Sitting in the Catbird Seat
One joyful surprise of a charter sail is the unique experience sitting in the catbird seat on boat of 30 feet or longer. The concept was pioneered by Hunter Sailboats in the early 1980s as twin “stern perch” seats on the aft rail, but the term catbird quickly eclipsed that. Catalina Sailboats and Beneteau Sailboats […]
Sailing vs. Powerboating
The first thing that people discover about charter sails vs. powerboating is how quiet sailing is. Once the engine is cut off, the sound of silence is distinct. Women notice it first and appreciate it better than men. Everyone begins to hear the waves lapping as the sailboat glides through water. When birds are close, […]
Sailing Trifecta of Cool Sights
Three couples from West Virginia, Illinois and Texas nearly hit the Sailing Trifecta of Cool Sights on the York River. They had never met before and had a fun time on a beautiful fall afternoon. First, they got to see a small pod of dolphins frolicking in front of Sara Creek. Two and then three dolphins romped […]
World’s Largest Sailing Yacht
The world’s largest sailing yacht is so big that its size rivals a Navy warship coming through the Coleman Bridge at Yorktown. This week the modestly named Sailing Yacht A set out for sea trials in Germany, where it’s being built for Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko. He owns the equally unique Motor Yacht A. Sources put the length of […]
Oysters in the Bay
They are comparatively few and far between today, but oysters used to clog the Chesapeake Bay. These days, we see precious few oyster men while sailing the York River. Virginia’s catch has dropped from nearly 8 million bushels in the early 1900s to half a million today. The industry began here in the early 1800s when […]
Sailing to Safari
Regenia Frazier brought her mother, Celestine, from rural Charlottesville to revisit Mathews County, around the bend from the York River. Years ago, Celestine took care of a wealthy man in a wheelchair who had multiple houses. We went out on a charter sail on the York River on a bright but chilly afternoon. “We decided to […]
Sailing on the Bow
Most of the time on a charter sailboat is spent in the cockpit having conversation and running the boat. But sometimes people prefer a little privacy and prefer to go sailing on the bow to contemplate the zen of the experience. I find while chartering along the York River that friends and siblings like the […]
Kin to George Washington
Chris and Stetson Hoffman of Franklin, Tennessee, had a special reason to bring their friends Sam and Teddy to Williamsburg. They took a charter sail on the York River in the shadow of Yorktown, where Stetson is kin to George Washington. He won the Battle of Yorktown that sealed America’s independence. “I go back twelve generations […]
Rescue Training
Sol and Kimberlee Zira went on a charter sailing excursion near Williamsburg while visiting from the Los Angeles area. She was anxious because their dog back home in Sherman Oaks had been mauled by a pit bull and required more than a hundred stitches. Her mother was caring for the dog while they’re away. Anxiety rose […]
Seasick when Sailing
People occasionally ask if they’re likely to get seasick when sailing on a three-hour charter along the York River. The answer is No, for several reasons. 1. We sail in a river, which almost never gets enough chop to make the boat pitch forward and backward. High seas with seven-foot waves (measured from top […]
Kudzu to the Rescue
Chesapeake Beach is midway up the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. People think that hurricanes are the Bay’s worst nightmare, but historically nor’easters have been worse. That’s because they’re more frequent and often pound the coast for days instead of the hours of wind and rain usually associated with a hurricane. Margaret […]
High Tides, Few Guns
The tides on the York River have been higher lately from a week-long storm and the passing of Hurricane Joaquin. There simply hasn’t been a low tide in ten days. We’re talking 3 to 4 feet range. On this day, we sailed from the high tides of Canada to its strict gun laws. “We saw […]
Designs on Sailing
John Thomas of Williamsburg took friends sailing on the York River on a brisk fall day. Our designs were on sailing, but the conversation ranged widely. Among his guests were Sultan Camp, who retired from the Navy after 20 years. He used to load and load from ships at the Naval Weapons Station in Yorktown […]
She Said Yes
Meghan Mannas said yes when Gregory Eyler proposed marriage to her on the bow of a boat during a charter sail with Williamsburg Charter Sails. Brisk breezes required that we move to lee of the wind and let the trees on the Yorktown cliffs slow the force. Otherwise Gregory might have dropped the ring, to […]
Fishing & Sailing
Dawn Simpson took her husband Joel sailing on the York River on their 27th wedding anniversary. They were visiting from Ocean City, Maryland, the charter sail brought back memories for Joe of the water. “My father’s father was eight when he came to Ocean City to work on steamship ferries as a boy. My father […]
Sailing with the Navy
While taking a Lowery family from Hawaii sailing on the first sunny day in nearly two weeks, I spotted something five miles out. “Oh look, a Navy ship is coming into port.” They looked at each other as if to respond, “Meh.” Maile Lowery said gently, “We’re from Pearl Harbor. We work for DOD, all […]
Sailboat Parts
People feel understandably overwhelmed by the nomenclature or parts of a sailboat. Yet many of the terms are derivative of common sense, and other parts have become part of the lexicon as veritable metaphors. Let’s look at a few parts so that you have a rudimentary knowledge and will show some verbal sea legs on […]
Sailing with Fire
I’ve never had a firefighter onboard before, so this was like sailing with fire. Derek Hayes of Elko, Nevada, joined his mother DeLyne and her husband David out on a dark but otherwise pleasant day for a private sailboat charter on the York River, off Yorktown. DeLyne is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, […]
Where’s that, Sailor?
You can name your boat almost anything except Mayday and Vessel In Distress. As long as it will make sense when hailing the Coast Guard on marine radio, they don’t care. Amusement arise when one tries to hail Tow Boat US three times, because it sounds very much like Toy Boat, which is hard to […]
Sailing 30 Years Later
A British couple joined their American friends sailing on the York River. They were good sports to endure the story of the Battle of the Capes and the Siege of Yorktown. John Thomber recalled his time in the Royal Navy and had sailboats at his yacht club in England. He got back on the helm […]