Junior Sailor Expertise
A junior sailor from suburban Buffalo got a chance to run a giant spinnaker on warmer waters than she’s used to. Matt Meincke brought his children Madison and Zak to Williamsburg on vacation, and they set sail on the York River on a magnificently breezy afternoon with another family. Madison took the wheel with aplomb. […]
Sailors with Boating Friends
A couple from Northern Virginia left their teenagers at home for a one-day adventure to drive south and go sailing on the York River. Katie and Sam Mangrio are in real estate, so we got to talking about flipping houses. “We’ve only done that once,” Sam said cautiously. “A lot can go wrong, so you […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Safety at Sea
The sixth annual “Safety at Sea” seminar will run all day Saturday, Feb. 25. It’s designed for those challenging the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. People ask, “Who should attend a safety at sea seminar?” Professional sailors and other experts will show novices and experienced mariners. They’ll learn how to handle heavy weather and its […]
Sailing Chesapeake Bay
Living in Williamsburg affords many delights, including myriad courses offered by the Christopher Wren Association. I wound up sailing Chesapeake Bay with a lecture about the eco-system by Dan Summers, director of learning at the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News. The contour of the Bay was formed 35 million years ago when a meteor […]
Sailing with Racing Dogs
On a day of coincidental birthdays, we went sailing with racing dogs. Beverly Jackson of Baltimore took her husband Thomas out on an afternoon cruise along the York River. Michel Gauthier did likewise for his wife Valerie. The couple lives in the small village of Casselman in eastern Ontario. Valerie said, “We live on 47 […]
Sailing with Shoeless Wonders
You meet some fascinating people sailing. Rob Spain took Sara Elizabeth Timmins out on the York River in exchange for her hiking the back country of Yellowstone with him. Sara is no stranger to adventure, for she’s a Hollywood film producer who’s currently working on “Shoeless Wonders” in Lynchburg. “It’s about orphans who went undefeated […]
Sailing with Dolphins
Question: What’s the best thing to see on the water? Answer: Dolphins! Nick Haller brought his family to Williamsburg from Frederick, Maryland, where he is the chef of the community hospital. While sailing in light breezes on a sunny morning, the first of 20 or dolphin started frolicking with the boat. They swam near […]
Sailing to Afghanistan
Jennifer and Curtis Miller took their family on a “glam camping” trip to the York River, and we wound up sailing to Afghanistan. They are active duty Air Force, so they drove from nearby Langley AFB to Cheatham Annex, east of Williamsburg. There the Navy has decked out the old commandant’s compound into weekend getaways. […]
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 in Alaska
Dave Mrowiec never surrendered the helm when he took his wife and another couple sailing along the York River in strong winds. I’ve never seen anyone happier behind the wheel. “My father sent to me Alaska when I was 19 to work on a fishing trawler. It was 52 feet and we’d fish for salmon. […]
Sailing to Modernity
I get asked, “What’s with all these bridges?” Two things we take for granted in Tidewater Virginia are weather and bridges. I was explaining to two couples from Norfolk that I get people from all over the country for whom the weather is not a big news story but a big tragedy. You name it: […]
Norfolk Boat Memories
While taking their gals sailing near Williamsburg, two fellows recalled their Norfolk boat memories, having grown up together during the 1950s. Dale Murray said, “I’ve been around the water all my life, but I’ve never been sailing.” He did just fine on the helm. On the water indeed. “I have a center console 22-foot fishing boat […]
Emergencies at Sea
You’ve no doubt seen images of the US Coast Guard rapelling down a line from an MH-60 helicopter to scoop someone from the water. There are two methods of rescue, and one of them could be fatal. That was among the revelations of an all-day seminar in Annapolis on “Medical Emergencies at Sea: Beyond First […]
Lessons Learned
Here are six lessons learned while sailing this summer. WEATHER – So many people, especially out West and in the Midwest, have suffered incalculable psychic and monetary damage from floods, drought, wildfires, snow and bitter, bitter cold in recent years. We have it easy here in Williamsburg and throughout Tidewater Virginia. SPORTS –namely the NFL– […]
A New Day
People ask, “Does everyone drive to get here?” Ed Bender flew his wife Susan down from Philadelphia on his private plane so they could stay at a Yorktown B&B and go sailing along the York River. They got married last June and wanted to renew their skills on how to sail. She grew up sailing […]