Inflatable Sailboat Frustra...

I've now owned a sailboat for about 2 months. In this time I learned some sailing terms, some sailing maneuvers, and a lot of sailing frustration.

My first boat is a Kaboat 14 with a removable sailkit from SailBoatsToGo.com. It's the deluxe version, bigger sail, bigger leeboards. I have to be honest - this thing does sail. And it does pack into bags, which is the main reason I bought it - so I can tow my RV and bring a boat. It takes about 30 minutes to put together, which I find to be fairly reasonable.

The bad news boils down to these:

1. It only sails well downwind. It can't really point - I'm not sure if that's because it's a raft, or because the sail doesn't let it, or because I lack the skills to make it do so. But the end result is a 170 degree no-sail zone. In other words, if you go downwind, you can't really come back - instead, you tack, then you tack, and each time you lose all the ground you gained.


2. Even downwind, it can only go so fast - 6mph is about as fast as it can even go in very strong winds, and 2-3mph is all I can expect in typical winds where I sail. This one is definitely all about the boat - with a 4HP outboard, the boat can go about 8mph with 2 people (10mph with one), all while bouncing around like crazy. The amount of wake it produces even during low speed sailing is phenomenal


3. This setup lacks blocks and cleats - so you have to hold the mainsheet at all times. My arm gets tired.


4. This setup lacks a true rudder - you steer with an oar, to which you must apply a good deal of force. My other arm gets tired

In short, it's not ideal. The last time I was out on Lake Hopatcong I was making my slow and wakeful way back to port, surrounded by heeling HobieCat's. The catamarans were flying around me in circles, seemingly unaware that the winds were mild and suboptimal. It took about 2 weeks for me to start considering an upgrade seriously... and the search for the perfect catamaran began.