Sinking Sailboats

A Chesapeake couple who sailed previously with Let’s Go Sail returned with some friends and a story.

“I have to tell you something,” Denise Osenbaugh said gravely when she arrived at the dock. “Yesterday we sank our sailboat.”

What?

“We were in Currituck Sound in North Carolina,” her husband Mark explained. “It’s a little 16-foot boat that someone sold us for a dollar. We left Coinjock and proceeded south when all of a sudden, the wind took us sideways and then over. We managed to get out of the boat and swam until two jet skis came by to rescue us.”

Denise said inexplicably, “I came up for air with my cellphone in one hand and a jar of olives in the other.” She motioned as if to toss the jar in exasperation. “But the phone still worked, and it still does today. We were determined to keep sailing, so here we are.”

From what they described, it sounded to me that they must have struck something like an underwater tree that would force the keel to roll the boat. In any event, they were quite cheerful about it and sailed magnificently along the York.

Then we saw the Coleman Bridge open, and off in the distance was the largest ship ever seen at the Yorktown Naval Weapons Station.

The USS Savannah is a littoral combat ship, capable of landing a platoon of Marines along with two tanks and a helicopter. It’s designed for amphibious assault as it can back right up on the beach for rapid deployment. Even though it’s more than 400 feet long and 104 feet wide, it only requires 14 feet of draft.

Classic Sailors

The family of the late Chuck Shaffner decided to learn how to sail so they could resume taking out his classic 100-year-old Herreshoff. Chuck restored it after many years of neglect and won numerous races with it.

“He used to keep it at Crown Royal Marina, now Perindise,” said his older son Tom. “The boat sank and none of the Cooks who owned the place told us. Someone came by and hit the stern, which opened up a hole. Next thing you know and a hurricane hit the marina and sank the boat.

“Dad was in Japan at the time on a job. When we found out about it and went over there, he sent us down with innertubes to try to inflate the boat up. Eventually we used come-alongs. He was not happy. We managed to get the boat out of there and took it to York Haven’s yard, where it sat under a tarp for 15 years before he could restore it.”

From my original post some years ago:

A rare work of art blew into Sara Creek at Gloucester Point with the arrival last week of a 1926 Herreshoff sailboat. The name is famous as the manufacturer of America’s Cup boats going back a century or more. The Herreshoff Marine Museum in Bristol, Rhode Island, heralds the sailboats and the Cup. Herreshoff still builds classic boats in all lengths.

The boat here is 27 feet long and owned by Chuck Shaffner, seen lately fitting out new lines in his slip on G Dock at York River Yacht Haven. He’s been working on the boat since 1975. He retired from Newport News Shipyard after 40 years,  most recently as deputy chief engineer after a tour as manufacturing planning director. “Having done the reconstruction of my boat gives me new appreciation of those shipbuilders who did the overhauls.”

“I’ve completely rebuilt it over the years with a new deck, new sheer strake, new frames, new transom, new transom, new strongback, new sternpost, new brass portals and new plank keel. The boat has been completely rebuilt, only better without any iron. 75 percent of the original hull planking is original. The boat is built to the original plans. This is the second rebuild, actually. I wanted to do it to last the rest of my lifetime. The boat is listed in the Herreshoff Registry as Hull 1015.”

Sailing the C&D

A family from Have de Grace MD live quite close to the C&D Canal, which joins two huge bays in a torrent of water.

Austin Miller said, “It floods frequently because they open the dams on the Susquehanna to take pressure off the river. People have their houses on stilts to let the water run through.

“I used to do volunteer firefighting and worked on the Big Water Rescue Team. People sit out there in their boats and run aground, or they don’t know enough to come in when the weather turns. We’ve taken our team to work in New York.”

Anniversary Sail

Two couples who had never met went sailing on their respective 50^th and 43^rd wedding anniversaries. Ted and Mary Lou Hixson of northern Virginia look more like they’re celebrating their 23^rd than 43^rd.

Sub Sited

On an otherwise calm morning, we took six people up to see a US Navy submarine that came into Yorktown Naval Weapons Station. They got to see the Navy patrol boat stand off as security between us and the sub. You would never know it, but the sub has its full complement of 200+ personnel on board, as a matter of unit coherence.

As we transited the Coleman Bridge, we were well aware of an advisory by USCG to avoid the under-bridge car working back and forth on the undercarriage. Marine radio warned that the clearance was reduced from 67 feet to 57. Since we stand 47 feet, that wasn’t a problem. But we made sure to pass while the car was well off to the north side of the bridge.

 

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.

 

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.   

 

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

Our York River sailboat tour offers an unforgettable boat adventure that is ideal for couples. Choose from five unique sailing charters: Adventure, Lessons, History, Boat Buying, Real Estate. We provide sailing for everyone. Couples enjoy the romance, and families enjoy the adventure. See openings at williamsburgchartersails.com under Book A Cruise.

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