Chesapeake Sailor Qualifies
Alex Grunsfeld completed all three on-the-water tests for SailTime Virginia Beach by running a 36-foot Hunter outside the shipping lanes of Chesapeake Bay. He brought his wife and children out on Mother’s Day, and it’s one they’ll remember. He did great in rising winds of 15-18 mph, gusting over 20. As a result of reefing both […]
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 […]
12 Secrets to Ocean Sailing with Kids
Repeat customers are a joy because they were obviously pleased the adventure the first time. This time, two teachers from Central Virginia went sailing with a vengeance because he’s about to go to sea. And today was his birthday. Robert and Elizabeth Hale-MacKinnon teach eighth and fourth grade respectively at the Charlottesville Waldorf School, in the Montessori […]
Best Quick Guide to Cayman Paradise
We returned to Grand Cayman after an earlier vacation, looking for relaxation and the Caribbean sunsets. Every day is sunny, warm and breezy, comparable to perhaps 30 days all year in Tidewater Virginia. No wonder people flock here from Ohio, Canada, Germany, Poland, you name it. There are no panhandlers, no crime, no police sirens, […]
Sailing with the Navy
Next door to the National Sailing Hall of Fame lies the United States Naval Academy, with a visitor center that heralds sailing among many other traditions. Near the entrance is the plaque to Commodore John Barry. He was the first officer commissioned, and by George Washington no less. Inside the visitor center are images of […]
Sailing Hall of Fame
At the foot of Prince George Street in historic Annapolis lies the National Sailing Hall of Fame. It’s in a lovely white house but isn’t marked with any prominent signage. “We’re in the development stage of building the museum,” explained the woman on duty who gave her name as Sandy. “We originally had this lot […]
Last call of the season
A wonderful young couple from Ohio wasn’t sure whether they should choose the Adventure Cruise or the History Cruise on their three-day trip to Williamsburg. As it happened, they got both. It was also the last call of the season. Steven Sutters and Casey Carmell work in Columbus, where he’s a software designer for a health […]
Last afternoon sail
Will Lovo and Thi Do took a spontaneous cruise on the York River on what is likely the last afternoon sail of the season. Will works for Spring in Harrisonburg while Thi is at Eastern Mennonite University doing pre-med studies. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in psychology and would like […]
Power sailing with the Navy
A power couple from Washington celebrated their 12th wedding anniversary by observing the power of the US Navy — twice. On an otherwise placid York River, I saw off in the distance the USNS Zeus proceeding slowly downriver from its home port of Cheatham Annex. That seemed odd, since the ship just returned from deployment […]
Louisville Sailors
Three people who grew up together 50 years ago went on a history binge through Virginia, stopping to sail on the York River one beautiful fall afternoon. “We’ve known each other since high school in Louisville,” said Russell Wolf. “Brenda and I are still there, but Rebecca lives in Chicago,” We didn’t get much into […]
Marine Corps birthday
The day after the U.S. Marine Corps birthday ball Nov. 10, Adam Taylor took his girlfriend Meg Barnes sailing on the York. He’s a second lieutenant who has completed OCS and is now at TBS at Quantico for his basic officer school. “The Basic School is in Virginia, so we were invited to the Marine […]