York Archives - Williamsburg Charter Sails

York River Sailing Guide: Winds, Tides and Seasons

Plan the perfect York River sail with this guide to local winds, tides, and seasonal conditions. Ideal for visitors, sailors, and charter guests.

Sailing with AARP

I get asked, “What’s the best publicity you ever got for sailing?” The best promotion I ever encountered was a page 1 piece in the AARP newspaper, supplemented by a terrific video. We had a blast sailing with AARP. Let’s go sail the York River, where couples enjoy a serene three hours. Take one of […]

Yorktown Monument

A couple enjoying a chilly sail recounted a Dad joke about the windchill scale. Let’s go sail the York River.

Set Sail into History

Members of Kingsmill Yacht Club are sitting in the catbird seat for two nautical extravaganzas during America’s 250th anniversary this summer. A Parade of Sail in Norfolk on June 19 will feature 60 ships and naval vessels from 20 countries, proceeding along the coast from Virginia Beach into Norfolk in a nearly 5-hour run. At […]

Foreign Sails

A couple from Northern Virginia enjoyed a beautiful day on the water with their two children. Lourdes Garcia-Calderon spent six months on a steam-powered cruise ship outfitted for educational research. “We had 300-400 students and 200 crew, which was less than normal due to a SARS outbreak in China,” she said. “So there was no […]

Opening Week

A family from metro Richmond got to see the USS Gonzales exit Yorktown to Norfolk and likely Iran.

Opening Day

After less than a week on the hards getting the bottom painted, Season 14 opened when a cold front blew through. It’s the first time I’ve had to shovel snow off the boat to go sailing. The first family drove all the way from New Jersey just to sail. Shelly Ascione said, “We’ve been taking […]

Last Sail

It was a cold and dreary afternoon in late November when I took Stephen Warrick out for the fourth time, with his pal Lisa Fronkenberger. They took ASA 101 together with two other people whom they will join for a combined 103/104 that will take them three days and two nights to Cape Hatteras. Quite […]

Stuck Again

It took more than an hour for the USS Jason Dunham to transit the Coleman Bridge because it was stuck closed. Afterward, it got stuck at the end while closing. Traffic was backed up for miles in both directions. According to ChatGPT: Yes, the Coleman Bridge is experiencing extended delays due to a mechanical issue. […]

Rogue Pots

According to Chat GPT, illegal or abandoned crab pots—known as “ghost pots”—are a growing concern in the York River, with thousands being removed due to their environmental impact. The ones pictured here are not abandoned, just illegal. They form the end of a long string of pots recently dropped along the rum line running east […]

Surf Sailing

Windsurfing, kitesurfing, surfing and parasailing are all exhilarating water sports, but each offers a distinct experience shaped by its equipment, technique and environment. We got into this one day with friends of Jeanne Kushabar, a member of our Encore Sailing group. They are repeat customers who get a discount. Ron Mager used to windsurf on […]

Yorktown Update

A historian from the American Revolutionary War Museum updated the Capital Club on Yorktown’s ending days. Let’s go sail.

Sub Sighted

Two couples got to sail past a US Navy destroyer and then saw a submarine up close. Let’s Go Sail the York River.

Dog Sailors

We set out to prove that dogs on the boat attract dolphins during the summer.

Dolphins!

Dolphins! recounts a late-season show of 10+ dolphins that lasted 35 minutes long, a record. Let’s go sail.

Dog Sailors

We set out to prove that dogs on the boat attract dolphins during the summer.

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 […]