Disabled Sailors Association

Disabled Sailors Association

Mike Wood of the Disabled Sailors Association reminds us that the ocean sailing season will soon begin.

The Spirit of Scott Bader, the wheelchair accessible catamaran based in Portsmouth, starts its season in April. People with any type of disability are welcome, along with carers, family or friends.

All the controls on the yacht are accessible and people who want to take the helm will be shown how, and encouraged to do so.

You can find out more on the website www.disabledsailing.org (external link will open in a new browser tab or window) or call Mike at 07541 754 196.

Below is Mike Wood’s blog about how acquired disability opened the world of sailing to him.

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Serious injury leads to sporting success

This guest blog has been written by Mike Wood MBE, founder of the Disabled Sailors Association. He was severely injured in a motorcycle accident in 1978, damaging his spinal cord, which resulted in paralysis from the chest down and life in a wheelchair. Something that he hasn’t allowed to slow him down.

I quickly found that a serious disability closes many doors but also offers a new world to explore or in my case exploit and develop for use by my peers.

The people I have to thank for helping me along the way would more than fill a page.

During my rehab at Stoke Mandeville Hospital I was persuaded to take up sport. I really enjoyed it, and I became National Archery champion, as well as representing Great Britain in Shot, Discus, Javelin and Triathlon, winning many International Gold medals.

I retired British Record holder of all those events.
 

Then I discovered watersports…

Angling was next on my list, and the difficulties of getting to the waterside in a wheelchair got me involved in constructing lakes with paths, and organising overseas angling holidays for disabled people.

From there, I discovered dinghy sailing, which opened a whole new world for me.

In 1989 I was introduced to cruising yachts; a weekend cruise in an unconverted yacht.

That weekend changed my outlook on life for ever, as it has done for so many other people. You either love or hate sailing. If you love it, then you cannot put into words the emotions the sea brings out in you.
 

Accessible sailing turned out to be not quite

I tried to go sailing on my own, but found that the organisations that the public think provide ‘sailing for disabled people’ actually have little or no provision for the less mobile disabled.

I also found that many other disabled people would really like to sail but were refused, were ignored, could not afford the very high costs of some organisations, or simply could not use the toilets on boats.
 

“Something should be done” – so I did it!

Many times I had heard people say ‘something should be done’, so I decided I would ‘do something’. I would design and build a yacht that ANY disabled person could go on.

I never dreamt how difficult it would be. At first I was frustrated, then I became angry, and then I became very, very determined.

It took two years to do the research and form a charity, the Thomas Morley Trust Disabled Sailors Association (DSA), and a further two years to raise the funds, before Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal honoured us by launching the first of our yachts.
 

Disabled Sailors Organisation: world’s first fully accessible oceangoing yacht

Funded by Grant Making Trusts, I designed and built the world’s first completely wheelchair accessible (RoRo) ocean going yacht, ‘Verity K’.

She has changed many peoples lives and taught us many lessons.

Then using all the experience we had gained over five years of providing real sailing for disabled people, in 2000 I designed and built the amazing Ro-Ro catamaran, ‘Spirit of Scott Bader’. Both yachts are a stunning success.

More than 30,000 disabled people their families and friends have now sailed with the RoRo project! And I have raised nearly £4,000,000 for charity.

RoRo Sailing Trust (part of the Disabled Sailors Association) is still the only organisation that both has the facilities, and will let individuals with any type of disability use them.
 

Always finish what you start…

Since starting RoRo in 1992, I have been sidetracked many times, really enjoying helping other people with their projects for disabled people, or developing ideas that other people have started.

These activities would fill a book, but I would like to impress on you that I always finish what I have started. Sometimes it takes a very long time, but the trick it just to keep going, try and do one thing every day towards your goal.

Because of the success of my yachts I am constantly being asked to ‘do something’ about dinghy sailing for disabled people. And so, since 2003 I have been developing dinghies.
 

Sailing dinghies that work for everybody

I have made certain that these dinghies are very attractive to both able-bodied and disabled people of any age group, with a view to integrated sailing.

Helpers and carers can now take part in the activity rather than doing all the work and then having to be a spectator.

I have now developed three new classes of sailing dinghy, a pontoon system and a set of rules.

All dinghies can be rigged as basic trainers and are very, very good in this respect.

Alternatively, they can be rigged for serious competition and are superb race boats, capable of racing in any conditions. None will sink. Two will not capsize, the other is very difficult to capsize.
 

Expertise and know-how developed over the years

From being exclusively ‘disabled’ initially, the Disabled Sailors Organisation quickly learned the enormous benefits of integrating able-bodied and disabled people. So now we just insist there is ‘a disabled person’ in the crew.

We also organise the races and “come and try it” days. For the latter, we do not waste time and effort with advertising, we simply invite individuals or organisations to come and sail in the boats.
 

Where can you find the DSA dinghy sailing base?

Politics, red tape, patronisation and the weather made me set up our main dinghy sailing base in Southern Spain.

Low cost flights – £50 return is possible – easy to find accessible accommodation, great weather and one of the best sailing places in the world.

Everything the DSA does is subsidised, so people can afford to use the facilities. Nobody is patronised, and any disability is welcome.

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Further reading and resources

External links will open in a new browser window

You can read more about the Disabled Sailors Organisation on their website, www.disabledsailing.org

Fundraising for the children’s cat

Wheelyboats provide wheelchair accessible motor cruising on inland waters – We have some information here

 
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