A lot of work can be done on the boat while it remains in the water over the winter. Come March 1, a ten-day marathon breaks out as the boat is hauled from the water and placed on stanchions. From there, one has to chip away at flaky bottom paint, then sand and wash the surface to repaint. The paint has heavy doses of copper and runs nearly $400. Meanwhile, work begins on cleaning the gunwales since they are otherwise inaccessible during the season. This involves applying compound with a rotary buffer, followed by marine polish and finally wax. The result is stunning, as seen above left.

Sticky Throttle

Having fully cleaned and polished the hull and scraped and painted the bottom and prop, the only maintenance item remaining was a sticky throttle. Ryan Wainwright of Blended Compass showed me that it wasn’t the throttle cable, as I had suspected, but the axle of the throttle where it meets the engine.

Sock-Burning

Meanwhile, the open season resumed on the next river, the James, with the annual sock-burning by the Kingsmill Yacht Club. It’s the second annual edition after years of non-activity. The admiral assistant to the commander dressed up as an 18th century captain for the occasion. Beer and wine were consumed as live music played.

First Cruise

The first cruise of Let’s Go Sail’s open season went to Tammie Randall and Patricia Bentamin of Virginia Beach, who are mental health counselors specializing in anxiety. I offered that sailing was a pretty good reliever, and they concurred. They also sprinted 20 miles and topped out at 14 mph.

I asked if they recommended drugs for anxiety, and they said no. Plus they can’t prescribe them and need to yield to a physician. Their objective is to let people gain mindfulness through activities and therapy.

“One activity is tapping,” Patricia said, “where who lightly tap your face with your fingers to gain concentration.” I wondered if walking qualifies as anxiety-reducing. “If it’s mindful walking, yes, in which you take in the bark of the trees, the sense of the leaves, the grass and so on.” I said that I listen to podcasts instead, which apparently doesn’t qualify. “The big thing is to take your mind off your anxiety by delving into the activity at the moment.” At this moment, they delved quite deep.

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. 

Delaware Sailors

The next day, Joe and Theresa Takacs of Middletown DE went sailing on the York in a brisk breeze that drove us straight out the river. They like to sail while on vacation but have no interest in owning a boat. They lived for eight years in Minnesota and had no problem with the chill on a cloudy day. “It got down to minus-26 sometimes in the winter, and that’s before the windchill,” Joe recalled. “You’d have to have a block heater for your engine overnight, and we had them at the plant as well for workers.”

He rose through the ranks at Ford to become a manager. I asked how long a Ford SUV like mine is good for and he suggested well over 200,000 miles. “Maybe more if you take care of it and change the oil regularly.”

Let’s go on a romantic sail. Sit up on the bow for privacy. First-timers or skilled mariners can learn to sail fast on a cruise Near Williamsburg VA. They get to sail a modern 32-foot sailboat in a unique setting of wildlife and Spring foliage. Professional photos for free. Enjoy a romantic getaway. Sail the warm breezes of Spring and Summer. A unique and intriguing event, as well as an extraordinary anniversary idea.

Let’s Go Sail

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