Kennedy Sailors
People ask, “Who are the most inspiring sailors?” Kennedy sailors are an American icon. President Kennedy made it glamorous by sailing on his sloop Victura out in the Atlantic off the coast of the Kennedy compound. Ted Kennedy enjoyed the contemplative nature as a sailor so much so that he cruised off Hyannis Port the […]
Sailors Launched
Six adults excelled this spring in the class “Adventures in Sailing” class offered on the York River under the tutelage of the Williamsburg Area Learning Tree. They learned all six points of sail, how to tack sharply, how to gibe safely, how to rescue a man overboard, how to communicate on marine radio, how to […]
Pursuit of Sailing
Renee Williams took her husband Spencer sailing on the York River as a surprise birthday present. She was reluctant to take the wheel but proved highly capable in brisk winds that required reefing (reducing) the sails. They want to get into motorboats or sailboats near where they live in Northern Virginia. I told them […]
Great Sailing Day
People ask, “Aaarrrghhh! Are we tipping over?” Landlubbers, women and other reasonable people are put off at first by the heeling effect of a sailboat. The optimum tilt under sail in a good wind is 10-15 degrees off center. Anything beyond that is uncomfortable and surprisingly inefficient. Despite what you’ve seen on TV or in […]
Sailing the Plains
Iowa is home to Big Ag, with some of the largest farms in the country spread over the Great Plains. Mitch and Connie Morrison of Mason City have a daughter who married into a farm family. They explained alternately what her life is like while sailing near Williamsburg on a breezy day. “They farm 10,000 […]
Buy a Goat, Not a Boat
One of the cruises offered by Williamsburg Charter Sails is for potential boat buyers. Sailboats are in an unusual market whereby the broker or dealer is neither inclined nor obligated to take you for a test drive. To do so, you must first sign a contract to actually buy the boat and put a down […]
USS Cole Sails On
People ask, “Do you ever see the USS Cole?” While sailing the York River on a calm afternoon, the guided missile cruiser Cole transited the Coleman Bridge on the way from Norfolk to the Yorktown Naval Weapons Station. Kathy Hiles used to live nearby on the shores of Gloucester Point and was intrigued to see […]
Spring Sail Class
Steady winds on the York River proved the perfect classroom for the first of three classes sponsored in the spring of 2015 by the Williamsburg Area Learning Tree. During an intense six hours, sailors rotated on the helm to learn the close reach, beam reach and broad reach. For the last, we deployed a colorful […]
Sailing at Last
People ask, “Do you get a lot of first-time sailors?” A landlocked Navy veteran from West Virginia got to fulfill a lifelong dream by sailing a 32-foot sloop for the first time. Joe Linville took his family out on the York River for a sunny cruise and discovered he’s a natural sailor. “I had […]
Happy Birthday Sail
People ask, “Does sailing make a good birthday gift?” Every year, Chris and Marty McCurry of Spruce Pine NC try to do something special on their son’s birthday. This week John Caleb McCurry got an up-close look at US Navy submarine barreling up the York River to the Naval Weapons Station. We were sailing near […]
