Commemorative Sail
Every summer I take Nanci Bond and Ellen Janoncyzk out on a commemorative sail on the mutual day of their late husbands’ birthday. They were both named Bob. On a virtually still day with the York River like glass, we motored over to the other side of the river and all the way out to Tue […]
Best and Worst Sails
Cruising along the York River on a lazy summer day inspires people to recall their best and worst sails. On vacation to Williamsburg, Baron Hall of Martinsville brought his wife Allison with their son Brandon and his pal Adam Reed. I turned the helm over to Baron and found little need to explain things. Flying […]
Naval Observatory
Every ten days or so a Navy ship cruises up the York River. It’s usually headed to the Naval Weapons Station at Yorktown. At least once a month I wind up taking a Navy service member or retiree sailing. This was a twofer, with the SS Cornhusker passing by while a seven-year Navy electrician was […]
Birds of Virginia
Question: What is it with the birds of Virginia? Answer: They sometimes fly right at you. Birds are fascinating to watch on the water. Rob and Share Breitenstein of Pensacola, Florida, took their three beautiful children sailing on breezy York River, where we saw dolphins hunt for schools of fish. Either that or they were […]
Burial at Sea
People ask, “Do you conduct burials at sea?” A funeral is hardly a fun thing to do on vacation, but it can be exciting. The Novy siblings gathered from all over the country to make the most of a melancholy situation as they buried their brother at sea. “This is the second service in […]
Sailing with Autism
I do around a dozen “charity auction sails” a year, where I donate the trip for good causes, after expenses. While cruising along the York River in brisk winds with their friends Tara and Dave Farrell, Dave Mrowiec took the helm while his wife Sydney explained the work of the Peninsula School for Autism, one of […]
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 […]
Algonquin Round Table
During my newspaper career in Williamsburg, our daughters came to work occasionally after school. The company was a family-friendly place where kids learned to get organized and help out. It was kind of like sailing. Some children learned to type there. The risk was that a soda would spill on the keyboard, but it was […]
Mother & Daughter Sail
Lidia Berger of Alexandria, Virginia, took time out from her engineering/architecture job to take her mother and daughter sailing on the York River near Williamsburg. She is pictured sitting with Nicole on the bow of the sailboat, with the Coleman Bridge in the background. As an engineer, Lidia was intrigued that the span swing sideways […]
Sailing to William & Mary
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, […]
