How to Survive a Sailing Emergency
Hurricanes such as Harvey, Irma and Jose inspire anxiety among sailors. In describing how to survive a sailboat emergency, these are ranked not by worst case downward because all of them are bad scenarios. Instead, they are ranked by degree of likelihood-to-happen, with the top categories representing the least likely and the bottom categories more […]
Sail past Navy ships
Nearly every week, except during the holidays, US Navy ships ply the York River to and from Yorktown Naval Weapons Station. They arrive usually on Monday around noon and depart Thursday or Friday morning. These ships are magnificent to see coming over the eastern horizon from Norfolk Naval Base. I manage to sail out toward […]
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 […]
Sailing from Land-Locked Texas
A couple vacationing from the Fort Worth area took their two sons sailing on a quiet York River, where they got to appreciate the serenity of the concept. It proved unique outdoors fun near Williamsburg. “We used to live in San Rafael,” said Chris Gilbert, “and I sailed with my parents on a boat this […]
First-Time Sailors to the Movies
A couple from western Canada and a mother and daughter from Texas went sailing for the first time and did very well in an outdoor adventure off Yorktown. JoLynn Bragg and her daughter Shelly Malatek wound up their vacation to Williamsburg by sailing the York River on a warm, sunny day with fluctuating breezes. Shelly […]
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 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 […]
The ride of their lives
Two couples from Florida got the ride of their lives in 20 mph winds along the York River. For safety’s sake I had everyone suit up in Class I life preservers. Johnny Motoc held the helm throughout. Under a reefed mainsail we plowed out toward the oil terminal, where one freighter was making weigh while […]
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 […]
Got to Be On the Water
Every day we see three or four Coast Guard boats buzzing around the York River, but that’s only the tip of the fleet. Meet the captain. “We have 25 boats of various sizes and rates training all over Hampton Roads,” said Patrick Hogan, Boatswain 2nd Class from the Yorktown Coast Guard Training Center. He was […]
