Start sailing
"If you want to know about sailing: sail a small boat".
In a small boat, you can feel the acceleration from the mast, the lean of the hull and the tug of the sails. It's quick to learn because you are tuned directly into the forces affecting the boat. Oh yes and it's direct, instant fun.
Gain some great skills
With the controls labelled and laid out in front of you, in our boats you will be sailing quickly and gaining good knowledge. Chris has been teaching people to sail for 20 years and will have you zooming around very soon.
Mobility inclusive
Frustrated by the inclusive sailing boats available and the need to use most of them with a fixed hoist we have developed our own sailing canoes.
Easy to access via slide board, transfer sling or portable hoist on the land before being slid onto the water. Here is a fast, agile, accessible boat that individual users can afford to own.
Couple this with a wheelchair-accessible rescue boat, fully accessible changing room, showers and cafe — a near-perfect introduction to sailing for people living with a mobility disability.
Open to non-disabled partners and children - they will have a blast too - you don't have to use mobility aids to come. Adventure should be playing together with your favourite people.
No need to be a Sailing guru
Perfect for the first try of sailing: safe, exciting and easy to understand. Worried about confusing names and many pieces of rope? We label our strings and use standard English!
For anyone who would...
Like to have a blast sailing small boats.
Like to know that scheduling and teaching are geared towards facilitating their mobility needs.
Like to know they will have access to suitable facilities when they get here
Having a blast behind the mast
A weekend of fun, not lectures
Making canoe sailing accessible without losing any of the thrill of sailing.
This weekend is about practising the basics, trying out a very different craft and whizzing around the lake. If you want to learn to sail and get a certificate of ability - we can arrange this on the back of the weekend.
The boats
Many boats and options - adventure for all levels and needs
Our stabilised Sailing Canoes with outriggers
We would like to say we developed the best, most exciting, affordable and accessible sailing boats, but we didn't. Sailing canoes have been an international racing class for many years, it's just that no one realised how great they are for people with limited mobility.
They are fast, exciting, and challenging boats to sail, but they are also very accessible.
Right from getting in, the Canoes make things easy because you can board on dry land by wheeling right up to them and transfer by your preferred method. Slide boards, our transfer stools or self-transfers get you in quickly, efficiently, and safely.
The Canoes also typically fill with water (but don't sink) rather than capsize so you can push your luck and have an exciting sail without the challenge of dealing with a capsize.
The outriggers (external floats) do the balancing so the sailors can stay in their preferred seating system: aqua back watersports chair, standard chair, bench seat, whilst sailing.
You face forward so there is no need to twist to see where you are going and only one hand steers so you can choose your preferred side.
These are great boats and great fun to sail we love them and think you will to.
Facilities, what's included and accessiblity
All equipment, lunch, access to showers/toilets and instruction is included. Parking is free to National Trust Members
The main base is located at National Trust Fell Foot Active Base and is approximately 30 minutes from junction 36 of the M6.
The site has dedicated parking, level access to the cafe, a changing place with shower bed and an accessible changing room with toilet and shower.
Bring your friends, this is a great weekend and it's inclusive to all including the ambulant, and they will have a great time too.
Supportive Seating
Because canoe sailing is forward facing you can sit in a suportive seat to sail, these vary from a bit of back support to a high backed lateral support seat
Lead back controlls
Rather than have people move to the sail controlls the ropes are lead back to a control board (in two of the canoes) so that everything is in reach for general sailing
Making Canoe Sailing Inclusive
How we adapt canoe sailing to your needs
We can't list everything here but below is a summary of our top enablement tools.
Loos during the day
We sail from our base island with built-accessible loos on the island - so you can go before. Whilst out and about we can carry portable loo and privacy shelter that can be set up in all manner of places including inside the support boat itself and wherever we have lunch in less than 10 minutes. Often though we transfer back into the powerboat, anchor the canoes and blast black to the base.
Freedom the drop front powerboat
Our drop-front powerboat makes canoe sailing possible for people in so many ways. Self-transferring sailors can transfer in and out of the boat by pulling the canoe inside the boat. This means we can launch from anywhere the boat can get to and we can get off the canoes no matter what the environment.
We can wizz to good sailing areas and guarantee that we can make it back to the launch points and camping spots.
We can rescue you from the water with minimal impact on your body by essentially flaoting aboard and then rasing the floor.
We can come over to help with an awkward sail or stuck rope.
Radio Guidance
The radios in each boat make it easy to communicate, to be able to hear what's going on and avoids unnecessary shouting.
Canoe Sailing: Accessibility Information
Vision
We can also offer a dedicated Visual impairment needs edition
Suitable for all those who can perceive and identify objects 100m away unsupported
Or bring a friend
Or ask about a volunteer guide
Controls are laid out on a fixed rack to make them easy to identify
We can coach by radio to help guide and interpret the conditions
You can bring along a water happy guide dog
Great sailing is as much about the other senses than sight - you can feel, hear and sense the boats reactions to make adjustments to sail well.
Cognition
We also offer dedicated cognitive needs days
Suitable for those able to self manage without dedicated support or who bring a dedicated helper
Or bring a friend
Participants should be capable of understanding and be able to follow instructions consistently - most sailing safety comes from some core rules. If not, please bring a dedicated helper
All of our boats can accommodate a dedicated helper.
Mobility
The sailing canoes are designed to maximise ease of access
The Canoe Trimaran has seating options but you need the ability to sit upright without being strapped in
To steer you must have good motion in at least one arm
You do not need to be able to manoeuvre quickly or dash around
To drive the powerboat (currently), you must be able to bum shuffle
Seating in the Canoe trimaran and Powerboat can be in a supportive watersports seat
Facilities
Wheel on Powerboat
Transfer Stool
Level Access Cafe, Eating areas and routes
Auditory
Suitable for people with most auditory impairments that do not require signing to communicate
Or bring a friend
A BSL assistant instructor is occasionally available
We have radios and T-loop transmission units to aid hearing when separated or the wind hinders hearing
Canoe Sailing Info
May Dates and Costs
2 days adventure
Meet: YHA Ambleside 10:00
27 - 29 June 2024Drive away: 17:00 each day
£388 per person
What is included?
All technical equipment
All camping equipment
All meals
British qualified Sailing Instructors
Use of showers, locker and toileting facilities
What do we actually do
Enter, launch and recover the sailboats
Learn to handle the sails and steer
Learn to turn the boats around in both directions
Learn to sail in any direction
Try different boats
Experience pushing the boat too far
Sounds great - let's do it
Request signup fromI’ve got more questions
Ask a question or call usWe love questions, please pop anything you would like to know here and we will get back to you asap
or give us a call on 01539 310041
or drop us an email on info@anyoncan.uk
Not quite right, need different dates, want control of the itinerary or want to save money by filling your own trip?
We love commissions, requests for alternate dates and requests to make specific adaptions - in fact, we would not exist without them.
So please, if you like what you read but it's not quite there or you want something different, do get in touch and we look forward to hearing from you.
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European Start up Funded
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Anyone Can: Connecting Transport Hubs to Lake Shores - Accessible Canoeing
Purchase of an accessible powered support and rescue vessel, and a mobile fleet of canoes with trailer
It is part funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development
Supported by the Cumbria Fells and Dales Local Action Group
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