Great Day to Learn Sailing
The 17th annual spring sailing class of WALT rose to the occasion in rising winds that started flat and grew to 15 mph over the course of a six-hour run. Under the guidance of Williamsburg Charter Sails, the class learned the three reaches of sail. They got numerous and extensive turns on the helm as the […]
Missiles Come from Yorktown
It’s debatable if President Trump should have ordered 59 Tomahawk missiles fired into a military airbase in Syria. Early reactions are that it was a good strategic move for the gas attacks on civilians. One can also debate whether he has the authority in such an adventure, though LBJ set that precedent in the Gulf […]
American Revolution’s Next Battle
In a remarkable coincidence, two similar museums are opening this month on the East Coast. Except that they aren’t comparable. Think of it as the American Revolution’s next battle. After a soft opening last fall, the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown opened officially with hoopla and major speakers. As it stands majestically overlooking the York River, the place […]
Growing Up Cruising on Chesapeake Bay
Everyone has a recollection about their childhood boating experiences. Valerie Axel recalls fondly growing up on Chesapeake Bay as a continuous adventure. She related her story while sailing the York River with her husband Neil on a magnificent spring afternoon. “We spent the summers cruising the Bay in my father’s 48-foot Chris Craft. He was […]
5 Lessons Learned Sailing on the York
Having not sailed since he was 14, Scott Lints took his wife and four children sailing on the York River while on vacation. He did quite well, thank you. Here are a few lessons learned from his big adventure. Always steer directly into the wind to raise the sails, less pressure. In rising winds, start with […]
12 Secrets to Ocean Sailing with Kids
Repeat customers are a joy because they were obviously pleased the adventure the first time. This time, two teachers from Central Virginia went sailing with a vengeance because he’s about to go to sea. And today was his birthday. Robert and Elizabeth Hale-MacKinnon teach eighth and fourth grade respectively at the Charlottesville Waldorf School, in the Montessori […]
Best Quick Guide to Cayman Paradise
We returned to Grand Cayman after an earlier vacation, looking for relaxation and the Caribbean sunsets. Every day is sunny, warm and breezy, comparable to perhaps 30 days all year in Tidewater Virginia. No wonder people flock here from Ohio, Canada, Germany, Poland, you name it. There are no panhandlers, no crime, no police sirens, […]
Belonging to the Army
With great anticipation, a large area behind the $50 million American Revolution Museum at Yorktown opens shortly as a reproduced army camp, complete with female interpreters. They cooked, cleaned and cared for the troops. The following excerpt from Holly A. Mayer’s “Belonging to the Army: Camp Followers and Community during the American Revolution,” introduces the different […]
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 […]
Sailing Past Navy Destroyer
While on a weekend getaway from Washington, DC, Dave Ramish took his girlfriend Ilana Freedman sailing for some outdoor fun off Yorktown. They hit the jackpot by observing a rare Saturday departure of a Navy warship from the Yorktown Naval Weapons Station. We set out with anticipation after a chilly, drizzly morning into clearing […]
Season Opener
People ask, “How early does the season beging?” We begin in mid-March for hardy sailors who can tolerate the chill on the water. For the season opener of Let’s Go Sail in 2017, Hannah and Jeff Davis drove up from the Danville area of Virginia to take their daughter Haylee and her friend Bella sailing […]
Safety at Sea
The sixth annual “Safety at Sea” seminar will run all day Saturday, Feb. 25. It’s designed for those challenging the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. People ask, “Who should attend a safety at sea seminar?” Professional sailors and other experts will show novices and experienced mariners. They’ll learn how to handle heavy weather and its […]
Museum Sneak Peek
Armchair historians are anxiously awaiting the opening of the Museum of the American Revolution at Philadelphia in April. A promotional event announced this week offers a chance to “eat birthday cake with George Washington” Feb. 22 from 10 am to noon. It’s a gimmick to promote advanced sales. The real news is a “sneak peek […]
Bow Riders
That’s the headline for this picture of relaxing on the bow, from the website Sailing Anarchy. I tried lesser variations, including a yoga mat cut to size. The best solution was simply three square cushions lashed to the deck so they won’t blow off. People enjoy sitting and relaxing on the bow because it’s […]
Polynesian Sailboat
Here’s a Polynesian update on that rickety pontoon sailboat Hakulai that was last seen towed out of the York River in May 2016 after two weeks on tour in Yorktown. It’s called a canoe boat but it’s more like two kayaks lashed together. With crews changing every month, the boat set out from Polynesia to […]
Sailing with Dolphins
The Couvion family of suburban St. Louis crossed at least two rivers to go sailing on the York. First the Mississippi and second the James, where they’re staying in a VRBO house near the water while vacationing at Williamsburg. Mike the dad said, “We’re close enough to swim in the river, and you can walk […]
Sail on the Bow
There is perhaps no better place than to sail on the bow of a boat along the York River. It’s a great place to contemplate life in the great outdoors as you glide smoothly through the water. You become oblivious to distracting surroundings. People often comment how serene it is to sail. Nowhere is that […]
Sailing Like Ike
Students in Sail Time’s basic sailing course ventured out of Willoughby Bay into the James River, past the USS Eisenhower. The aircraft carrier was back in port after eight sailors were injured in March when the arresting gear on the flight deck snapped during a routing landing of a jet fighter. I once had a […]
Ninth Anniversary Sail
Having never been to Williamsburg before, Brian and Meg Scoggins of Chattanooga set out on a ninth anniversary sail by venturing out on the historic York River in brisk winds rising to 15 mph. Brian had never sailed before, but he had gained some visual experience playing Empire Total War. That’s a popular video game that assigns […]
Toy Boat at Sea
A toy boat launched in the Atlantic Ocean by South Carolina school students has reached the coast of Wales, after a stopover in Bermuda. The Royal Gazette reports that the Carolina Dreamer was built by the St. Andrew’s School of Math & Science in Charleston and fitted with a GPS tracker. The little vessel went […]