Sailing with Visa-gb in 2025
Mallorca, May
Milford Haven, June
Plymouth, July
Cross Channel, July
Solent Cruise, September.
Trip One: Mallorca.
Dates Saturday 10th May to Saturday 17th May. Location, Port de Pollenca. Cost £810, which includes transfer cost to and from Palma Airport. Please note this trip is self-funded and is a part of the fund raising project with James Barlow and his run around the island. Travel and other matters will need careful coordination, you will need to cover your travel cost to and from Mallorca . To get more details please contact Dee Jones, membership@visa-gb.org.uk
Trip Two: Milford Haven, Wales.
Dates, Friday 30th May to Friday 6th June. Location, Neyland Marina, Milford Haven. Cost £385. Thanks to the generous support of the Thomas Pocklington Trust we are able to offer this trip at just £55 per day, this includes all your food onboard. You will need to cover your travel costs to and from Milford Haven. To get your name on the list please contact Dee Jones, membership@visa-gb.org.uk
Trip Three: Plymouth.
Dates, Friday 20th June to Friday 27th June. Location, Queens Anne’s Battery, Plymouth. Cost £385. Thanks to the generous support of the Thomas Pocklington Trust we are able to offer this trip at just £55 per day, this includes all your food onboard. You will need to cover your travel costs to and from Plymouth. To get your name on the list please contact Dee Jones, membership@visa-gb.org.uk
Trip Four: Cross Channel.
Dates, Wednesday 23rd July to Tuesday 29nd July. Cost £330. Location, Southampton or Cowes, please note that the boat is based in Cowes so this is the start point of the voyage. On previous trips the skipper has arranged to bring the boat to Town Quay, Southampton as transport links are very easy. Firm pick up arrangements will be made closer to the time depending on crew location. To get your name on the list please contact Dee Jones, membership@visa-gb.org.uk
Trip Five: Solent Cruise.
Dates, Monday 8th September to Sunday 14th September. Cost £330. Location, Southampton or Cowes, please note that the boat is based in Cowes so this is the start point of the voyage. On previous trips the skipper has arranged to bring the boat to Town Quay, Southampton as transport links are very easy. Firm pick up arrangements will be made closer to the time depending on crew location. To get your name on the list please contact Dee Jones, membership@visa-gb.org.uk
How to book:
You’ll need to email membership@visa-gb.org.uk stating which trip, or trips, you are interested in please state your preference, e.g, first choice and second choice. If you want to talk to Sue Hogge, our membership secretary, give us a call: +447767717440
Please note the following:
- All participants must be reasonably fit and able to climb stairs, getting on and off a boat can require large steps up and down. The sighted crew are there to help guide but not lift.
- Weather, if the weather forecast is for bad weather we will not sail but there are plenty of things to do around the boat and we are often moored near places we can visit.
- To secure your place you will need to pay a deposit, to read our refund and notes on insurance please scroll down or use this link to take to a separate page with details: https://visa-gb.org.uk/our-aims/
- All our trips rely on us having suitably qualified volunteers, in the unlikely event that there are none available the trip would have to be cancelled. If this does happen you would receive a full refund but we would not be able to refund any cost of travel. All our volunteers give their time free of charge and we are grateful to them for helping us make our sailing possible.
Kit List:
If you are sailing in the UK you need to prepare for all types of weather, so make sure you bring the following:
Waterproof Jacket & Trousers, Warm hat & Sun hat, a good base layer, a fleece or other warm second layer, a ‘necker’ warmth around the neck, warm socks, if you are doing a lot of sailing a good pair of sea boots is a wise investment. A spare pair of non-marking shoes in case one pair gets wet.
The sun does shine so make sure you bring sun tan lotions, dark glasses, a Sun hat or cap, a
long-sleeved t-shirt and shorts.
Sleeping, a sleeping bag & pillow. Wash kit and towel. Shore side clothes and a few changes if clothes but don’t go mad as we need to keep luggage to a minimum. If you have a soft bag with wheels rather than a suitcase it’s best as storage is at a premium. Please bring a tea towel and a couple of clothes pegs, there are never enough onboard! Any questions about the kit please ask your skipper or call Sue on +447767717440
Do you need experience?
