Best money spent on an attraction the whole vacation! It was peaceful and relaxing. This was my first time on a sail boat, and it was the best experience. He will even teach you the basics of sailing! You can drive the boat! Captain Bill provides the history of the area and even recommended other things to see and do. Could not ask for a better experience. This deserves a repeat! Captain Bill makes the entire experience from booking, to paying to getting on and off the boat the best imanginable. No detail is too small for his attention. From the night before and morning of weather report, to the pictures he took emailed the next morning. Amazing service! read more

Our sail with Captain Bill was superb. We opted for the 'history' sail and got far more knowledge than we ever expected, both about the events surrounding the Battle of Yorktown as well as sailing in general. Captain Bill was kind enough to let this landlubber take the helm so I received an introductory sailing lesson thrown in! Bill is a superb sailor as well as historian who will provide you with a very memorable afternoon. Our friends from Maine who have been on many a sail were thrilled with the experience as were we. How true the old saying "The joyous time is when the breeze first strikes your sails, and the waters rustle under your bows." read more

While vacationing in Williamsburg with my long ago college roommate (class of '72), we decided to spend our final day together relaxing, while sailing on the York River with Captain Bill. It was a perfect end to our reunion. My friend jumped at the chance to steer the boat and had a ball. There were two more people aboard and conversation flowed freely. Captain Bill was a very hospitable host, and he shared a bit of colonial history with us. It got a bit windy and chilly, and a second layer of clothing was needed despite its being a perfect September day. In planning the excursion, Captain Bill stayed in touch with needed information. read more

Do yourself a favor and book a sail with Captain Bill. My husband and I sailed with Bill yesterday, and it was truly the highlight of our visit to Williamsburg. We happened to be the only couple on the morning tour, and Bill encouraged both of us to take the wheel, which we did for most of the trip! What a thrill! Bill's knowledge of the historic water battles along the York River (and beyond) were amazing! We needed that peaceful, relaxing day on the water, after spending the previous day fighting the crowds and the heat at Colonial Williamsburg. The sailboat is beautiful, clean and comfortable. We'll be back again!! read more

What a time! Yesterday my wife and I had the pleasure of joining Captain Bill on his boat. It was a beautiful day on the open water, with a good strong wind, a real highlite of our trip to Virginia. My wife had read great review here on yelp, and they were very accurate, when I spoke to Bill prior to settin sail I told him of my interest in revolutionary history, and he tailored our trip to my interest. I learned about the naval battles of Yorktown while sailing along the coast of the battlefield, I learned a lot and had a great time. Two thumbs up! read more

We always have an AMAZING time sailing the river with Williamsburg Charter Sails. Captain is extremely knowledgeable about not only sailing but also the river and Historic Triangle area. This is a great way to see the historic York river. A variety of packages are available and are surprisingly affordable. You absolutely do not need to be an experienced sailor, but if you are up for it, the Captain might let you take the helm and teach you the basics. Bring lunch and enjoy a beautiful day on the water! read more

So wonderful !!!!! Captain Bill is awesome - he just is - and you can have whatever you want for a sailing experience ! Do you just want to sit and enjoy ok Do you want to understand your sailing experience and be hands on - ok. Do you want the history of this beautiful and historically significant place - ok. Your Captain entertains it all! Personally I just liked feeling unstressed with good people, good conversation in a beautiful vessel and locale! Thanks Cap! Lisa Walters read more

Sailing was on my bucket list so when I saw the add for Captain Bill I gave him a call. The trip was great! We learned a bit about sailing and my husband got to steer the sailboat so that was pretty neat. We also learned a lot about the battle of the Capes. The weather was perfect and the boat was the perfect size to get a feel for sailing. We were out for three hours and enjoyed every minute. I highly recommend this activity while in the area. Cathie L. read more

Captain Bill is a knowledgeable and friendly tour guide. On our tour, a school of Dolphins showed up in the middle of one of his great stories. He noticed that his 'sailors' were taken with the Dolphins and he suspended his story until they left. I believe his greatest strength as a guide is in understanding his clients and giving them a personalized experience within the confines of a sailing adventure. Captain Bill gets an A+ !!!! read more

We had a great time! We had a family of 6 consisting of 2 teens, their parents, and their grandparents and everyone (young and old) really enjoyed the trip! Thank you Captain Bill for allowing us to enjoy the afternoon on your beautiful sailing vessel. We enjoyed the ride, the scenery, and of course the fun conversation! We live locally, but don't get out on the water nearly enough... this was a real treat! Thanks again! read more

Found Capt. Bill O'Donovan on the internet and booked a morning sail for 3 hrs. on the York river. Great day of sailing. I am a fairly experienced sailor, so Capt. let me sail most of the trip. We even put out a spinnaker sail, a new experirnce for me. Capt Bill is a good sailing companion and very knowlegable. Plan to sail with him many more times. Beautiful 32 ft. Hunter sailboat that was very clean. read more

My wife and I had a fabulous time with Captain Bill. The boat is in pristine shape and Bill brought the battle of Yorktown to life with detailed stories of both the sea battle as well as the battle of Yorktown itself. He also allows passengers to steer the boat while under sail which is quite enjoyable. The 3 hour sailboat tour with Bill is by far the best and most relaxing way to experience Yorktown! read more

Wonderful sail on the York River with Captain Bill! The winds were brisk and gusty, which made it exhilarating for all! Bill is a fantastic teacher, both of sailing, for those who are interested (you are not required to try) and of the history of Yorktown. The dolphins we encountered were a perfect ending to our sail!! I highly recommend this adventure to anyone who loves the outdoors and history!! read more

This is an awesome experience. The sailboat seats up to 6 people. Captain Bill is fabulous. My family and I took the history tour. You get a history lesson for the first and last 20 minutes of the tour (in total, about 3 hours). It was wonderful. I highly recommend if you want a fun river excursion. We saw a lot of dolphins too. Some of us even got to steer for awhile. Really, a wonderful experience. read more

Bill is a skilled sailboat captain AND a polished raconteur. His Yorktown & Battle of the Capes descriptions made the land and sea battles come alive as we visualized the history. A close encounter with 2 schools of dolphins was an unexpected surprise for all of us. No better way for couples or a family to spend a truly relaxing afternoon on the water. read more

Great experience! My girlfriend and I had a wonderful outing with Capt. Bill. Great breeze on a clear day. We brought wine and cheese and enjoyed the picture perfect afternoon. We learned a bit about sailing and let us steer if we wanted to. I would highly recommend this experience. We even saw dolphins!!! read more

Great 3-hour sail on the York River, 8/8/15, with Capt. Bill O'Donovan of Let's Go Sail. Five of us enjoyed his Hunter 32 on a day of historic wind and weather, best in years. Relaxing as well as exciting; made us want to do this again. Glad to hear this trip is available in the fall too, up to Thanksgiving. read more

What a great experience with Captain Bill! We had the boat to ourselves as the other guests had to cancel. My husband pretty much had the best 1:1 experience with the Captain. Bill was very knowledgeable and helpful when it came to all aspects of sailing and the area! Thanks so much for a great day! read more

Fantastic day on the water with Captain Bill. Our group consisted of 2 adults and 2 teens, we were all thoroughly entertained by the sights and history conveyed by Bill. The boat is beautiful and comfortable! It was a great change of pace from the hustle and bustle of the parks. Highly recommended! read more