Len Fox says:

My son Matthew has been a member of Cowes Sailability Club for the last four years and enjoys it enormously.  Indeed he wishes the club meetings did not cease over the winter!

Matthew is very sociable and, although he communicates through ‘Makaton’ signs rather than verbally, he is able to engage well with other members and volunteers.  He has developed a new sign specifically to mean ‘Sailability’, which he puts together with his sign for ‘friends’ to communicate the club’s importance to him.

Mostly, Matthew loves to be on or near the sea and he especially enjoys trips on Cowes Sailability Club’s motor catamaran Dougal.  He finds the flat bottom of Dougal easier to negotiate than other boats and likes being splashed with sea water when on board.

In the years since Matthew first joined Cowes Sailability Club, his ability to concentrate and follow instructions has really improved.  Being at the helm has taught him to focus on the water ahead, and he has learned to listen carefully to directions from the volunteers.  Now, Matthew enjoys helming most of all and likes to encourage other members to helm as well by pointing at them and gesturing at the steering wheel with a broad smile.