Marry Me? Yes!
People often ask, “Can I get married on a boat?” You bet. Ziquine Hopkins and Crystal Dorsy went on an evening cruise along the York where he proposed to her on the bow of the sailboat. She was totally surprised and slightly astonished that Zi had already told her family. The couple enjoyed a catered […]
First-Time Sailors
Some people ask, “Can you take me sailing even if I’ve never been on a boat before?” Hop aboard! Ian Whitfield and Makini Clay brought another couple with them from Richmond. They celebrated Ian’s birthday with a unique outdoor adventure near Williamsburg. I asked if he had sailed before? “No, I’ve never been on a […]
Beware Illegal Boat Charters
From workboat.com People will ask, “Is charter sailing legal?” Yes, but only because I’m a USCG certfied master captain, 100 tons. Illegal charters are becoming more of a menace, not just cutting into commercial passenger vessel operators’ business but also raising the specter of accidents leading to higher insurance rates and more regulation. The boats […]
Army Ship Maneuvering
People occasionally ask, “Does the Army have a navy?” Yes indeed. USAV Missionary Ridge has been maneuvering for several days in the York River near Cheatham Annex. The ship has radioed that it is conducting dive exercises and has asked boaters to stay 500 yards clear. At 174 feet long, it’s one of 35 Army […]
Honeymoon Cruise
A newly married Pennsylvania couple in Williamsburg enjoyed a honeymoon cruise on a warm sunny day on the York River. Madison Lohr works in daycare in New Castle, where she prefers tykes over older children. Mark Mikolhoff works two jobs. “I’m a chef at Chuck Tanner’s Restaurant in New Castle, named for the Cleveland Indian […]
Sailing with the authorities
What could be more fun than sailing with the authorities, namely police and prosecutors? Trish and Joe Froelich joined Jean and Art Hall for an afternoon of smooth sailing on the York River in rising breezes. Once out of the channel and on the water, Trish was confronted by her childhood. “When I was a […]
Sailing with Patriot Pirates
Then.People ask, “What’s with the pirates?” The Battle of the Capes was a classic sea battle. Not so the battles by pirates. George H. Patton’s “Patriot Pirates: The Privateer War for Freedom and Fortune in the American Revolution” presents another story. Here is the tale of America’s insurgency against the British merchant ships and Navy. […]
They Met in Jail
Grounded Out Back People who love boats imagine having one in their back yard, but not quite like this. Last spring, Lola and Stuart Gordon found this 756-foot freighter run aground outside their third-story condo in Virginia Beach. “We had a nor’easter with winds up to 70 miles an hour that blew the ship onto […]