Yes & No! First of all, we need to know if you do have any experience of sailing, maybe in dinghies or yachts, if you have great if you haven’t then no problem. We’ll make sure that there is always a good mix of people on the boat so the experienced sailors can help those who just want to have a go. Visa will make sure that we get you on the right trip, a gentle cruise with regular stops is better for the least experienced while the ones who’ve done it before might go cross-channel or do a bit of racing. Don’t worry if you’ve never set foot on a boat before as every sailor takes great pride in helping someone new to this wonderful pastime.
What does it Cost?
We aim to make every trip good value for money, we can’t give you an exact figure but so you can budget you should reckon on between £50 & £70 per day, racing can be more expensive due to extra boat costs, this depends on sponsorship, boat costs etc. Remember that includes all your food but not your travel to and from the boat. Great value and we hope you agree. Just so you know we are not in this to make money and every penny goes on the trip and no one gets paid! Payments: to help spread the cost and make it easier to budget we are now happy to receive three equal payments, first a deposit to secure your place, one payment 8 weeks before the trip and the final four weeks before your trip.
BOOKING, CANCELLATION AND INSURANCE POLICY
When a participant expresses an interest in booking one of our trips they should, if they wish to secure a berth, pay a deposit that is equal to 33% of the total fee of the booking. To help spread the cost we then require two further payments of 33% eight and four weeks before the start of the voyage. You can of course pay the full amount up front which helps our cash flow!
If the participant wishes to cancel after they have paid the full amount we will offer a refund only if we can find a replacement to take on the booking. If we are unable to find another person to take their place we will not be able to make a refund.
If the participant cancels before paying the full amount i.e. before the eight & four-week deadline then they aren’t liable to pay the balance but they won’t be eligible for a refund of the deposit if we are unable to find a replacement.
If the participant has symptoms of or has been diagnosed with an infectious disease or infectious illness they should not take part in the trip. This will apply, for example, if they have tested positive for the coronavirus and have been advised to self-isolate. We will not be able to provide a refund unless we can find another person to replace the participant.
It is, therefore, important that anyone booking a trip with us takes out travel insurance, which should include medical and cancellation cover. There are specialist sailing companies that will provide cover.
If the Association cancels or postpones the trip, for example, because of government advice, participants will be eligible for a full refund including the deposit. In the case of a trip being moved to another date a participant who wishes to secure a place on the new date will be able to do so with the amount they have paid.
Updated: March 2022
Past Trips – 2024
2024 Sailing Calendar
February Update
| Sea Vision Scotland, sailing from Largs |
Sea Vision Wales, Milford Haven Sailing Week |
Dates for UKSA Boats for Solent based trips, inc Round the Island.
First every trip for 18 to 25 year olds from Chatham.
May 2024:
UKSA Boat from Cowes, Volunteer Training.
Dates 19/05/24 to 23/05/24. Start & Finish in Cowes.
This is our first volunteer training session, using experienced visually impaired sailors to coach our new volunteers on the do’s and don’ts when sailing with the visually impaired. Designed to be fun sessions with a serious purpose we will go through boat familiarisation, safety procedures, docking, sailing and the rest. Volunteers will learn not to talk with their hands and the benefits of calm descriptive instructions. No need for gloves as your hands will be in your pockets!
June 2024:
UKSA Boat from Cowes for Solent sailing including the RTI.
Dates: RTI 12/06/24 to 16/06/24, Start & Finish in Cowes.
Possible Extra Cruise 17/06/24 to 20/06/24. Start & Finish in Cowes.
Sail training ahead of the world famous Round the Island Race which is held on Saturday 15/06/24. Our experienced skipper and crew will get you sharpened up ready to race, it’s going to be a fun trip with a serious aim and will be suitable for a blend of experienced and novice sailors. The RTI program starts on Wednesday 12/06/24 and finishes on Sunday 16/06/24, for four nights onboard, the RTI cost is just £200. If you fancy having a go please get in touch, the cost is £50 per day which covers all your onboard food, mooring and fuel costs.
