Landlubbers Learn Sailing
A lovely couple from landlocked Staunton, Virginia, came to Let’s Go Sail on a beautiful Friday to learn the fundamentals. Kelly and Todd Armentrout once sailed on a Hobie Cat and found they love the idea of being out on the water, in the elements of the wind. They quickly relearned the close reach, […]
Bridge Inspector Goes Sailing
If the wind is right, you can sail under the Coleman Bridge. While proceeding out Sarah Creek into the York River, a fellow asked if we could do just that. I was puzzled since the bridge was barely in view. Then he explained. “I was the chief bridge inspector on the job 15 years ago […]
Spinn Sail
Question: How do you sail when the wind seemingly dies? Answer: You don’t, unless you run downwind with a spinnaker. Background: Three hours of sailing on the York River usually involves tacking back and forth into the wind as we make way eastward in a zig-zag down the river. We are sailing off the wind […]
Longshoreman Sailing
There’s boating, and then there’s shipping. Dante and April Turner of Chesapeake went sailing on the York River to celebrate their first anniversary, complete with a picnic basket of wine and cheese. “I’m a longshoreman,” Dante said when I asked what he does. “We have three container terminals in Norfolk, Craney Island and Portsmouth, as […]
Sailing with Experience
In the annals of “Sailing Fails” there lies the successful outcome of a bad situation. While sailing the York River on a magnificent day with his wife and family, Bob Benton recalled his sailing experience from long ago. “We had 20 people on a 27-foot sailboat, if you can imagine that. Seven of them were […]
Sailing into USCG Smoke
While sailing the York River with Kevin and Jennifer Brown and their children, we spotted a rare exercise by the US Coast Guard of deploying flares and smoke simultaneously. It was very dramatic and colorful and lasted all of a minute. The exercise is rare on the York River because the very sight of the bright […]
Unexpected sailing lesson
What started out as one couple going out for a cruise on the York River turned into an unexpected sailing lesson. Chris Loving and his girlfriend Krysten Scafe drove in from Richmond for a quite sail. While waiting for them in the ships store, a couple approached who were looking to rent a boat. Carlos […]
Sailing with Racing Dogs
On a day of coincidental birthdays, we went sailing with racing dogs. Beverly Jackson of Baltimore took her husband Thomas out on an afternoon cruise along the York River. Michel Gauthier did likewise for his wife Valerie. The couple lives in the small village of Casselman in eastern Ontario. Valerie said, “We live on 47 […]
Sailing with a Sub Rescuer
Of all the military veterans I’ve taken sailing, none had a more peculiar stint than Robert Durrant. He’s a machinist in upstate New York who took his wife Marianne out on the York. That brought back memories on the water. “I was in the Navy serving on the catamaran ship that rescued downed submarines.” What! […]
Spinnaker Sailing Twice
It’s a rare day that we can fly the big blue and red spinnaker off the bow. We need just the right direction of wind to sail upwind so as to turn back 180 degrees and let loose. On this day we went spinnaker sailing twice. An east wind in the morning picked up […]
