Sailing Safety

Sailing Safety

A hazardous PVC pipe was removed as a prank and dropped into the York River, making it a worse hazard to navigation.

Knot Refined

Barge Anchors

A tugboat pushed the empty sugar barge Knot Refined into the York River to avoid a tropical storm in Florida. Let’s go sail.

Delaware Sail

Delaware Sail

Delaware Sail recounts scooting around the tall ship replica Kalmar Nyckel as it visited Yorktown.

D Day Sail

D Day Sail

D Day Sail recounts an MIA discovery in France 80 years later.

Anchors Away II

Anchors Away II describes the departure of a second Navy warship from Yorktown NWS on the same day.

Sailing Summer’s End

First-Time Sailors

People ask, “Is Labor Day Weekend busy on the river?” Too busy for me, as a professional mariner. Labor Day weekend brought us to sailing summer’s end. It came complete with all kinds of amateur motorboaters who consistently drove across my bow, sometimes too close. While I lament that so few boats are on the […]

Name that Boat

People are always asking, “What are the best and worst boat names?” Most boat names like these at right reflect bad puns, good women or bad situations.  While traveling through North Carolina and South Carolina, I found a curious set of names at a marina in Wilmington. The US Coast Guard has strict naming rules […]

Sail Alaska

Sail Alaska

People sometimes ask, “Can you sail in Alaska?” Certainly. Tripp Wood lives in Charlotte NC and Alaska. It’s rare to find anyone who can sail Alaska. “My sons help as deck hands and first mates on our fishing charter out of Whittier, Alaska. I used to sail, and I’ve always wanted them to experience the […]

Sailing & Fishing

Fisahing & Sailing

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 […]

Bought a Boat!

Bought a Boat!

Virginia reopened for sailing and fishing charters May 15. Let’s Go Sail adheress to an approved regimen for COVID-19 protocols. While opening Let’s Go Sail one morning, a fellow stopped by the dock to hail me. “Capt. Bill!” said James Owen. “Remember me? Around a year ago my wife and I sailed with you. We […]