Sailing at 85
People sometimes wonder, “Who’s the oldest sailor?” Here he is. A Maryland family rescheduled a rain date and wound up sailing the York in a rising afternoon breeze that they found a magnificent adventure. Weeks earlier, Kathy Self had hoped to bring her uncle along with her father Jack Green as a birthday surprise […]
Man Overboard!
People often ask, “Is it hard to rescue someone who falls off a boat?” Yes, because it requires extensive training. The second scariest moment on a boat is to hear the dreaded words, “Man Overboard!” Fortunately, trained sailors can execute maneuvers to turn the boat and go back for the rescue. It can take as […]
10 Mistakes Newbies Make
1. OVER-THINKING—Look, this is a sport. It’s not rocket science. Many of my students had bad experiences on a sailboat as a child or with their dad or first husband. That was then. Now you have another chance. Clear your mind of preconditions and take one step at a time. Read a beginners book like […]
Ultimate Towing Job
Reprinted from a Facebook post by my friend Mary Kay Dineen, who told me: “Should you need their service, these are my Minnesota relatives. I kid you not.” Written By: Mary Divine / St. Paul Pioneer Press and Linda Vanderwerf / West Central Tribune | ST. PAUL — Jason Butler, owner of City Line Towing of Willmar, […]
Scariest Sailing Moments
FALLING Among all of the scariest sailboat moments, this is usually the first. It may sound silly, but you and your crew risk falling as you board the boat. In all the excitement, people typically make a leap of faith while holding something in one hand or both. The landing pushes the boat just enough […]
Sailing in May
People ask, “Do the winds pick up during the day?” A Yorktown couple took her parents and other family members sailing on a light day that turned into 15 mph gusts. They loved it. They had gathered for the graduation of John Bednarek from the College of William & Mary this weekend. Julie Bednarek’s folks […]
Team-Building Sail
A small company in Roanoke chose Let’s Go Sail to work on team-building. They got a full day of activities in half a day on the waters of the York River. Bright blue skies enhanced blustery winds of 10 mph and seas rising and falling two feet. Their assignment was to rescue someone in the […]
Sailing Past Ospreys
Even as the sailing season continues to rev up, osprey season is winding down. They arrive in May to build their nests in one week. They have their fledglings in June and teach them to fly and fish in July. By August, they’re out of here on the way to South America. Banding of osprey […]
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 […]
Weathering a Hurricane
When he published “Travels with Charley” in 1962, John Steinbeck was arguably the most famous living author in America. His bestsellers traced American society during the mid-century in “The Grapes of Wrath,” “Cannery Row” and “East of Eden,” among other books. Before he set out to see the country, Steinbeck had to prepare his […]
