A sailboat that you can store in your coat closet? Sounds like a dream come true, or a toy your kids would play with on the weekends. But no, an inflatable sailboat is completely real and all grown up.
If you’re looking to get into sailing and know nothing about it, the inflatable sailboat is a good place to start. It’s lightweight, easy to store and even easier to use. When it comes to rigging, there’s hardly a boat out there that’s easier to set up. Here are two different brands and models for some inflatable sailboats we wanted to feature.
1. TIWAL
This is the inflatable sailboat that everyone is talking about. It’s fast enough to race, safe enough for children, easy to set up and light enough to carry. It can be stored in a small space and it’s simple enough for beginners to learn on. We’ve heard even experienced sailors can have some fun on the water with this boat. TIWAL won the Best Innovation award at the 2014 Boat of The Year contest by US magazine Sailing World. Watch the video below you can see how easy it looks to set up and sail. We can hardly wait to try it out for ourselves.
Specs: CE norms / Cat. D, Length : 10.5′, Total weight : 111 lbs, Maximum load : 418 lbs,2 adults or 1 adult + 2 children, Sail area : 56 sq.ft / 75 sq.ft, Maximum load on the wings : 1 adult / 220 lbs, Airtight compartments : 2
2. Aquaglide Multisport
Starts out as a sailboat, but can be modified for kayaking or windsurfing. It can seat 1-3 people. It’s easy to set up and perfect if you are just learning to sail. Kind of amazing that a sailboat can be modified into three different sports using the same equipment. One thing not pictured here is they say it’s great to tow up to two people or can be used as a small tender.
3. DinghyGo 2 Inflatable 3-in-1 Sailboat
This 3-in-1 is a slightly different version of the above sailboat, but every bit as comparable. Watch this video as you see the crew unpack and set it up all within about 10 minutes. Not bad when it takes us at least 12 minutes to set up our Hobie Cat 16 once we get to the lake, (and that’s our fast recorded time ever). And at the end of the day you simple reverse the process and tuck it away in your storage closet at home. Not too shabby for a relatively low cost and upkeep and several fun days on the water.
Specs: The boat packs into a 66-lb (30-kg), 44 x 26 x 16-in (1.12 x 0.65 x 0.40-m)
Those are cool. I would consider the cat-sailor to pack on a Cataract Canyon or Grand Canyon trip. Sail Utah!
What about the french famous Tiwal ?
We’ll have to do a followup article about the Tiwal. It looks pretty cool, I want one! http://www.tiwal.com/us/