Dsylexia and Skippering a Yacht

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jackho

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I have a friend who has bought a 35ft sailing boat and has this condition.
He is a very competent dinghy sailor and sailing the bigger boat is no problem.
While he has many compensating characteristics he cannot read a chart plotter or pilot books etc.
My question is - are there any resources avaiable re: "Talking charts" etc that could help.
Perhaps 3D charts ?? Also can anyone offer their experience on this topic?
This is a serious thread so can I ask your to respect the sensitivity of this issue in your response.
 
A freind of mine sails her little Contessa single handed, cross channel and all over, she is an extreamly competant skipper but does have a problem with dsylexia, I believe she learnt by mainly listening to her instructors, and asking for explanations, the charts are not too much of a problem as they as symbols and pictures.
Pilot book information can be found online, where it can be adapted to larger font, and separating out the information line by line, giving the brain and eye a chance to process it bit by bit.
I believe there is a thread from a few years ago that goes into good detail. PS forgot to mention, a lot of computers can be set to read out the text on the screen, I know mine does
 
send me your details via PM. I cannot help myself but a friend who is a sailor herself is very much involved in the field of dyslexia, she may well be able to help, but I will have to forward either yours or your fiends details and leave it up to her to contact you.
 
The problem with dyslexia is there are so many way ways it affects you. Some have the letters jumping around others its more recovering information from the brain quickly and in the correct order.

I have been diagnosed as dyslexic and so far got up to rya offshore I hope to do the ocean this year. I am reluctant to do the theory by correspondence but may have to this year (see my other postings)

I carry idiot sheets on board for the rules of the road, sound signals radio channels (yes I have a VHF licence). There are ways around the problems. As for tides I download the necessary graph from easytide. I would think charts would be ok but have the symbols key on a sheet printed large.

Again if they want to talk to someone in the same boat then please pm me

Why is dyslexic so hard to spell?
 
I am sure I watched a program a while back and the people trying to help sufferers were making progress with colour filtered lenses for some dyslexics. I think yellows and reds... Did I imagine this?
 
DogWatch said:
I am sure I watched a program a while back and the people trying to help sufferers were making progress with colour filtered lenses for some dyslexics. I think yellows and reds... Did I imagine this?
Click to expand...

Spot on- I did a case study for one of the nationals... must be at least 15 or so years ago... about a lad from North Lincs who was given glasses one with a red lens and one with a green... and this sorted his reading out. He had previously been diagnosed as dyslexic.
 
Yes some dyslexic such as my self have jumping letter syndrome strangely enough my brother who is also dyslexic doesn't. When I was assessed for my disabled student grant before going to uni the chap who assessed me reckons that black print on a white background is the worse combination I have found that reading through a green tint is best for me but my cousin finds that blue is better for her.
The programme that I use on my computer to read back to me is called read and write very user friendly my version is an early one which sounds like a robot but my brother's later version was vastly improved he managed to get it reading with a devon burr!
 
It is almost impossible to give a simple answer because of the great variety of problems that dyslexia causes. Several members of my family ( me included) are dyslexic and my sister runs a school for dyslexics in Ashford where she also asseses and tells me that to do a proper assesment takes very many hours but that this is the only sure way to help an individual.
 
yup

jackho said:
I have a friend who has bought a 35ft sailing boat and has this condition.
He is a very competent dinghy sailor and sailing the bigger boat is no problem.
While he has many compensating characteristics he cannot read a chart plotter or pilot books etc.
My question is - are there any resources avaiable re: "Talking charts" etc that could help.
Perhaps 3D charts ?? Also can anyone offer their experience on this topic?
This is a serious thread so can I ask your to respect the sensitivity of this issue in your response.
Click to expand...

I am mildly now, Dsylexic. word kind, It takes me time to read stuff unless they are words I know well. Charts are not a problem, My spelling is ****,
For the Chart plotter , he may need someone to read the word until he starts to recognise them, depending on how his brain works.
 
I have had some thoughts, Assuming that the sailing part is covered, what would I do with regards to navigation: Use carts more that a plotter. The main problem may be lights for a light fl R(3) 30s 15m 16M Stick a red sticker at the side of the chart (level with the light for quick finding) with 3 dots spaced as described (for quick flash close together etc). The range can be drawn on the chart at the location.

For the symbols have an identification sheet with photos of the thing ie a photo of a port buoy next to the symbol

For tides: it will depend on were you sail. Have green amber red <1kn, 1-3kn, >3kn for flow. This can be done on the chart tidal stream or a separate piece of paper

Compass:. I have a mark on the 7 degree west on the portland plotter so I do not have to add subtract for deviation

Depth: a lead line with 5m and 10m clearly marked (or your desired anchor depth)

I hope this helps if you have a specific problem then let me know and I will try and come up with something.
 
BlackPig said:
I have had some thoughts, Assuming that the sailing part is covered, what would I do with regards to navigation: Use carts more that a plotter. The main problem may be lights for a light fl R(3) 30s 15m 16M Stick a red sticker at the side of the chart (level with the light for quick finding) with 3 dots spaced as described (for quick flash close together etc). The range can be drawn on the chart at the location.

For the symbols have an identification sheet with photos of the thing ie a photo of a port buoy next to the symbol

For tides: it will depend on were you sail. Have green amber red <1kn, 1-3kn, >3kn for flow. This can be done on the chart tidal stream or a separate piece of paper

Compass:. I have a mark on the 7 degree west on the portland plotter so I do not have to add subtract for deviation

Depth: a lead line with 5m and 10m clearly marked (or your desired anchor depth)

I hope this helps if you have a specific problem then let me know and I will try and come up with something.
Click to expand...

Some very good ideas there I will be useing myself. I've got dyslexia too although some things have took longer to learn I too have managed to sail many thousands of miles
 
My son is dyslexic and did his Yachtmaster at UKSA, he actually received funding from the EU because of his dyslexia to do the course. Try contacting UKSA I would think they would be able to offer advice.
 
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