They had some history of their own. Matt and Melinda White have been pursuing the genealogy of the White family going back to the Revolutionary Era. “I’ve done 10,000 to 12,000 hours of research over the years, and I’m stuck around 1800,” he said as he took the wheel. “When we tour Colonial Williamsburg, we hear about Washington and Bland, and I know my family went back to them. The problem is that some of the ancestors were the only son of an only son who was the son of an only son, and the last is an alcoholic who fell off the timeline. There are daughters mixed in as well, but they married and changed their names.”
Matt handled stiff and gusty winds with aplomb, partly because he’s used to powerboats. He continued, “We’ve met with historians over the years here, yesterday with Colonial Williamsburg and today at William & Mary. They’re all very helpful. We’ve exhausted the resources of Mathews County, where my family originated. Next, we have an appointment in Gloucester County. I get back to 1800 and get stuck again. Over the years I have encountered other families, and by now I feel like I know them.”
Appropos nothing, Matt had some insight on the Fourth of July fireworks at Yorktown. “We happened to be here that weekend and I knew the family that did the fireworks, so I helped them set up. The barge actually loads at Naval Weapons Station and floats down the river under the Coleman Bridge.” That made sense, since you’d want Navy Security in on anything explosive. “The truck with the fireworks winds through the base out to the pier where it drives right up to the barge. It takes all day to load them up, very very carefully.”
The US Navy support ship Global Sentinel returned to Cheatham Annex after several months at sea laying communication cable. The ship is stark white and 479 feet long. It looks like they’re loading more intel cable in the bow. Close-ip photo at left shows the double sheaves on the bow to lay the cable; another set is off the stern. The ship carries 1,000 miles of cable and lays it on the ocean bottom 9,000 feet deep. Note the blue and yellow stripes on the two funnels, denoting the colors of the Military Sealift Command. No orange lifeboats on a US Navy ship, as they remain disguised. 
It took numerous schedulings because of family problems before a couple from Standardsville VA took their first sail on the occasion of her 50th birthday. “This was always on my bucket list,” said Lisa Donnell, and I appreciate your patience as we worked through my mother’s illness.” On a chilly but sunny afternoon, we headed across the York River with Lisa on the helm and her husband Lysle observing quietly. His experience had ranged with motorboats. We all wore lifejackets in case anyone fell over into 60-degree water.
Their closest body of water in central Virginia is Lake Anna, but they also boat on Smith Mountain Lake. “Smith Mountain Lake has 512 miles of shoreline and lots of boats,” Lisa said. “Even houseboats,” Lysle added. “It blew my mind that they give you only 15 minutes of training to take out a 52-foot houseboat. People run it from creek to creek and camp out overnight. They check up to make sure you’re not out on the lake at night.”
We went under the Coleman Bridge and up to a US Navy warship that turned out to be the guided missile cruiser Laboon. We got close enough to get a photo of the ship and the accompanying patrol boat. Then we turned about and sailed back under spinnaker in light winds. By the end, Lisa had learned the Close Reach and the Broad Reach downwind. Not bad for her first day of a new adventure.
Bonnie and I went to Gainesville for the wedding of our daughter Robin Ann O’Donovan to Christopher Chase Tucker. They’ve known each other for five years, and he has endeared himself to her children Remy and Ivan. It was a solemn yet festive occasion on a beautiful day, followed by
We saw a Navy sub for the first time this season, and the glare was obvious.
We got to see two Navy warships transit the Coleman Bridge in one day.
