Season Opener
After a shakedown cruise with a delightful couple from Fredericksburg, we launched the season opener with a fellow who brought his wife and sisters-in-law along for his third time at Let’s Go Sail. Since it was a Monday, we were on the lookout for two Moran tugs that would signal an incoming Navy warship. Sure […]
Arts Quarter Sails
Award-winning actor Glenn Close was the star of the dedication of the William & Mary Arts Quarter, a massive reconfiguration of Phi Beta Kappa Hall into a half dozen buildings interconnected. Before several hundred alumni and guests in the new PBK, Close expressed heartfelt gratitude for their support, tearing up at one point from the […]
Farming Sail
We get very few people from Oklahoma, so Melissa and R.T. Green of Leedey were a pleasant surprise. They took their grandson Brier out as part of a vast historical journey. “We were in Washington yesterday,” Melissa said, “and we’re doing Williamsburg and Yorktown here.” The winds were light but steady, a refreshing change from […]
Navy Sailing
oh On a warm, breezy morning a newlywed couple from Louisville KY took their honeymoon cruise on the York River. Stephen Bacher explained that Rachel Kinser was planning to sail down the Mississippi River in a year or so. “I’d like to be married with her long enough before she dies,” he joked. Rachel is […]
Sailing by VIMS
To avoid a rainout, Bentley Streat of nearby Hayes went a day early to take her family sailing on the York. Her sister Linda Shaffron works at nearby VIMS, or Virginia Institute of Marine Science. “Ours is the largest facility in America focused on estuarine research,” said said proudly. Estuarine as in estuary, as Chesapeake […]
Beware Illegal Boat Charters
From workboat.com People will ask, “Is charter sailing legal?” Yes, but only because I’m a USCG certfied master captain, 100 tons. Illegal charters are becoming more of a menace, not just cutting into commercial passenger vessel operators’ business but also raising the specter of accidents leading to higher insurance rates and more regulation. The boats […]
Buying a Sailboat? Do it Yourself
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxU-kkiYFeU People ask, “Is it difficult to buy a sailboat?” No, and you can do it yourself without a broker. At Let’s Go Sail, the Boat Buying Cruise is for those who are determined to own their own sailboat. Unless they’re flush with cash, I recommend buying used. For one thing, the engine is already […]
Survive a Sailing Emergency
Every summer, Category 3 hurricanes along the East Coast inspire anxiety among sailors. In describing how to survive a sailing emergency, these are ranked not by worst-case at the top because all of them are bad scenarios. Instead, they are ranked by degree of likelihood-to-happen, with the top categories representing the least likely and the […]
How to Survive a Sailing Emergency
Hurricanes such as Harvey, Irma and Jose inspire anxiety among sailors. In describing how to survive a sailboat emergency, these are ranked not by worst case downward because all of them are bad scenarios. Instead, they are ranked by degree of likelihood-to-happen, with the top categories representing the least likely and the bottom categories more […]
Safety at Sea
The sixth annual “Safety at Sea” seminar will run all day Saturday, Feb. 25. It’s designed for those challenging the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. People ask, “Who should attend a safety at sea seminar?” Professional sailors and other experts will show novices and experienced mariners. They’ll learn how to handle heavy weather and its […]
