Sailing the Open Sea
Two wonderful ladies with exciting jobs went sailing on a serene afternoon along the York River. Chanda Ings celebrated her partner Janell Smith-Ings’ birthday, and Janell took it well. “Hooray, I’m 40!” she exclaimed from the bow. Janelle teaches dance for the Governor’s School in Norfolk and is an adjunct professor of dance at the […]
Sailing with Merchant Marine
Sometimes the conversation tops the sailing. Such was the case with Chris and Cheryl Wolf of Jacksonville, recently of Philadelphia. We set sail along the York River on a sunny morning of rising winds that eventually died down. As we got to talking about backgrounds, Chris said, “I was the creative director for the […]
A Hessian Diary of the American Revolution
In 1777, Johann Conrad Döhla journeyed from present-day Germany to fight alongside the British Army during the American War for Independence. He was one of the about 20,000 German-speaking troops, collectively referred to as “Hessians,” hired by King George III to help defeat the American Revolutionaries. Döhla fought from New York to Virginia and kept […]
Bridge Inspector Goes Sailing
If the wind is right, you can sail under the Coleman Bridge. While proceeding out Sarah Creek into the York River, a fellow asked if we could do just that. I was puzzled since the bridge was barely in view. Then he explained. “I was the chief bridge inspector on the job 15 years ago […]
Sailing Past Ospreys
Even as the sailing season continues to rev up, osprey season is winding down. They arrive in May to build their nests in one week. They have their fledglings in June and teach them to fly and fish in July. By August, they’re out of here on the way to South America. Banding of osprey […]
Boating Stories, Good & Bad
Stephanie King stopped off in Williamsburg from North Carolina on her way to Alexandria to take her two children sailing. “It’s the first time he’s been on a boat since the accident last year. He was evacuated from the water and spent five days in ICU,” she said of her son Alek. “A big motorboat […]
Ice Sailing Is Fastest
I once wrote an article for the Colonial Williamsburg Journal about the origin of ice skating. It began on the Hudson River in New York, where wealthy aristocrats took to speeding alongside trains on the coast—and beating them. Steve Brown had a similar experience growing up in Michigan. He took his wife and daughters sailing […]
Sail Army
Some men have their heart set on buying a sailboat as a life-long dream. No wonder, since sailing is a magnificent adventure that is too frequently interrupted by life. Seldom do I encounter a woman who wants a boat for her husband. That was the case with LJ and Allen Offord, who drove up from […]
Sailing Fast in Big Wind
After a weather front passes, we get a day or two of brisk winds blowing 12-18 mph and gusting to 25 on the York River. The operating procedure is to reduce the sail space by reefing, in my case rolling the sails out only halfway. The boat can run on one sail half reefed, […]
Sail past Navy ships
Nearly every week, except during the holidays, US Navy ships ply the York River to and from Yorktown Naval Weapons Station. They arrive usually on Monday around noon and depart Thursday or Friday morning. These ships are magnificent to see coming over the eastern horizon from Norfolk Naval Base. I manage to sail out toward […]