Sailing / disabilities - looking for ideas

snowleopard

snowleopard

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I had a meeting with RYA Sailability and SW Lakes Trust yesterday on the subject of how to get people from our local day centres out on the water.

The problem seems to be one of chicken and egg, i.e. the necessary facilities aren't in place and we can't get the funding unless there is a demonstrable demand. On the other hand, you can't get rows of wheelchair users lined up on the shore wanting to go sailing if there are no boats at the site.

We have a need but that would perhaps mean one day a fortnight which isn't enough usage to justify the capital expenditure. I'm certain there are plenty of individuals out there who would like to sail and others who would be prepared to help, but how do we get them together?

Any ideas and especially experiences in this field would be very welcome.

Incidentally there are excellent facilities on the Tamar which we hope to use but a nearby inland site would help a lot of people for whom river sailing would be too difficult.
 
Have you tried an internet search on this. I know of one catamaran that has been heavily modified to achieve the wheelchair access, and the ex-wingsail trimaran also does this (now as a mobo!)
 
There are quite a few types of boats suitable for the purpose (of course they have to be small enough to get to the lake up a narrow lane). An interesting one is called a wheelie-boat which is like a miniature landing craft into which you can load a number of wheelchairs. There are also several unsinkable dinghies with ballast keels, adapted tris etc.

I believe that funding can be found for boats, pontoons, hoists etc. once the users and helpers are in place but until then it's pie in the sky.
 
Good Morning,

Having just read your post, i thought that you may be interested in us. I am from the Jubilee Sailing Trust, we own and operate two tall ships the Lord Nelson and Tenacious.

The Jubilee Sailing Trust (JST) was started 1978 and is one of the UKs largest sailing charities and remains the Only organisation in the world that offers tall ship sailing to everyone, be they experienced sailors or complete novices, regardless of their physical ability. The JST fosters an ethos of integration for people of all abilities, ages (16 70+), backgrounds and cultures. We strive to make our voyages accessible to everyone, irrespective of their financial position.

We can cater for all physical disablitys on board and are the only charity in the world to offer these facilitys onboard tall ships. We are heavily invloved in the RYA sailability scheme and have been the benchmark that others adapting boats have looked up to.

YOu can sail with us all year round int he UK, Europe, Canary Island and the Caribbean, we also participate tin the TAll ships race, and indeed finished 2nd overall this year, which was made evem more remarkable by the fact that we werew the only entered vessel sailing with an intergrated crew of able and disabled people

Please have alook on www.jst.org.uk or drop me an email on ian@jst.org.uk for more information.
 
[ QUOTE ]



We have a need but that would perhaps mean one day a fortnight which isn't enough usage to justify the capital expenditure. I'm certain there are plenty of individuals out there who would like to sail and others who would be prepared to help, but how do we get them together?



[/ QUOTE ]

I was under the impression that this is what RYA Sailability is all about - getting the individuals and the helpers together and making it happen, with some controls in place. Am I misunderstanding their purpose and role, or is the issue that they need additional support to fulfil it ?
 
At Sussex Sailability we mainly sail in Sports 16s and Access dinghies, but there are also facilities (second hoist for wheelchairs on another pontton) to go out in cruisers. We had the pontoons and hoists in place, almost from the start. However, something to take into account is that many of the people from day centres, etc, won't really have much interest in sailing, but like the idea of a day out, and really prefer going out in the rescue boat!
 
Yes, but they are really facilitators and cover a wide area - the whole of the South West in our case - with a very small number of people so they can't do local organization. What we need are people on the spot.
 
Might be worth contacting Dart Sailability - they seem pretty active and have what look like specially designed boats. They might know how to get things going - and not too far away from you.
 
Thanks. I'll try to get in touch when (if!) I get back. They should be able to teach us something.

Went for a trial sail in the Sonar this morning. It coped pretty well despite it blowing a hoolie so should work well for our clients.
 
One of the local clubs here does a cruise for disabled people each summer form La Rochelle to Rochefort via anchorage for lunch at isle d'Aix - then back next day. Most of the boats are 35ft plus but have no special facilities for disabled people or wheel chairs.

There is one disabled per boat - the wheel chair is on the bathing platform or similar - both ports have pontoons and they carry pontoon steps. Each boat has 3 or 4 crew and I think the disabled folks are man/woman handled on and off at each end. there is a small coach at the Rochefort end for those disabled who cannot pass the night on board.

The look on the face of them as they helm up the river - sitting behind the wheel which is what I saw was fantastic... I suspect it all took a bit of organisation and there were around 8 to 10 boats participating with the marinas at both ends supplying reserved berths in the same place to help the helpers...
 
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