Setting sail for access

Disabled sailors in Devon now have a third yacht on which to enjoy the ocean waves, says Sunil Peck

The Disabled Sailing Association has been taking disabled people for trips along the Devon coast since 2005.

Each trip usually lasts two or three hours and involves a leisurely cruise around the bay in Torquay, or sometimes a little further around the coast to Teignmouth. But there’s always time to tie the boat up and visit a seaside pub.

The DSA’s chairman, Dave Musgrove, says that it’s about inclusion and giving disabled people and their families the chance to enjoy the thrill of being at sea. A seasoned sailor, he says he loves the sensation of the wind in his face and the taste of the salty sea air.

Thanks to a £91,000 grant from the Big Lottery, the DSA has just bought a new large yacht to add to its existing fleet of two vessels. It has been kitted out with hand-rails, furniture that can be moved to create extra space for wheelchairs and a hoist for lifting wheelchairs on and off the yacht.

Musgrove says the larger boat is capable of venturing further afield.

“Our aim is to take people overnight to give them the experience of sleeping onboard the boat. We would like to sail to places like Fowey in Cornwall and perhaps down to the Isles of Scilly.”

Around 70 of the DSA’s 100 members are disabled but not all are trained to crew a boat. Some of the grant will be used to pay for disabled members to gain qualifications to crew the boats.

But even those who are not trained can experience controlling the boat at sea.

“They can steer the boat because it is light and easy to handle. We have a hand control so when the boat is on auto-pilot, anyone with limited arm use can sit in their wheelchair and press a button to move the boat ten degrees left or right.”

Disabled sailor Liz Thompson is a DSA skipper. She says her favourite part of sailing is the sense of camaraderie that develops. “We don’t say ship a-hoy anymore. But we all shout ‘ready about’ when the boat is about to turn and ‘lee-ho’ when it is turning.”

Thompson says sailing is a great leveller, too. “When I’m on a boat I can forget that I’m disabled because everybody has to hold on, whether they are disabled or not. It’s lovely to feel that you’re being propelled by the elements alone.”

Although the new boat is capable of sailing beyond the bay in Torquay, it could be a while before it makes a longer trip. Musgrove says one stumbling block could be finding a time when there are enough volunteers available at the same time to crew the boat.

Nevertheless, Musgrove and Thompson are excited about setting sail on the new boat and training more disabled people to crew it.

• For more details about sailing with the DSA, visit www.disabledsailingassociation.org.uk