Being a member of Cowes Sailability Club gives stroke survivor Richard a positive reason to leave his house.
I’ve just finished my first season as a member of Cowes Sailability Club and I will definitely be signing up again next year. It’s been a great summer, during which I’ve had the opportunity to experience sailing, go on motorboat trips and even spend a day on a 36-foot wheelchair-accessible yacht.
Having survived a stroke, I have impaired mobility and use crutches to get around. Many outdoor activities like rambling are not an option for me anymore. Being in a boat with Cowes Sailability Club, however, is a great leveller. On the water, I’m the same as any other sailor and can get the same pleasure from speeding through the waves and experiencing the closeness of the sea.
I live on my own so being a member of Cowes Sailability Club gives me a reason to get out of the house. I am making friends and meeting lots of new people, many of whom have far more challenging circumstances than my own. When I have Cowes Sailability Club trips and events on my calendar, I have something exciting to look forward to.
The club is extremely safety conscious and really looks after the members out on the water. On each Drascombe sailing boat there’s always a skipper and mate, and out on the water there’s always a commander and crew in a motorised rib support vessel.
I found out about Cowes Sailability Club through a chance conversation and I’m just so glad that I got in touch and got involved.