Captain’s Choice
People often ask: “Is it hard learning how to sail?” No, not at all. Two couples from Richmond and Lynchburg had never met until they went out on the York River to learn how to sail. What they got was a primer on the water and a rare view of a passing Navy submarine. En […]
Who Goes Sailing
“It’s remarkable how quickly a good and favorable wind can sweep away the maddening frustrations of shore living.” – Ernest K. Gann Those who cruise with Let’s Go Sail on the York River cross all demographics, but they tend to skew more affluent. They are slightly overweight but never obese, and they have some college […]
Sailing & Fishing
There are two kinds of boating that are mutually discrete: Sailing & Fishing. I refer people all the time to my colleagues at York River Yacht Haven who offer fishing charters. But occasionally someone will ask if they can try fishing off the back of the boat. It’s tricky because we run the risk of […]
Endless Summer
Here it is almost October and we’re still swimming in the York River. An ambitious family from Raleigh NC took advantage of a lull in the wind to jump off the boat on a beautiful Indian summer afternoon. The water is still 80 degrees, so why not? Also on board was a couple from Richmond […]
Grounded Off NC Coast
People ask, “What’s it like to run aground?” Awful, actually. My friend Tom Byrd was vacationing in Corolla NC when he spotted this 40-ish sailboat grounded off the NC coast. Unlike Nags Head farther south where the riptides rip, Corolla is known to be very shallow along the water. That’s why families can let their […]
Anniversary Cruise
After a rainout one afternoon, a couple from Hampton went out for an evening sailing cruise to celebrate their anniversary. Kelly Anderson is in the Air Force at nearby Langley Air Force Base, where she works on the ground with the planes. Keisha Pexton is director of training at Newport News Shipbuilding. Keisha said, “I […]
Dolphin Cruise
A Richmond family celebrated Dad’s 50th birthday with an exciting sail on the York River that included up to a dozen dolphins. Kathleen Kirschman brought her daughters along, and Michael Kirschman brought his high-powered camera which came in handy. Everyone shot numerous pics as we picked up the dolphins outside Sarah Creek. They ran behind […]
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 […]
Summer Maneuvers
While tacking southeast toward the cable tripod on the York River, I could see two US Navy fast boats zooming from the York Channel into our path. Evidently they came up from the Amphibious Naval Base at Littlecreek to find a secluded spot for summer maneuvers. As we kept on course, they stopped dead ahead […]
Go Fish in the York
As a professional mariner, I regret to report I don’t know much about fish. Growing up, my mother served a lot of TV dinners. I thought fish sticks peculiar because I couldn’t understand how they could swim efficiently. When I secured my USCG captain’s license, I had to jump through 49 certifications for the […]
Learning to Sail
A Richmond area couple drove down to the York River to learn how to sail. Kate Riley sailed a Sunfish once and wanted to try a bigger boat. She got the full experience in a steady breeze of 10 mph that enabled us to sail under the Coleman Bridge to see the Navy submarine still […]
Summer of Dolphins
There are two upsides to Global Warming. First, it has extended the sailing season from April 1 to Thanksgiving as the waters of the York River remain warmer longer into the year. Second, it has led to more dolphins arriving earlier and staying later. The first pod visible this year showed up in mid-May, and […]
Sailing Lake Superior
A couple from Northern Virginia just bought a summer home in nearby Kilmarnock and took their friends sailing on the York River. Pat Tracey worked all over the world with the US Navy and retired as a lieutenant commander. “But I never got to captain a ship because I was the last of the women […]
Magic of Sailing
People ask, “Is it hard to learn how to sail?” Here is a short video that conveys how easy it is to sail. Even a teenager can do it well the first time. This became the Tussing Family’s Magic of Sailing. While visiting Williamsburg on vacation, the Tussings went sailing on the York River on […]
Levittown Reunion
People ask, “Do you do reunions?” Four guys who grew up together on Long Island went sailing on the York and took one of their nephews along. They had a great adventure on the water in rising winds as we headed out toward the Chesapeake Bay. They rotated on the helm and were quick studies […]
What’s the Deal with Dolphin Sightings?
While Let’s Go Sail doesn’t promote it, we get asked all the time, “What’s the deal with dolphin sightings?” People looking for boat rentals and sailing charters get an added adventure on the York River. The Couvion family of suburban St. Louis crossed at least two rivers to go sailing on the York. First the […]
Fast Pitch Sails Past
147 teams from 16 states showed up in York County for a girls’ fast-pitch softball tournament.
Scariest Sailing Moments
FALLING Among all of the scariest sailboat moments, this is usually the first. It may sound silly, but you and your crew risk falling as you board the boat. In all the excitement, people typically make a leap of faith while holding something in one hand or both. The landing pushes the boat just enough […]
Relearn How to Sail
People ask, “I used to sail, can you teach me again?” A couple from Charlottesville and a family from Pittsburgh went sailing on the York River to relearn their skills. Sebastian Kukla and Erik Fernandez hadn’t sailed since their college days, but they got the hang of it quickly in winds of 10 mph rising […]
Dolphins!
People ask, “Do you ever see dolphins while sailing?” For the first time this year, we saw dolphins in May in the York River. Two couples from New Jersey and Tennessee got up close as the dolphins zoomed in the wake of the sailboat while cruising the York River. Art Ford spotted two of them […]
