Fire boats from the nearby Abington VFD crisscrossed the York River on Monday in the vicinity of the Coleman Bridge. A 50-year-old man was missing after swimming off Gloucester Point Beach around 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Rescue efforts were hampered by a huge thunderstorm that night. Update: The next day, a search-and-rescue crew from Camp Peary found the body of a 50-year-old man a half-mile from the bridge, floating face-down.
Submariner Sail
Two brothers joined their sister Jennifer LaCuran on an afternoon sail along the York River. Earlier, the USS Stout rumbled up the river en route to Yorktown Naval Weapons station. This time, the Coleman Bridge got stuck for only a few minutes.
Ron LaCuran is a Navy vet. “This is different from what I used to steer on a submarine. It was Los Angeles Class, not as big as a Boomer. The turning radius is awful, but not as bad as a carrier. They were not designed to sail on the surface, but rather underwater. World War II subs were designed to sail on the water.
The wind was strong enough to fly the spinnaker, so I took Jennifer’s son Britton up to the bow to set sail. He also ran the helm on close reach and downwind, with great aplomb.
The family was lamenting the sale in California of their father’s 40-foot Hatteras. “He would fall off the boat from time to time, but more so lately,” Jennifer said. “He’s 90.”
Ron added, “What he’s sadder about is that the guy who bought it won’t even use it. He’s going to take it up the coast to Marina Del Rey and simply live on the boat.”
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.
Minnesota Sailors
Normally we get people from Minnesota in the Spring when the river is still cold. They don’t seem to mind. But the middle of summer during a hot spell is unusual. The Johnsen family was unfazed, and several of them spent time on the bow taking in the warm breeze.
While his son helmed the wheel, Terry the patriarch got to talking about fishing up north. “People think it’s backward, but I prefer ice fishing. You have to test the ice to make sure it’s at least eight inches thick. My granddad used to tie himself with a rope to a tree to venture out testing the ice.
“Resorts will set up heated shanties out on the ice so you don’t freeze to death. Last year, Ross and I caught 45 walleyes in one day. If you stay overnight, you set a ‘rattle reel’ to wake you if a fish is caught. Sometimes it’s just an eel.”
Vacation Sailors
A couple in their 80s gathered 11 children and grandchildren from all over the country for a summer vacation in Mathews County. “We’re in a rental house, right on the beach overlooking Chesapeake Bay,” said Marge Reichmann, celebrating her birthday. They live in South Bend IN and used to live in Minneapolis.
We talked about the cold. “The ice would get so thick that 18-wheelers would assemble out there to do their ice fishing. Then the ice would collapse, taking all their rigs down sinking. As it should.”
Mike Reichmann sailed years ago and hadn’t lost his touch as he steered in gentle but shifting breezes. “My dumbest moment was turtling a Thistle, with the mast in the mud. But my most embarrassing moment came when I ran a Falcon sailboat into overhead wires, breaking the wooden mast in two. It was awful.”
They disembarked with cane and foot brace, and Mike joshed, “You saved my marriage.”
Sailing to the Masters
My good friend John Shulson from The Virginia Gazette took a group of his neighbors in Kingsmill sailing, some of them for the first time. He chose a wonderful morning that was partly cloudy with temperatures in the 80s and winds from the east rising from 10 mph.
Along the way, Kip Olson mentioned that he’s a field volunteer for The Masters Tournament in Augusta GA. My head snapped in curiosity.
How many people attend? “No one knows, or no one is saying. It could be 100,000 a day.”
How many members are there? “They won’t say, it’s very private. I think it’s about 250. There are five women, I can tell you that. I’ve met them all, including Condoleezza Rice.”
“I’ve been there seven years. I started out at the gate, the first rung of the operation. People have to go through three airport metal screeners and undergo as well the wand for metal. They screen everyone, and I mean everyone. Now I work in the clubhouse, which is an amazing place.”
A big surprise? “Ashes. People arrive with hidden canisters of ashes to spread them on the course, the closer to the hole the better. Of course, it’s forbidden. I had a guy say his parents used to stand right here for years watching The Masters, ‘So I want to drop their mixed ashes right here.’ I told him I had to go to the rest room, looking the other way.”
Twice, we got to see dolphins. The second time was on the way back into port, when six or eight buzzed the boat. It was spectacular.
Revenues are a closely held secret. “But I can tell you this. The gift shop is unique in that you have to buy the shirts and stuff right there. No online shopping, and the shop is only open for the 9-1/2 days of the tournament. We know for a fact that they do $1 million an hour.”
Let’s Go Sail
Check the “Book A Cruise” tab and pick a day for a sailboat charter. Scroll down reviews on Trip Advisor. Go back to the home page of Williamsburg Charter Sails.
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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.
Ideal for Couples
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