Sand-sailers are the primary form of transportation used by the Sandbender Tribes.^[1] While not ideal for transporting large amounts of cargo or great numbers of people, the sand-sailers are agile, handle nimbly, and can traverse great expanses of desert wasteland quickly and with minimal effort.^[2]

History Edit

After Ghashiun and his friends kidnapped Appa, Team Avatar was forced to cross the Si Wong Desert on foot. While walking, Toph discovered a sand-sailer when she accidentally kicked it and felt the vibrations run through it. This sailer had been buried under the sand by Appa when the bison sneezed after flurries of sand agitated his sinuses.^[3] Aang quickly excavated the boat with his airbending so the group could use it to traverse the desert more quickly. Instead of using sandbending to propel the sand-sailer, Aang provided a strong gust of wind to propel it.^[4]

When Aang later learned that Ghashiun and the other sandbenders were responsible for the kidnapping and selling of Appa, he entered the Avatar State and destroyed the sandbenders' sand-sailers.^[4]

Design Edit

Sand-sailers are light crafts made of wood and equipped with runners that slide across the sand. A sail is attached in between the runners to catch the hot, wild desert winds. The sandbender pilots use their bending to help steer and propel the sailers by creating whirling columns of sand which generate wind. Naturally, an airbender can also propel the vehicle by creating gusts of wind.

Every vehicle is equipped with a compass that is orientated to the Si Wong Rock, as it is the magnetic center of the desert. Using that focus point, the sandbenders are able to navigate through the ever shifting dunes of the desert.^[1]

Trivia Edit

• Sand-sailers look very similar to catamarans, a type of multi-hulled boat.^[2]

References Edit

See also Edit

• Technology in the World of Avatar
• Transportation in the World of Avatar