Seven Strangers, One Yacht and a Sailing Adventure
Seven strangers met on a boat on a Sunday afternoon. None of us really knew what to expect from the next few days. There were four young people, all under 25 and all with visual impairments. The three older people were there to support us and enable us to take part in the sailing experience.
It was a really good age group for the younger people, and we were given time to chat and find out about each other. Even though we were still tied to the pontoon, the wind was already blowing the boat around! Our comfort zones had definitely been breached. But it was lovely to meet new people who we could share this experience with. Because it was such a small group, we quickly got to know each other. Before long, we were talking about our previous experiences and having lively conversations about all sorts of things.
The crew with Amber taking a selfie to be included in the photo, standing in front of the UKSA yacht hired by VISA-GB for the Solent trip.
Finding Our Sea Legs
After dinner, we settled down for the night in our cabins. In such a small space, we could hear everybody moving about before eventually settling down to sleep. It’s also unbelievable how things manage to go missing in such a small space!
The next morning, after breakfast, we were going sailing. It was great fun, especially as the boat tilted in the strong winds. We were all involved in pulling ropes and learning what was happening on the boat. To keep us safe, we put a reef in the sail to make it smaller. There were lots of boats on the water, all trying to get out of the river and into the Solent. We had already started laughing a lot. We discovered that we all enjoyed laughing at ourselves and with each other, and that we all had a good sense of humour. It made the whole experience much more relaxed.
Blog by: Zehra Yunel
When Lunch Went Sailing!
At lunchtime, some of us went below to get lunch ready. We sliced cucumbers and prepared the filling for rolls. We prepared a little too much cucumber and a bit too much tuna and mayonnaise. That turned out to be a mistake! During a fast tack, the cucumber, chopping board and dish of tuna were suddenly propelled across the boat, while the plates went flying everywhere and everything splattered all over the floor. It looked like a perfect murder scene, if only there had been a bit of ketchup as well! It was far too slippery to move around and clear it up, so we decided the safest thing to do was sit on the bench and laugh about it. After another few tacks, we decided the safest option was to put everything in the sink and sort it out later!
Lymington and a Well-Earned Ice Cream
Eventually, we got the boat to Lymington, where we were staying for the night. After cleaning up the boat, we all went ashore for ice creams. We also took the opportunity to use proper toilets, just to flush the tissues away! We all slept well after a delicious dinner on board.
A Very Different Day
The next day, we were up early again. We then had to wait for a little more tide to come in before we could leave. After the strong winds of the previous day, there was hardly any wind at all. So, we had a chat and decided to make the most of the calm conditions. We played around under the engine and learned how to tie some sailing knots. We all took turns practising steering. It was so calm that we could steer nearly wherever we wanted to. It was great to feel the movement of the boat and begin to understand how it responded to the helm.
Seven Strangers, Many Memories
What started with seven strangers meeting on a boat turned into an experience full of laughter, new friendships, learning and adventure. We had strong winds, calm seas, sailing skills to learn, knots to master, and a rather memorable incident involving cucumber, tuna and mayonnaise!
Most importantly, this experience showed that, as young people with visual impairments, we can actively participate in sailing, learn practical skills, take the helm, make new friends and have an amazing time doing it.
Thank you for letting us take part in this experience. I really hope it is the start of many more sailing adventures for many more young people with visual impairment.
