SC396 Inflatable Sailboat, First Use, Round Valley Reservoir

This is a video of my brand new SC396 inflatable catamaran sailboat from boatstogo.com. This was the first time I had taken it out and my first impressions is that it is great! It fits in the trunk of my standard size sedan and inflates to a very large 13'. It sails great too- the first part of the video shows me going into the wind (not directly, of course), but it seems to tack very well.

The wind was not very strong this day- the weather report indicated 7mph. Just imagine how fast it can get moving in higher winds! It is also really easy to inflate/assemble- the sail goes together like a camping tent, with shock-corded poles, and the boat simply rolls out and blows up. Considering the other products on the market, I'm surprised that I don't see more of these out on the reservoir.

I really like that the mast is supported by stays connected all around the boat- I don't have to worry about strong winds bending the relatively thin mast. This in turn allows the rigging to weigh less, making the whole package easier to transport.

Stay tuned for some videos of usage in higher winds!

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Inflatable
• Sailboat
• Round
• Valley
• Reservoir
• Sailing
• Boatstogo
• Boatstogo.com

[Riles246]

@Riles246 a few more tacks than a boat with more keel. This isn't a huge issue- just today I was out and there was a wind blowing directly away from the launch area. I eventually made it back, but it took me longer than it would have in a boat with larger keel/rudder surface area. Don't let me worry you, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it - I love this boat. It folds so small but is so stable and large when inflated, there isnt really anything on the market that compares.

[Riles246]

@blindcyclops It handles very well. For the most part, it sails just like a sunfish, with a few minor exceptions. It is much lighter than any other sailboat, so it picks up speed quickly but also loses it very quickly (very little inertia). This doesn't really matter for a sailboat though. The rudder paddle works very much like a tiller on other boats. The only downside to this boat is as you suspected- small leeboard surface area. It WILL sail into the wind eventually, but requires....

[blindcyclops]

Nice video. Thanks for posting. I've been considering getting one of these too. How does it handle? How's the steering with the paddle? Does it respond well? Do the paddle leeboards keep it tracking straight?