Don from Hampton, Virginia

My name is Donald, and I live in Virginia, in the United States.

Which Tiwal model do you have?

I have a Tiwal 3R.

Where do you sail?

I sail in what is essentially a harbor, the mouth of a bay. It’s salt water, not a lake. We go out straight from my back property.

If I go to the east, it opens into the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and then out to the ocean. I don’t sail in the ocean; I stay within this harbor. It’s four miles across, so I have plenty of room. If I go to the west, it goes up the James River towards Richmond.

I have plenty of room for sailing right behind my house, which is tremendously convenient.

What was your experience before Tiwal?

I did have some, but it was fairly limited. For the last two summers, I’ve crewed on bigger sailboats: a 30-foot Catalina that a friend owns, and a 34-foot R sailboat used for competitive racing. I crewed on that, but I was not the skipper on either one.

I’m 63 years old. When I was a teenager, I grew up in this area and did some sailing on Hobie Cats (16-foot), Sunfish, and other smaller boats.

I wouldn’t consider myself an accomplished sailor; I’m somewhat new to it. The Tiwal has been very exciting for me because it can be applied to all levels. You can be an expert and enjoy it, and for me, having limited experience, it’s still phenomenal fun. It works on all levels, and it’s something that I can grow with. I can see that already.

Single-handed or double-handed?

So far, it’s all been single-handed, though I do hope to sail double-handed. I bought it with the idea of being able to sail with two people from time to time, maybe my wife. I have several friends that want to go out with me.

There’s something to be said for being the only person on there, but on windy days, it would be nice to have more balance, and I think you could get additional performance with two people. It’s something I plan to incorporate in the very near future, as soon as I get a good opportunity with some friends.

How is it going so far?

I’ve taken it out several times, and it’s a wonderful experience. The boat is as advertised. It’s great and convenient to put together right on my property and take it out in the water.

It’s extremely responsive to sail, and that’s been wonderful. I got the reefable sail, so for me, it’s been a bit of a learning experience figuring out when to use the bigger sail versus the smaller sail. It’s been an absolute blast.

What characteristics surprised you?

The speed. It accelerates when I tack, for example, changing to a broad reach, and the boat just takes off. That was a shocker to me, and it still is. When I’m on the boat, tacking, and a little gust of wind hits, the thing just zips with shocking acceleration.

Compared to bigger boats, they’re just a lot more sluggish. I’ve just never been on something with this responsiveness to the wind. Frankly, it’s a thrill.

What is your best memory with your Tiwal?

There are a lot of good memories. If I think of one, it was probably a day I went out when it was very windy and the water was very choppy. My wife was visiting friends a few houses down on the shore, and she didn’t know I had the boat out until she looked out her window and saw me sailing by in the swells.

I think she was a little frightened because it was quite rough. To be honest, I did capsize but was able to right the boat again. So, I think she was a little shocked, but for me, it was just great fun.

It was a challenge, and I learned a few things. I probably pushed myself to the limit, not the boat to the limit, and am continuing to learn. But just being out in that weather and having the boat handle it so well really stands out in my memory.

Where would you dream to sail with your Tiwal?

Maybe off of France. Take it to its homeland to be able to sail there. That would be a dream; I love going to France, and that would be great for the boat, too.

But even sailing where I am right now is a dream. Just being able to go out here… I have great conditions. Sometimes it’s calm with a light wind and very flat water; other times, it’s like a full-on gale. Right now on the East Coast, we have a hurricane not too far away, so we have choppy water. I have all kinds of conditions I can