Orphans Sail
In perhaps the most significant sail of my life, I got to take out 12 orphans from the Milton Hershey School. Broken into two 2-hour sails with six boys each, they got to learn how to sail the York River off Yorktown and to enjoy the luxury of cruising on a beautiful June day. Their […]
Nautical Chaos
Dozens of deadrises and hundreds of observers on land and sea mingled during the annual Battle of the Boats off Riverwalk Landing. It was hard to determine who won after several heats. The next day offered a unique contest to see how fast a deadrise can go in reverse while docking. Tradition Revived The Yorktown […]
Big Winds & Big Noise by Navy
I’m sometimes asked, “What’s it like to sail in big winds?” Adventurous, but the winds come and go. On this day, big winds for days suddenly calmed by the time Debbie Kremer of Arizona brought her beau Bob Wickley of San Antonio to sail the York River. We quietly tacked back and forth near Yorktown […]
Beginners Guide to Sailing in Virginia’s Tidewater Region
Virginia’s Tidewater region is one of the most welcoming places in America for new sailors.
History You Can See from the Water: Yorktown by Sail
Some places tell their stories in museums. Yorktown tells its story in the wind.
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Siren Sail
While observing a US Navy ship in dock, Navy patrol boats zipped past while one had its siren screaming. Let’s go sail.
Kamal Returns
Kamal Returns identifies the Kamal Nyckel as the state tall ship of Delaware, visiting Yorktown. Let’s go sail.
York Rescue
Three people were rescued by the Abington VFD when their small fishing boat capsized Saturday morning near the entrance to Sarah Creek on the York River. Later, the Conservation Police towed the wreck off the river. Running Aground Doug Drummond has sailed numerous times with Let’s Go Sail and recently reported on a boating accident. […]
Sub Sails In
Sub Sails In recounts how a Navy sub glided quietly into the Yorktown Naval Weapons Station.
Opening Day
Within 72 hours of Opening Day, a Chicago family got to see a US Navy warship come into Yorktown.
Navy Twofer
We got to see two Navy warships transit the Coleman Bridge in one day.