A coworker recently bought a Beneteau First 35 so my wife, son, and I joined him and his wife one day after work and spent four hours tacking back and forth across the Rappahannock river. We launched from Urbanna and made 3 laps for about 14 miles. The wind was pretty light the whole time, but it was great to be out on the water.

I’m not sure my son sat down for longer than 30 seconds the entire trip. He explored from the bow pulpit to halfway up the bimini frame and every inch down below. Towards the end he made a game where he would jump off the port side cabin roof, grab the traveller on the way down, and swing around to the starboard cockpit side. He must have did that 20 times in a row.

It was an all around beautiful afternoon and it was dark by the time was made it back to the dock. I steered for two of the three laps and motored us back into the marina. I enjoyed the boat, although it was wildly different than my small boating experience.