Tiwal 3 review: Joe, from Boca Raton – FL

My name is Joe and I live in sunny Boca Raton, Florida.

Which Tiwal model do you have?

A Tiwal 3 small sailboat and I’ve had it for five months now.

Where do you sail?

I sail on the Atlantic Ocean just across the street from my condo.

Single-handed or double-handed?

Sailing so far has been solo to first learn the ropes. However my first mate Battia, also known as my soul mate is eager to join in on this adventure so it’s fantastic to have something new to do together.

How do you store your Tiwal?

Storage has worked out very well because of how all the pieces of the Tiwal fit in just two bags. These bags are easy to handle and we simply keep them in the condo storage locker. It’s not a big storage locker and we still have space for many other things because the storage bags are stored vertically.

How do you transport your Tiwal?

We’re fortunate that the Atlantic Ocean is just across the street from our condo and the distance to the beach is about 500 feet. To make it super easy to transport the Tiwal to the beach, we use a two-wheeled wilderness system like heavy-duty kayak cart that you can easily order online. The width of the cart fits the Tiwal bags perfectly one bag on top of the other, tightened with straps around the bags and the cart secures everything together but the trick is having the bags simply balanced on the cart makes it very easy just to hold the handle at the end of the Tiwal bag to simply push or pull the cart to the beach.

How is it going so far?

It’s going great! Better than great because when the weather and the wave heights are all proper, we get out sailing in just less than a couple of hours from storage locker to beach (sailing session included ;-)).

Which characteristics did surprise you?

Many years ago, I sailed at 27 foot tanzer and what surprised me was all the physics of sailing has still remained the same even though our lives have changed and things like that since then. However the Tiwal’s reaction is very quick and thrilling which is a perfect contest because likely the reason for having a Tiwal is to further spark that adventure that you’re seeking in life.

What is your best memory with your Tiwal?

The first sail from Boca’s beach to Deerfield pier: the turquoise color of the water, the wind, the warmth of the sun, the smell the salt air, seeing where all the coral reefs are below and when coming about, capsizing because of my slow shift of weight moving from one side of the Tiwal to the other because I was just drawing too much of nature ; but having capsized was a great learning experience in dealing with what one might call a crisis. It’s simple to get back on track by a focus on using the physics of your weight with the Tiwal to right side the vessel. That really boosts your confidence in learning about the finer art of sailing a Tiwal. Another great memory is when the Tiwal is on the beach: chatting with all the people walking along who stop to look and ask questions about the Tiwal because it’s so unique. You get to know about where people are from, if they have sailed, what they’re up to and their wishes for us to have a wonderful day on the water.

Where would you dream to sail on your Tiwal?

Our dream to sail the Tiwal would be the Caribbean, when staying at a beachside resort because we can be together discovering something new from a different perspective and having nature move us along in a vessel that does not burn fossil fuels.

Thank you Joe!