Sailing Aircraft Carriers

Sailing Aircraft Carriers

Sailing the York River inspires old memories for Navy personnel. Mike Brennan served aboard not one but three aircraft carriers, so his recollections were mighty big. He described the experience while taking his wife Sharon and two daughters sailing on a quiet afternoon. Just briefly we saw a few dolphins in Sara Creek before the […]

Sailing from Texas

Sailing from Texas

On the very first day of their vacation in Williamsburg, Sherri and Mike Hanley went sailing from Texas. They took their son and Mike’s mother out on the first breezy day in the previous four. The winds built from the east from zero to 10 mph as the crew learned to heel the boat and tack down the […]

Commemorative Sail

Commemorative Sail

Every summer I take Nanci Bond and Ellen Janoncyzk out on a commemorative sail on the mutual day of their late husbands’ birthday. They were both named Bob. On a virtually still day with the York River like glass, we motored over to the other side of the river and all the way out to Tue […]

Sailing Under the Bridge

Sailing Under the Bridge

Traffic picked up on the York River once the winds came up for the first time in a week. That led Tom Rose to say, “I had to avoid swerving cars three times in the past week because they we’re texting behind the wheel.” No such danger threatened his crew of six who went sailing […]

Serenity Sail

Serenity Sail

Light and variable winds reduced the speed, so we experienced a serenity sail on the cooler York River. “The heat doesn’t bother him,” Cate Bell said of her husband Bob Caley. “He’s in the heating and air conditioning business.” Last week Bob hurt his hand removing a water heater from an attic, where things get […]

Best and Worst Sails

Best and Worst Sails

Cruising along the York River on a lazy summer day inspires people to recall their best and worst sails. On vacation to Williamsburg, Baron Hall of Martinsville brought his wife Allison with their son Brandon and his pal Adam Reed. I turned the helm over to Baron and found little need to explain things. Flying […]

International Sail

International Sail

Guests from different cultures graced the boat on a day of light breezes for an international sail. Few people braved the hot temperatures outdoors, but it was cooler on the York River. Angel Eller was in town from Fredericksburg with her son as he attended Robotics Camp at the College of William & Mary. “It’s […]

Sailing before Deployment

Sailing before Deployment

Three couples from nearby Langley Air Force Base took their last sail together near Williamsburg before they start deploying overseas as physicians. Two are dermatologists and three are anesthesiologists. They had a fun time sailing in gradually rising winds. When the winds subsided we sailed over to the north shore for swimming. Near the channel […]

Sailing to Raleigh

Sailing to Raleigh

What are the odds of three unrelated couples from Raleigh who’ve never met winding up on a sailboat charter near Williamsburg? “That’s not all,” said Larry Maccherone. “We live in Cary in the same neighborhood as Katie, a quarter of a mile away.” Larry and his wife Jennifer ere celebrating their 17th anniversary. As we […]

Sail on the Bow

Sail on the Bow

There is perhaps no better place than to sail on the bow of a boat along the York River. It’s a great place to contemplate life in the great outdoors as you glide smoothly through the water. You become oblivious to distracting surroundings. People often comment how serene it is to sail. Nowhere is that […]