The National Park Service has been removing invasive bamboo from the shoreline of historic Yorktown. Good luck with that.
In a related note, I asked York County about the moorings off Yorktown. One is sinking (at right) and another is listing badly (below). Capt. James Scruggs, dockmaster at nearby Riverwalk Landing, replied:
“We are aware of the moorings that are listing and sinking. The plan is still to pull them all out, and we will be installing new ones. Once the company finishes a job upriver, they will load the new ones and head down here to install them and take the old ones out. We don’t have a specific date, but it should be happening this year.”
Pathology Sailing
A Richmond area woman took her 13-year-old son sailing on Spring Break for an extended lesson. The day was warm and breezy, more like June than April.
Yasmin Lutterbie is a pathologist working at the VA Medical Center in Richmond. “I look at cancer slides all day. Sometimes as many as 50 cases a day, and some of the cases required up to 100 slides for complicated cancers.
“Our VA is noted for its cancer research and treatment. A patient from your Hampton VA might be sent to us for diagnosis and then take his treatment in Hampton. VA hospitals do great work, and it’s all in one place: surgery, psychiatric, internal medicine, audiology, pharmacy and so on.”
Jasmin and Ryan helmed the boat in 15-20 mph winds that had us heeling to 20 degrees. We transited the Coleman Bridge upriver and then learned how to tack back by turning almost a dozen times. They loved it. I later sent them the link to take lessons at Sail Time in Virginia Beach.
Detroit Sailors
A couple from suburban Detroit visited Williamsburg for the first time and wanted to see if we had waters comparable to Lake St. Clair. We do indeed. Matt Benger is looking to replace his S2 from years ago with a comparable boat. Kelly Dollard was along for the ride.
We countered 18-22 mph easterly winds that held up all afternoon. The whitecaps were sustained, and eventually the swells built to 3 feet. Matt plowed through them all and then surfed them home on a beam reach.
“We once hit a Beneteau while sailing,” Matt said cheerfully. “He came out of nowhere, and the next thing you know I put a nice circular hole in his bow. He claimed it was my mistake, and it went all the way to Lloyd’s of London. I eventually prevailed because they determined that I had the right-of-way.
“St. Clair is tricky because the water is completely replaced every 52 hours,” he said a little later. “We got caught in the doldrums once, and the current spun the boat completely around.”
Women enjoy sailing today more than ever, and particularly a romantic cruise. Couples get to enjoy a romantic getaway as they sit up on the bow for privacy, and Let’s Go Sail provides professional photos for free. First-time or skilled mariners are welcome to sail a modern-32-foot sailboat in a unique setting of wildlife and Fall foliage or Spring bloom. It makes for an extraordinary anniversary idea.
Alternator Fix
During my insurance survey last month, the surveyor reported that my engine alternator was shot because he could hear it squeal as he manually turned it. I set out to test it using two methods.
First, I charged the batteries and measured them at 13.0 volts. Then I turned on the engine and found a reading of 14.4. That’s exactly between 14.1 and 14.7 per the YouTube video I was using.
Second, I used the old school method. I loosened the positive cable and while the engine was running, I removed it from the battery. If the engine died, the alternator was bad. If the engine continued running, it was good. Sure enough, the engine kept running. So I concurred twice that the alternator was just fine. Go YouTube.
Moorings Replaced
Earlier I posted about the Riverwalk Landing moorings sinking or listing hard. The dockmaster said they would be replaced sometime this year, and that happened last week. Six large and visible moorings are now in place. They have larger targets to throw the bowline around, and they are more aligned in a straight line and a compact setting off Redoubt 10.
Jersey Sailors
The DeAngelo family of Swedesboro in south Jersey went for a family sail on a sunny, brisk afternoon of 15-20 mph winds. “This was Steve’s Christmas present,” his wife Winnie said. “For Maggie, we are going to Busch Gardens tomorrow.”
Steve last sailed on big boats some 20 years ago, but he picked it up right away by pinching into the wind to avoid heeling too much. “I used to crew for a friend on his C&C 35 out of Georgetown. The Bay can get very dangerous. You look around and the waves are up to there.” He pointed almost straight up.
“This guy with the C&C would sail it out of different marinas, going as far south as Solomons. He had a rotating crew of 12 to man five positions. He bought lunch for everybody all the time. It was great fun and great sailing, kind of like this.” The boat heeled to 20 degrees as we picked up speed with just the new mainsail flying.
“I got to sail on an America’s Cup boat once, in the Caribbean. We raced an identical boat, and I helmed it was well as turning the grinders. It was very fast.”
The family spends time in St. Michael’s MD, where he is familiar with the canoe sail boats. “They range from 44 feet to 58, with two masts at minimum. My buddy and I were down there one day watching them when a crew member asked us to join them. I got up on the plank and tipped out so far that the boat capsized. What fun.”
In other boating news, “We saw the big tugboat that took the USS United States out of Philly to Florida, where it is to be scrapped for Naval gunfire. The tug was so big that the fuel tank required only one fill-up for the entire one-day trip: 180,000 gallons.
Let’s Go Sail, Cleaning Up
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The best Williamsburg boat tour offers safe sailing daily for up to 6 people. It’s an extraordinary experience for couples. Leave your worries behind. Enjoy the thrill of moving with the wind without a care in the world. Put life back on an even keel with a romantic experience for a birthday or anniversary. 3-hour sailboat cruise as a semi-private yachting charter lets you exhale and relax as you enjoy comfort, stability and speed.
cleaning up cleaning up cleaning up
