Spoktopia Outdoor Festival

On July 8 we... FunToSAIL and Sail Sport NW (sailboat rental business) participated in the annual Spoktopia outdoor event festival where one can come to try out sail, kayak, paddle board, mountain bike, rock climb, etc. One can walk through the event for free but if you want to try any of the activities there is a $5 participation fee that allows one to try almost any of the activities. There are some activities that have an additional fee.

For this event we had one Hobie Wave and 4 Hobie Tandem Islands for people to come and try out. We had wind off and on throughout the day allowing the Wave to be sail most of the time. The Tandem Islands of course was a big hit due to the Mirage Drive allowing them to move through the water no matter if there was wind or not.

If you missed this event this year no worries as FunToSAIL and Sail Sport NW will participating in this event again for 2018, and for the foreseeable future. This will be our annual Spokane Demo event. Learn more about Spoktopia at this link... http://www.spokatopia.com/

Small Boat Sailing Class

These are pics from our September Small Boat Sailing Class. It was a light wind day but warm and enjoyable. October 7^th, Saturday is our last Small Boat Sailing Class of the year... there is still room so sign up fast. It's crazy to realize another summer is over.

Click on pics to enlarge

Comptip Removal

Have you ever wondered how to remove an old comptip

Click on image to enlarge

mast top (fiberglass mast top) out of a Hobie 16 mast? Basically what I do is lay the mast on the ground and cut most of the comptip off, then I lay two heat guns (on full heat setting) on either side of the mast next two where the two sections meet and turn them on at full power. The heat will weaken the old glue. I wait for the metal of the mast to get real hot (caution do not touch the mast) and put on thick leather work gloves so if I accidentally touch the metal I do not get burned. I also tie a line to the base of the mast and to a solid immovable item. Then I take a chisel and rubber mallet and start hammering at an angle and away from the metal mast section. After a few hits the old comptip will start to slide out and then totally be out. Once you have done this you can prep the inside of the mast (clean it out) for a new comptip. It's a simply process but if not done right the job can be a nightmare.

Brand New Hobie 16

The Hobie 16 is the only catamaran build of fiberglass by Hobie. All the other sailboats built by Hobie are made of roto-molded plastic. Seems fiberglass is becoming a material of the past. Still the Hobie 16 continues to be the largest multihull racing class in the world and also still a favorite by many for recreational sailing, especially in the surf... no catamaran handles better in the surf than the Hobie 16... 50 years and still going strong!

New 2017 Hobie Getaway

Here are some pics and video of the new 2017 Hobie Getaway. Compared to the older 2016 Getaway, the new boat is one foot longer, has more durable forward trampoline, and the big change is the new wave piercing bows. So the new Getaway is a little faster, slices through waves more efficiently, etc. And sailors that know the old boat say the new boat is sexier looking with its new colors and hulls.

ASSEMBLY

LAUNCH

SAILING PICS COMING SOON!

VIDEOS - MORE VIDS COMING SOON

Sailboat almost sinks

Just this last May I helped a friend with his small Keelboat. We planned to sail from the north east end of Hayden Lake to the West boat launch, about a 7 mile sail. We ended up having to moor the boat at a friends dock because it was getting dark and the boat had no running lights. Some logs were tied to the dock that had been removed from floating freely in the lake, as they were a boating hazard. We tied the boat to the dock with the logs between the boat and the dock with fenders down. Not thinking the logs would be an issue the following day on our return we discovered it was an issue as the boat was half way sunk and if it had not been for the flotation in the boat it would have sunk. It was discovered there was a metal spike in one of the logs, that then put several holes in the hull. The fenders that were suppose to protect the boats hull had slipped on top of the logs thus allowing the logs to rub up against the hull. So the moral of the story, do not tie up to logs because even if they appear smooth, they may not be. We were able to temporary patch the boat and sail it to the launch.

Click on pics to enlarge

Seeking Sponsors and Funding

ATTENTION those interested in improving access to the water for those with disAbilities.

I am currently seeking sponsors and funding for two projects that need to get done very quickly. On June 10^th we participated in the Outdoor Experience event at Bear Lake, Spokane County for persons with disAbilities, an event designed to introduce persons with disAbilities to various outdoor activities. We brought my accessible/adaptive sailboats to this event. During this event two big needs were discovered... 1. Need backrests on one sailboat to accommodate more people with higher levels of mobility limiting disAbilities. 2. Need to build an adjustable and portable water-ballasted base for our C-Crane/Transfer Lift to more easily move people in and out of the boats.

Cost of #1 is $850 and #2, is about $1000. All donations are tax deductible via Access To Outdoors. I have about 3 weeks to get this done as these items are needed on July 29^th for the Ski and Sail Fest on Clear Lake, Spokane County, WA.

On another note we received a new Hobie 16 catamaran sailboat donation to be named the late Scott Bailey. We can now attach our adaptive wing seats (Trapseats) to it. In addition we were able to acquire a second Hobie 16. So we now have two new adaptive sailboats added to our fleet.

After accomplishing number 1 and 2 the next step is to purchase two adaptive trunk support seats.

We have received great support for our accessible/adaptive sailing program and outdoor access projects. We hope in the near future that our programs will develop into a permanent funded program with facility.

To donate contact Miles Moore at accesstooutdoors@gmail.com or call/text 208-704-4454