Best Kids Ever Sailing

I’ve taken thousands of people sailing over the years, including hundreds of children. These were the best kids ever sailing for reasons that are at once obvious and mysterious.

Jonathan and Rebecca Torres were vacationing in Williamsburg from Sanford, Florida. Their children range in ages 8, 7, 7 (twins) and 6. It was chilly, so the USCG life preservers came in handy for warmth. They were bright, cheerful, energetic and well-behaved. Naturally they were excited about the outdoors fun off Yorktown and on the water, but they minded their mom and didn’t whine or wander.

I asked Rebecca how she and Jonathan did it. “Well, they do play well together. A big word in our house is kindness. How would you feel if someone behaved mean to you, or was a bully to you?” They asked a lot of questions and interrupted each other in the process, and it was delightful. They marveled at the pelicans zooming across the water with their wings a mere inch above the surface. We saw osprey for the first time this season, too, and I showed them how they build their nest.

Grew up in Spain

Jonathan is an attorney in general practice. “I lived in Europe growing up. I was born in Spain as part of the first generation after Franco died. Spain then became a democracy because his heir Juan Carlos ‘betrayed’ him by hold elections.”

We got to talking about the American Revolution and how Spain contributed. “Spain supported America with gunpowder and armaments and supplies, but no troops. The weaponry from Spain was considered crucial to the cause. Historians say that if the Americans and French didn’t have Spain’s help, they might have lost the war.”

He grew up in Madrid and his family had a summer place on the Atlantic coast at Galacia. The family returns now and then, but they’re committed to America.

Boating story

Jonathan once defended a fellow who took someone water skiing. “They went past a boat and allegedly made it turn over and capsize. Luckily the judge was a former Navy man and he found it ridiculous that my client’s boat could do that. So we prevailed. I learned more about boating during that trial than I ever knew beforehand.”

At the end of the day, the littlest one, Maggie, shook my hand and said, “Have a nice day.” Then they were off to Yorktown and the next adventure.

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