Yorktown Museum Progressing
Exactly a year ago I wrote about the confusion between the new Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia (right) and the new American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. The latter is likely to scoop the former by opening this year instead of next. This is from a news release May 31: The Yorktown Victory Center is open […]
Sailing with Zeus
On an otherwise calm day with fluctuating winds, two couples from the Midwest got to watch as the USNS Zeus came into the York River on the way to its home port at Cheatham Annex. They saw the Coleman Bridge swing both spans open to let the big ship transit. The Zeus looked beaten up […]
Sailing Past C-Span
When people go sailing on the York River, they seek a unique and fun adventure that’s also educational. Sometimes they’re surprised to see “C-Span” in the form of the Coleman Bridge swinging open to let US Navy ships pass. Every ten days or so, and sometimes as frequently as twice a day, cruisers and […]
Sailing into Yorktown History
The Museum of the American Revolution, opening in Philadelphia next year, has partnered with the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution on an ambitious artistic endeavor. The DAR will underwrite the framing and installation of a hand-painted copy of the Siege of Yorktown (1781), the subject of an optional 20-minute talk for guests on board Williamsburg Charter Sails. […]
Sail to Weather
We found out what it’s like to sail to weather. For the 16th year, the fall class of the Williamsburg Area Learning Tree assembled for the three-day “Adventures in Sailing” class. Among the returning alumni is David “Ned” Neidlinger whose career in the Air Force included intensive weather work and data collection. High up in the […]
Runaway Slaves
Runaway slaves found themselves in an unusual situation during the American Revolution. The new republic touted liberty and freedom, but this did not extend to all members of society. If they escaped the plantation they could gain their freedom from the British, and that factored into Williamsburg and Yorktown. In her new book, “Epic Journeys to […]
Sailing Trifecta of Cool Sights
Three couples from West Virginia, Illinois and Texas nearly hit the Sailing Trifecta of Cool Sights on the York River. They had never met before and had a fun time on a beautiful fall afternoon. First, they got to see a small pod of dolphins frolicking in front of Sara Creek. Two and then three dolphins romped […]
World’s Largest Sailing Yacht
The world’s largest sailing yacht is so big that its size rivals a Navy warship coming through the Coleman Bridge at Yorktown. This week the modestly named Sailing Yacht A set out for sea trials in Germany, where it’s being built for Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko. He owns the equally unique Motor Yacht A. Sources put the length of […]
Oysters in the Bay
They are comparatively few and far between today, but oysters used to clog the Chesapeake Bay. These days, we see precious few oyster men while sailing the York River. Virginia’s catch has dropped from nearly 8 million bushels in the early 1900s to half a million today. The industry began here in the early 1800s when […]
Kin to George Washington
Chris and Stetson Hoffman of Franklin, Tennessee, had a special reason to bring their friends Sam and Teddy to Williamsburg. They took a charter sail on the York River in the shadow of Yorktown, where Stetson is kin to George Washington. He won the Battle of Yorktown that sealed America’s independence. “I go back twelve generations […]
