Ships Everywhere
For the second day, the NOAA research vessel Thomas Jefferson was stationed in the middle of the York River. At one point a tiny red submersible steamed around the big white ship. I radioed the bridge for details, but they would only say it was a surface ship instead of submersible. I asked for why […]
Learning Cruise
A retired Richmond executive returned to Let’s Go Sail for a learning cruise to hone his skills acquired in ASA 101 and 103. Jay Levine recently returned from a three-week cruise in the Caribbean that posed challenges for a vegteran mariner, not to mention a newcomer. “I managed to get aboard a 54-foot Jeanneau as […]
Honeymoon Cruise
A newly married Pennsylvania couple in Williamsburg enjoyed a honeymoon cruise on a warm sunny day on the York River. Madison Lohr works in daycare in New Castle, where she prefers tykes over older children. Mark Mikolhoff works two jobs. “I’m a chef at Chuck Tanner’s Restaurant in New Castle, named for the Cleveland Indian […]
Summer Maneuvers
While tacking southeast toward the cable tripod on the York River, I could see two US Navy fast boats zooming from the York Channel into our path. Evidently they came up from the Amphibious Naval Base at Littlecreek to find a secluded spot for summer maneuvers. As we kept on course, they stopped dead ahead […]
Bought a Boat!
Virginia reopened for sailing and fishing charters May 15. Let’s Go Sail adheress to an approved regimen for COVID-19 protocols. While opening Let’s Go Sail one morning, a fellow stopped by the dock to hail me. “Capt. Bill!” said James Owen. “Remember me? Around a year ago my wife and I sailed with you. We […]
Go Fish in the York
As a professional mariner, I regret to report I don’t know much about fish. Growing up, my mother served a lot of TV dinners. I thought fish sticks peculiar because I couldn’t understand how they could swim efficiently. When I secured my USCG captain’s license, I had to jump through 49 certifications for the […]
Top Speed
Note: Sailing charters resume in Virginia on June 10 when the lockdown is lifted. Longtime student and friend Corinna Caldwell joined a couple from Connecticut on perhaps the last day of summer as a cold front moved in for autumn. They had a day of sailing at top speed. Bob and Gail Sokolowski were in […]
Learning to Sail
A Richmond area couple drove down to the York River to learn how to sail. Kate Riley sailed a Sunfish once and wanted to try a bigger boat. She got the full experience in a steady breeze of 10 mph that enabled us to sail under the Coleman Bridge to see the Navy submarine still […]
Splash into Season 8
After a week of refurbishing at the yard of York River Yacht Haven, Let’s Go Sail returned to the waters of the York River with a Splash into Season 8. The work consisted of three things that can only be done on the hards: wax the hull, paint the prop, paint the bottom. The work […]
New Look at Old Shipwrecks
UPDATE: Sept. 20, 2020: News Release by JRS Explorations Survey of New Wreck Completed During Sept. 13-18, 2020, JRS Explorations Inc. conducted an extensive shipwreck survey within the Yorktown Shipwrecks National Register District, thanks to the efforts of experienced researchers. The goals were to survey and map “Wreck 11,” a recently discovered wreck in the […]
