November Sail
A couple from Venezuela celebrated her 50th birthday by taking their children on a November sail on a brisk fallr day. Vanessa Martinez and Tony Torrealba moved here 20 years ago and live in Northern Virginia. Vanessa wanted to learn how to sail, and she did great on all three reaches. They got delayed crossing […]
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 […]
Mega-Yachts at Sea
Can super-yachts handle very rough seas? By Ron Larson, Encinitas CA I’ve never been on a super yacht in rough seas. However, I would say no. I would not want to risk my life on one in a major storm. I suspect that they would be fine, to a tipping point, then all hell would […]
Sailing Under the Bridge
Although it’s taken for granted by locals, the Coleman Bridge is a spectacular piece of engineering and a vital link between two regions of eastern Virginia. It’s an adventure to go sailing under the bridge. After the boom years of World War II, it became apparent the ferry from Yorktown to Gloucester Point would be […]
Sailboats and Warships Compared
Arguably there is no comparison because the two experiences are so different. My daughter, who’s in marketing, suggested imbedding a giant billboard in the mainsail saying, “You’d have a better time on this boat.” So let us consider sailboats and warships compared. The biggest difference with the two tourist boats is that you get to […]
Survive a Sailing Emergency
Every summer, Category 3 hurricanes along the East Coast inspire anxiety among sailors. In describing how to survive a sailing emergency, these are ranked not by worst-case at the top because all of them are bad scenarios. Instead, they are ranked by degree of likelihood-to-happen, with the top categories representing the least likely and the […]
The Art of Sailing
The art of sailing dates to ancient time and has only gotten better. From Monet to Manet, sailing and sailboats make compelling images. Many paintings derive from five scenes. 1. Sunsets are immortal. They convey the end of a day, and if that day was spent on the water, all the better. The romance of the […]
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 […]
Top Sailing Songs
The American Sailing Association is a venerable organization that I belong to as a professional mariner. I hold ASA credentials to teach three certified courses. Having said that, the ASA list is flawed for lacking “Sailing,” by Christopher Cross. It is the single-most mentioned song by guests at Let’s Go Sail, followed by another one […]
Sailing into History
A young man from Prescott AZ (grew up in Baltimore) brought his wife to Williamsburg for an annual trip they’ve done for years. They wanted the History Cruise, so I dove deeply in the 1781 Battle of the Capes and the Siege of Yorktown that effectively ended the Revolutionary War. They had some history of […]
