Learning about the sail boat

Our first sailing excursion was great! Lonnie and I are completely blind, but that did not slow down our learning curve for the small vessel we were about to set sail on. Actually this approximately 18 foot 2016 Hobie Tandem Islander can be sailed, paddled or pedaled. Wow! You have some options with this boat. The Hobie does have a expensive price tag brand new, but is well worth it if you are going to spend a lot of time sailing in the sun.

The Hobie is quite simple and easy to operate. Two people can climb aboard and the vessel can be captained from both seating positions. You have a centerboard control, rudder control, pedal drive system and two rope lines to manage the sail. Forgive my sailing terminology, I am still a young sailor wanna be in training.

We took charge and examined the boat, combing it from bow to stern with our hands. After we figured out where everything was located, we worked on learning the operation of the rudder, center board, mast & sail and pedal drives. The boat has 3 floating parts; 2 pontoons and a main center hull. The pontoons stabilize the central hull where the seats are located. Trampolines are stretched between the hull and pontoon on both sides of the center hull, providing a place to sit or stand when sailing. This style of boat configuration is commonly known as a trimaran and is very stable. Stay tuned for the next part of the sailing voyage!