Christmas Season Specials

 

This is a great time of year to purchase our many sailing products

One of our most popular offerings is our Learn-To-Sail gift certificates (with or without a toy sailboat to open on Christmas)... Click Here!

The Malbec18 sportboat/keelboat (has cabin) that we manufacture here in the USA. Click Here!

Our new Historical Lake Coeur d'Alene steamboat chart is still being worked on. Planned release will be July 25th at the first annual Lake Coeur d'Alene Carboard Regatta.

We have great prices on Radio-Controlled and Pond Sailboats, Kites such as Stunt, Pocket, and Floater Kites, Sailing Knives, etc. Click Here!

One can also make a donation to the non-profit Access To Outdoors to support marine access work, accessible sailing, and other projects. To donate email accesstooutdoors@gmail.com

Text 208-704-4454

Email funtosail@gmail.com

  

Race 2 Alaska 2024

Hello fellow sailors, its time again for the Race 2 Alaska (R2AK) 2024, actually I am posting a bit late as some teams have already arrived in Ketichan Alaska, the big fast boats. I actually don't really follow the big boats but the small boats, boats 20' and under, kayaks, paddleboards, small day sailor dinghies, and Hobie cats.

This year I went to watch the start of the race, actually I arrived the day before to attend the pre race party and check out many of the boats and their gear (pics and more info coming soon). I was able to talk to many of the racers. They all seemed to be down to earth, regular people who have a desire for adventure and to test their abilities, yet none of them took lightly the challenge ahead.

I will be posting pics and boat and gear details via more post shortly.

The race started at 5:am on Sunday June 6. Many of the participants were up and getting their boats ready to go at 3:am, or earlier. I got up at 3:am and about half the racers were already at their boats.

The racers I was most interested in is Team Spirit of Nevetz skipper by Ohad Shafrir from Israel aboard his 16' catamaran (X Cat); Team Tips Up skippered by John Ped & Kaila Pfrang from Colorado USA aboard their 16' Hobie catamaran; Team X skippers by Xia Huang from USA/Singapore/China aboard his Hobie Mirage Tandem Island; Team Willy Wild Cat skippered by Adam Cove from Maine USA aboard his cat boat monohull; I was going to mention a few other teams but by this writing, sadly they have all ended their attempts, Did Not Finish.

More news coming. Visit R2AK.comVisit R2AK.com

Hobie Potholes

After a couple of challenging years, it's time to get our Inland NW Hobie Cat and Small Boat Sailor club going again. This is our first event of 2024 that will include a fun Saturday distance maze race through the sand islands of the Potholes Reservoir just below Moses Lake, WA. in Eastern WA. Prizes given! In the evening we will have a beach party.

Bring your kites. This area has amazing winds.

You can come for the day's events or stay longer and camp with us. We will camp for free on the northeast side of the reservoir.

Event takes place July 27, Saturday. Camping over the weekend.

Learn more about the Potholes Reservoir by Click Here!

Post a question, etc. below...

Soggy Tandem Island

I have indicated to some of my customers that the hatches on the Hobie Mirage Tandem Island (TI) can leak. Here is a great example of that truth with a TI that is currently in the Race 2 Alaska (2023).

How do you fix this issue. For most trips you will be fine but if you are getting waves over your boat consistently that is when it becomes a problem. To fix it, one puts oil or vacylinee on the seals to make the water bead up and reapply ever so often. Tyten the forward hatch bungee. One can also put an extra seal on the forward bow cover/hatch. See the video below for these and other additional fixes. 

As we see in this video the boat is totally full of water. The sailors indicate the boat did not sink due to the outer hulls buoyancy and mostly that is true, but there is also positive flotation in the center hull that should never be removed.

Watch the progress of this TI in the Race 2 Alaska by visiting this site and also visiting R2AK.com

Ice Sailing March 2023

See Videos below

When you think of Ice Sailing one might think of those fast sail sleds on ice blades, however my wife and I sailed my Hobie Mirage Tandem Island (TI) not on the ice but in the water among the broken ice. I love the time of year when the ice breaks up enough to create channels and areas to boat in with the ice still present. I wanted to have fun among the ice before it melted. Interesting to note when we launched our TI we had to push the boat through the ice, but after a couple hours of sailing when we got back near and at the launch there was not much ice left (lots of ice still out in the lake). My wife jokes that I am such a kid about playing out on the water, flying kites, etc. Boating among the ice really brings me a lot of joy.

On a safety note, always make sure you have your PFD/Life Jacket on, dress in layers, and use a boat that is stable (will not capsize). Make sure to have your boats required safety gear on board. The most dangerous time to boat is when the water is cold.

Here are some videos and pic of our ice adventure...

- - Not much ice left - -

Make a comment...

Wind & Ice

I like to get at least one or more sails in during the winter. I also wanted to get a last sail in for 2022. On the 26th of January I took my Hobie Mirage Tandem Island (TI) for a sail on Hayden Lake, Idaho USA. I do not mind cold weather; 38 degrees was actually pretty warm for me. There was a nice breeze of around 2-5 knots resulting in low wind chill, and a nice wind allowing me to clip along at a good speed.

 

It was a solo sail with my safety gear on. The thing I love about the TI is its stable platform, allowing one to not worry much about a capsize in frigid water. Regardless I always have my safety gear on. I also like to sail with a friend or family member as being with someone is an added safety measure, but the reality is sometimes you have to sail solo, like I did on this day.

I did make a short video of this sail and commented that the lake had not frozen over in 2022. Then just a few days later the temperature droved to 20 degrees during the day and even lower of course during the night for 3 days. And bingo the lake almost totally froze over (see pics). So, 2022 ended with a cold snap and lots of ice. Good news is this new year with warmer temperatures and little ice.

Most of the lake was frozen other than this one spot in the distance.

4th day after the start of the freeze and not much ice is left. Ice came and gone. Was amazed who quickly the ice melted when the temp was just below freezing during the day.

 January sail on Hayden Lake, Idaho USA aboard my TI.

A later video from my February sail on Lake Coeur d'Alene Idaho USA aboard a new TI delivered to a customer.

2022 Hobie Mirage Tandem Island Pricing

We have 2022 Hobie Mirage Tandem Islands still in stock at $8500 while supplies last. Once our stock is sold the 2023 price is $8800. 2022 and 2023 boats are exactly the same, no changes are being made between the model years.