Great Day to Learn Sailing
The 17th annual spring sailing class of WALT rose to the occasion in rising winds that started flat and grew to 15 mph over the course of a six-hour run. Under the guidance of Williamsburg Charter Sails, the class learned the three reaches of sail. They got numerous and extensive turns on the helm as the […]
Missiles Come from Yorktown
It’s debatable if President Trump should have ordered 59 Tomahawk missiles fired into a military airbase in Syria. Early reactions are that it was a good strategic move for the gas attacks on civilians. One can also debate whether he has the authority in such an adventure, though LBJ set that precedent in the Gulf […]
American Revolution’s Next Battle
In a remarkable coincidence, two similar museums are opening this month on the East Coast. Except that they aren’t comparable. Think of it as the American Revolution’s next battle. After a soft opening last fall, the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown opened officially with hoopla and major speakers. As it stands majestically overlooking the York River, the place […]
Growing Up Cruising on Chesapeake Bay
Everyone has a recollection about their childhood boating experiences. Valerie Axel recalls fondly growing up on Chesapeake Bay as a continuous adventure. She related her story while sailing the York River with her husband Neil on a magnificent spring afternoon. “We spent the summers cruising the Bay in my father’s 48-foot Chris Craft. He was […]
5 Lessons Learned Sailing on the York
Having not sailed since he was 14, Scott Lints took his wife and four children sailing on the York River while on vacation. He did quite well, thank you. Here are a few lessons learned from his big adventure. Always steer directly into the wind to raise the sails, less pressure. In rising winds, start with […]
12 Secrets to Ocean Sailing with Kids
Repeat customers are a joy because they were obviously pleased the adventure the first time. This time, two teachers from Central Virginia went sailing with a vengeance because he’s about to go to sea. And today was his birthday. Robert and Elizabeth Hale-MacKinnon teach eighth and fourth grade respectively at the Charlottesville Waldorf School, in the Montessori […]
Belonging to the Army
With great anticipation, a large area behind the $50 million American Revolution Museum at Yorktown opens shortly as a reproduced army camp, complete with female interpreters. They cooked, cleaned and cared for the troops. The following excerpt from Holly A. Mayer’s “Belonging to the Army: Camp Followers and Community during the American Revolution,” introduces the different […]
Best Kids Ever Sailing
I’ve taken thousands of people sailing over the years, including hundreds of children. These were the best kids ever sailing for reasons that are at once obvious and mysterious. Jonathan and Rebecca Torres were vacationing in Williamsburg from Sanford, Florida. Their children range in ages 8, 7, 7 (twins) and 6. It was chilly, so […]
Sailing Past Navy Destroyer
While on a weekend getaway from Washington, DC, Dave Ramish took his girlfriend Ilana Freedman sailing for some outdoor fun off Yorktown. They hit the jackpot by observing a rare Saturday departure of a Navy warship from the Yorktown Naval Weapons Station. We set out with anticipation after a chilly, drizzly morning into clearing […]
Season Opener
People ask, “How early does the season beging?” We begin in mid-March for hardy sailors who can tolerate the chill on the water. For the season opener of Let’s Go Sail in 2017, Hannah and Jeff Davis drove up from the Danville area of Virginia to take their daughter Haylee and her friend Bella sailing […]