If we have interest we will then offer a short 3 night cruise starting on Monday 17/06 to Thursday 20/06/24. Cost £150. Please note to meet the charitable aims of this UKSA boat preference is given to anyone living in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.
June 2024:
Scotland, Sea Vision Scotland, updated the cost with very many thanks to the Thomas Pocklington Trust
Dates: 01/06/24 to 08/06/24.
7 days. Start and finish at Largs. Back on the West Coast of Scotland, a four-boat flotilla, eighteen berths, pontoon parties and plenty of sailing during the long hours of day light. Thanks to the support of TPT the Cost is now just £350 which covers all onboard food and associated boat costs.
July 2024:
Cross Channel or Dartmouth on a UKSA boat from Cowes
Dates: 12/07/24 to 19/07/24. Start and Finish in Cowes
Weather dependant but the plan is supper in Cherbourg or tea in Weymouth, it all depends on which way the wind blows! Whatever happens, they’ll be an adventurous plan and, as it’s cruising, and ideal trip for first timers and old hands. Cost £50 per day which covers all onboard food and other boat costs. Get on to Sue to book your space. Please note to meet the charitable aims of this UKSA boat preference is given to anyone living in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.
Day Sails and short Cruises on a UKJuly 2024SA boat from Cowes
Dates: 27/07/24 to 10/08/24.
Never sailed before, want to try? This is your opportunity as we have a boat for two weeks so will offer you the chance to have a day trip or an overnight trip. What better way to learn something new, make new friends and give yourself the chance to experience life on the ocean waves! Details of how this trip will work are still being planned but we know we will base the boat at Southampton giving easy access so if you are interested please get in touch and join other new visually impaired adults who want to try sailing. Find out how to book below.
August 2024
Chatham the Medway and Thames.
Dates: 09/08/24 – 18/08/24
With the generous support of the Powell Family Foundation we are delighted to be able to have our first ever trip from Chatham. Please note this trip is for visually impaired adults aged 18 to 25.
Location: Chatham, Elite Sailing, Chatham Maritime Marina, Leviathan Way, Chatham, Kent, ME4 4LP.
We have charted a yacht for nine days, the trip will be broken into three day sections to give the maximum number of participants a go at sailing. You will be on the boat for three days & nights. There are sighted volunteers onboard who are qualified sailors and experienced in sailing with visually impaired adults. Their role is your safety and to make sure you get the most out of this opportunity.
Dates:
- Trip 1, Start Friday 09/08/24 at 4 pm to 10 am 12/08/42.
- Trip 2, start Monday 12/08/24 at 4 pm to 10 am 15/08/24.
- Trip 3, start Thursday 15/08/24 at 4 pm to 18/08/24.
Cost: Thanks to the grant from The Powell Family Foundation the cost is just £25 per person plus your travel costs to and from Chatham. All your onboard food and drinks are supplied, we talk about food, travel, clothing and all things sailing during pre trip zoom meetings.
We sleep on the boat so you will be sharing a cabin, you’ll need to bring sleeping bag and pillow, again all of this is talked through well ahead of the trip.
We eat onboard the boat and a part of the Visa-gb ethos is for everyone to be involved in selecting the menu, cooking, washing up and keeping the boat shipshape.
You do not need any experience of sailing to take part, you do need to be reasonable fit and able as you will be involved in all aspects of sailing and living on the boat.
If you’d like to talk to us please call Sue, our membership sec on 07767717440 or pop an email to: membership@visa-gb.org.uk
Milford Haven, Sea Vision Wales
Dates 30/08/24 – 06/09/24.
7 days. Start and finish at Neyland Marina. For the third year running, we return to marvellous Milford for another week cruising in company, two boats booked so far with a third on the horizon. Cost £490 which covers all food onboard and associated boat costs.
