Captain’s Choice
People often ask: “Is it hard learning how to sail?” No, not at all. Two couples from Richmond and Lynchburg had never met until they went out on the York River to learn how to sail. What they got was a primer on the water and a rare view of a passing Navy submarine. En […]
Distinct Navy Ships
People often ask, “How can you tell Navy ships apart?” Two Navy warships blew into Yorktown Naval Weapons Station this week with distinct profiles and missions. The USS James E. Williams is a classic destroyer of the Arleigh Burke Class. Launched in 2003, the Williams is usually part of a carrier strike force in the […]
Learn to Sail
You can learn to sail fast, and quickly at that. Here are five ways, graduating from easy to intermediate. Adventure Cruise Couples and families who book an Adventure Cruise with Let’s Go Sail get a chance to run the helm over a comfortable course spanning three hours. In so doing, they get sufficient tips and pointers […]
Shipshape Sailboat
The list is endless to keep a sailboat shipshape. It breaks out into several lists of discrete responsibilities based on timetables. That way, things proceed in an organized way that stops short of overwhelming the skipper. Here is a starter kit for the new sailboat owner. It’s easy to become intimidated by such lists, which […]
10 Mistakes Newbies Make
1. OVER-THINKING—Look, this is a sport. It’s not rocket science. Many of my students had bad experiences on a sailboat as a child or with their dad or first husband. That was then. Now you have another chance. Clear your mind of preconditions and take one step at a time. Read a beginners book like […]
Sailing & Fishing
There are two kinds of boating that are mutually discrete: Sailing & Fishing. I refer people all the time to my colleagues at York River Yacht Haven who offer fishing charters. But occasionally someone will ask if they can try fishing off the back of the boat. It’s tricky because we run the risk of […]
Learning to Sail
A Richmond area couple drove down to the York River to learn how to sail. Kate Riley sailed a Sunfish once and wanted to try a bigger boat. She got the full experience in a steady breeze of 10 mph that enabled us to sail under the Coleman Bridge to see the Navy submarine still […]
Why Boats Sink
UPDATE – York River Yacht Haven moved quickly to remove the boat before any oil or fuel could leak into the water. Fellows at the marina yard think the bow went under in high winds and the bowrail got caught at low tide under a finger pier on G Dock. That drove the bow down […]
Fast Pitch Sails Past
Kristi Olsen and a contingent of York County tourism officials sailed one day last summer. Brian Fuller of York Parks & Rec reported that 147 teams from 16 states were here for the Girls Class B World Series of Fast Pitch Softball. They’re playing on fields across York, James City and Williamsburg. Top pitchers can […]
Relearn How to Sail
People ask, “I used to sail, can you teach me again?” A couple from Charlottesville and a family from Pittsburgh went sailing on the York River to relearn their skills. Sebastian Kukla and Erik Fernandez hadn’t sailed since their college days, but they got the hang of it quickly in winds of 10 mph rising […]
