Celebrating Summer by Sailing
Light winds on the York were enhanced by lively conversation among two groups one bright summer day. A New York City family joined a Richmond couple on a beautiful afternoon that left us celebrating summer by sailing. Daniel Rodriquez brought his family on their first trip to Williamsburg. His daughter Jessica told me in good […]
Skimming Along Lake Toho
Of all the boating our family has enjoyed over the years, we have never gone on an airboat. While on vacation in Florida, our son-in-law Trevor Phillips booked us for a unique and private two-hour adventure tour of the marshy shores around Lake Tohoperaliga near Orlando. Trevor knows how much we enjoy boating. “We call […]
30-Year-Old Sailor
Two couples and two toddlers got to see a 30-year-old sailor transit the Coleman Bridge when the USS Monterey came steaming up the York River on the way to the Yorktown Naval Weapons Station. It was quite an adventure. Host Christine Wells had her hands full with the kids, so her husband Frank and pal […]
Improve Your Life with Sailing Metaphors
One of the amazing things about sailing with guests on the York River is how they rise to the occasion by using appropriate metaphors. They enjoy learning about the derivations. To sail professionally is to be above board, even if one is adrift, against the tide, or at loggerheads with the crew. They recognize that […]
Make-A-Wish Sailing
A Texas family sponsored in Williamsburg by the Make-A-Wish Foundation wound up their vacation with an outdoor adventure by going sailing on the York River. Earlier we got rained out but rescheduled the next day under cloudy and cool conditions. It was actually quite pleasant. Because Let’s Go Sail is ADA compliant, I moved the […]
Sailing Under Spinnaker
Memorial Day Weekend started with light winds on a cool, sunny day. Rachel Shepherd brought her family up from Newport News and Portsmouth for a lively outing they did not expect. “We should have told you we’re in AA,” Rachel teased. “Accidents Anonymous is who we are. Every time we go on vacation, something happens. […]
Invisible Ink: Spycraft of the American Revolution
The recent popularity of the AMC show “Turn” has increased awareness of the little-known spy networks that helped Washington defeat British forces during the Revolutionary War. James Armistead Lafayette was a highly educated slave whom the Marquis de Lafayette recruited to spy at Yorktown. John Nagy’s 2010 book “Invisible Ink: Spycraft of the American Revolution” proves that truth is […]
Sailing to a Common Cause
At the outset of the Revolutionary War, the differences between the 13 American colonies seemed insurmountable and the likelihood of them uniting together appeared impossible. The leaders of the Revolutionary movement recognized that they would need a “common cause” to unify colonists politically from Bunker Hill to Yorktown. In “The Common Cause: Creating Race and Nation […]
Sailing Past Cuba Gooding Jr.
Gregory Schon of Newport News took his wife Carol sailing on the York for their 15th anniversary. With sails reefed in warm 15-18 mph winds from the southwest, he celebrated appropriately by reaching 15.7 mph. Carol is a retired lab technician who moved up the hospital and corporate ladder to get into sales, traveling the […]
American Revolution in Art
Next time you visit the U.S. Capitol Building, stand in the massive Rotunda and you will be surrounded by eight historical paintings. Revolutionary War veteran John Trumbull painted four of them, including the British surrender at Yorktown, (which figures big on the History Cruise of Let’s Go Sail.) In “Of Arms and Artists: The American Revolution through […]
