Salvage After Storm

Salvage After Storm

People wonder, “Can you salvage a boat after a storm?” The threat of Hurricane Irma loomed large and led to a bevy of oil tankers showing up in the York River. We went sailing on a bright and beautiful day with two delightful couples. A key element was wondering about salvage after storm. Let’s go […]

Beware Illegal Boat Charters

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 […]

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 […]

Sailing Key West

A trip to Key West proved useful yet frustrating to research three things for Let’s Go Sail. But the scenery and the culture are Paradise as advertised. We found all manner of weirdness in architecture, restaurants, animals and of course boats. The biggest boats are the cruise ships, in this case the Seven Seas Explorer, […]

Skimming Along Lake Toho

Skimming Along Lake Toho

Of all the boating our family has enjoyed over the years, we have never gone on an airboat. While on vacation in Florida, our son-in-law Trevor Phillips booked us for a unique and private two-hour adventure tour of the marshy shores around Lake Tohoperaliga near Orlando. Trevor knows how much we enjoy boating.  “We call […]

Salvage After Storm

Salvage After Storm

With the threat of Hurricane Irma looming and amid a bevy of oil tankers that showed up in the York River, we went sailing on a bright and beautiful day with two delightful couples. Julio Pons and his wife took their friends Steve and Bridgette Perry sailing so they could appreciate Julio’s passion of sailing. […]

First-Time Sailors to the Movies

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 […]

Memories of Six-Meter Sailboats

Memories of Six-Meter Sailboats

Two couples from Arlington came to Williamsburg and celebrated their dual anniversaries by sailing the York River. They navigated a beautiful east wind that eventually turned to a light rain. A Florida sailor and her friend joined us in a fast day of excitement. Denisse Paz reluctantly took the wheel instead of her beau Jay Sasporlas, […]

Best Kids Ever Sailing

Best Kids Ever Sailing

I’ve taken thousands of people sailing over the years, including hundreds of children. These were the best kids ever sailing for reasons that are at once obvious and mysterious. Jonathan and Rebecca Torres were vacationing in Williamsburg from Sanford, Florida. Their children range in ages 8, 7, 7 (twins) and 6. It was chilly, so […]