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
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 […]
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 […]
Ships Everywhere
For the second day, the NOAA research vessel Thomas Jefferson was stationed in the middle of the York River. At one point a tiny red submersible steamed around the big white ship. I radioed the bridge for details, but they would only say it was a surface ship instead of submersible. I asked for why […]
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 […]
20 Sailing Superstitions
Sailors, fisherman and pirates have developed wickedly weird superstitions through the ages. The pirate Blackbeard of the early 1700s wasn’t so much known for superstitions as danger. He was allegedly jailed in Williamsburg. Here are 20 superstitions gathered by the New Zealand Maritime Museum. Read them at your own risk. Re-naming a boat It is […]
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 […]
Santa Maria at Yorktown
People ask, “Do you ever see tall ships?” A replica ship of Christopher Columbus’s fleet pulled into Yorktown for Memorial Day Weekend. The Nao Santa Maria set sail in 2017 to mark the 525th anniversary of the original discovery of America in 1492. The 200-ton, three-masted ship blew in this week from Wilmington NC. Skip […]
Sailing from Childhood
People ask, “Do sailors recall their childhood on the water?” Yes, fondly for the most part. A Wisconsin couple transplanted to Palm Harbor FL was visiting Williamsburg and saw they could go sailing on the York River. Peggy Wearing grew up near Lake Michigan. “I started out sailing prams and later 210s out of the […]
