while on vacation. He did quite well, thank you. Here are a few lessons learned from his big adventure. Always steer directly into the wind to raise the sails, less pressure. In rising winds, start with […]
