By Daniel Cobbs
Photography by Alun Callender
I thought boating was all about floating gin palaces, white-gloved crew and wearing the correct attire – until the moment I unloaded the Honwave from the back of my car. Before that, the closest I had come to boating was a ferry crossing and a pedalo ride.
Now, not only was I about to captain my own boat, but I had to build it first. I say ‘build’, but I really mean ‘inflate’.
Easy to inflate
You see the Honwave T27-IE is an inflatable, the sort of thing that needs just a little manpower and a small amount of foot-pump action to ready it for use. Surprisingly, it took only a matter of minutes – and not too much sweat – to transform it into a seaworthy vessel, ready for launch and my maiden voyage.
Daniel gets to grips with his Honwave inflatable
My knowledge of outboard motors is on par with my sailing experience. Nonetheless, getting the lightweight BF5 four-stroke outboard started was exactly as I had seen portrayed on the silver screen a hundred times before: a pull on the starter cord, a twist of the throttle grip, and I was a seafarer.
How difficult could it be to skipper? Not very, it transpired. The Honwave seems to be designed for the novice and experienced sailor alike and, constructed as it is from a hard-wearing PVC, it is suitable for a wide range of uses.
First-time skipper
As this was my first time as captain I kept well within sight of land, but I’ve no doubt the Honwave would have dealt well with something a little more challenging than the gentle ebb and flow of the River Adur. After all, its deep, V-shaped hull is there to ensure stability and directional agility, which was more than adequate for my inaugural cruise along this pretty stretch of Sussex waterway.
Even though the Honwave is as functional as any other motor boat, it remains an easy thing to control. The steering is intuitive and it took no more skill than directing the outboard motor towards a general bearing for the Honwave to obediently follow orders. It was uncanny how quickly this boat gave me confidence and dispelled my initial trepidation.
A peaceful ride which doesn’t disturb wildlife such as swans
Within minutes, I had been converted from a nervous and cynical landlubber into a not-quite master mariner, and I was starting to enjoy myself. Other river users gave me friendly waves as I passed by, and I found myself reciprocating, as we sailors do.
Quiet motor
I viewed the Sussex countryside from a completely different perspective, with nature, quite literally, at my fingertips. The quietness of the BF5 outboard didn’t seem to disturb the various species of wildlife I encountered along the way, either – swans majestically swam on by, not giving me or my boat a second thought.
As Ratty said to Mole in The Wind in the Willows: ‘There’s nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.’ I now totally concur with those sentiments.
