Scotland by Sail
An Inclusive Adventure on the Seas
14-20 September 2024
Take to the seas
Chug out of the shelter of the marina, and spread the wings of the boat. Feel the surge of power as physics meets magic and the invisible force of the wind lifts the passive lump of fibreglass into a swooping lively yacht.
Adventuring in a yacht is on another level. In some ways, it's a silly way to get anywhere and in others a way of feeling tiny in the vastness while strong and confident.
Sail a yacht
Yachts are fantastic. They provide a truly self-contained adventure machine.
It is amazing to think as we cruise around the Scottish Isles that it is only a change in steering direction that could have us sailing clean across the Atlantic.
No need to be a Sailing guru
In fact, there is no need to have sailed before. One of the great things is new crew are instantly useful and part of the team minutes after stepping aboard the boat.
Cruise through the amazing landscape
Think you’ve seen Scotland? We believe you haven't fully experienced it unless you have seen it from the water silently slicing along between the islands and below the mountains.
Friendly and Fun
Our onus is on having a great time, everyone sharing roles and feeling like a crew.
Sail the Hebrides
A yacht is a home, vehicle and adventure.
A crew is a family, team and friendship.
The Clyde area is a great sailing venue and was chosen for this trip because of the wonderful options it presents.
This coupled with a marvellous boat - carefully chosen to maximise accessibility, whilst still being a standard sailing boat. Bavaria boats are loved by sailors worldwide and are a pleasant satisfying sail.
Roles for everyone
One of the great things about sailing is that every function needs many co-ordinated hands.
The role of a crew member on a yacht is varied and challenging. One minute someone is needed to steer, while another changes the tension of a rope, while another watches the approaching boat, while another is making tea, while yet another is plotting our position on the chart. All this action is co-ordinated by the Skippers John or Chris, who are supporting you to run the boat.
There are roles for everyone, for any ability, additional needs or confidence level.
The access and inclusion
An itinerary which includes mobility disabilities
Yacht sailing plays to everyone's strengths, and makes remote adventure travel manageable, for a wide range of people living with disabilities.
Uniquely in sailing, you are having an adventure whilst moving your living space around to amazing venues. This makes managing people's basic needs straightforward, if not easy, and once systems are sorted out for getting about or finding things: these stay the same for the week.
Sailing is really a great way to play to your strengths as part of a crew with varying abilities and needs. You really become a cog in a friendly inter-reliant crew while someone ambulant needs to go forward to the mast, someone with the dexterity to steer needs to keep the boat straight, and another with effective eyesight needs to coordinate the action.
If you live with a disability you will probably have loads of questions and we have loads of solutions. The best place to start is the accessibility statement further down.
Life on Board
What's it like?
Everyone wakes up at a reasonable hour - we will discuss each night, the plan for the next day.
The first toilet run - for those who need help getting off the boat and uniting with their mobility aids (and everyone else who wants it) - works together to get off the boat.
One of the crew gets started in the galley cooking breakfast and coffee/tea.
After breakfast, a second toilet run, before briefing and deciding the day's roles.
Next, we cast off. The crew manoeuvres the boat out of the marina or wherever we chose to spend the night (with help!), then raise the sails and we set off for our lunch destination.
For lunch, we tend to look for an anchorage, drop the hook or borrow a bouy and take the sails down. This steadies the boat and makes it easier to use the hoist or helping hands to get below and use the onboard facilities.
At night we utilise one of the many marinas allowing everyone to get off the boat to access the on-land facilities.
Important Scotland by Sail Info
Dates and Costs
6.5 days adventure and 7 Nights accommodation
Meet Largs Yacht Haven 4pm 14th September 2024
Depart LargsYacht Haven 20th September 2024
£1321 per person shared cabin or Salon
£1231 early bird before easter
Book the whole boat £4111 (based on 4 people, and supported by 2 staff)
What is included?
Accommodation in a shared or private cabin
All meals from Saturday evening to Saturday Breakfast
All technical equipment
British qualified sailing instructors
Travel light - we provide almost all you need: waterproofs, sleeping bags, life jackets, sailing gloves, and wellies.
What do we actually do
Sail the Scottish West Coast
Learn to manage the boat
Dock, undock, use the radio, start the engine, get the sails up, anchor, walk the plank (not really!)
Go for a pint, have a laugh and relax.
Visit remote islands, anchorages and moorings
Feel the boat lift and rush on the breezes
Understand the charts, make a passage plan and use the navigation equipment
Sounds great - let's do it
Send me a booking formI’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.
Sail Scotland accessiblity statement
Vision
Suitable for all people able to manage own travel to the pickup point
Suitable for all those who do not need a dedicated guide or can bring their own
We are well staffed for this trip, a lot of help is available for support both on and off the boat
The boat is a great option for visually impaired people to explore without having to constantly relearn the accomodation layout
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.
Or
Bring an adventure buddy
Or
Talk to us about a volunteer
Cognition
Suitable for those able to self manage without dedicated support or with a dedicated carer
Fantastic way to integrate into a team with jobs for all cognitive ability levels
We will help with meals, reminding about medications etc
Participants should be capable of understanding and able to follow rules consistantly - most sailing safety comes from some core rules. If not please bring a dedicated helper.
Or
Bring an adventure buddy
Mobility
This is not a purpose built mobility access yacht - systems and equipment are adapted.
To facilitate transfers a degree of self weight bearing is required - if you can access a car seat without a hoist or minimal assistance, happy to bum shuffle around a bit - that's the right kind of level for the boat.
You will need to be able to transfer to different seating
We have supportive seating with straps to maintain your position when it gets lively
If your mobility aid collapses or comes apart for storage then we can bring it with us - if it is heavy or large it may not be able to travel with the boat.
The trip is also ideal for walking aid users.
Access to the lower levels, and between cockpit deck areas is done either manually or by hoist from the overhead boom.
The cockpit is a U shaped design so with bum shuffling and/or using the rail the various steering and crewing positions can be reached.
Access to the dock is either by stepped access through back gate or hoist over the side.
For comfort and convenience we can plan to spend each night at a marina with suitable toilets. To make using the toilets on the boat easier we will plan a sails down each lunch time.
Onboard toilets are situated at the bottom of the lowering point from on deck. There are no grab handles but the walls are narrow to allow bracing and sail boats are built with incredibly strong furniture that double as support for all in case of rough seas.
A seperate portable toilet is carried with portable folding support arms - this can be set up in the main cabin for day use of the toilet if the onboard toilets are too inaccessible (with appropriate privacy arrangements)
Auditory
Suitable for people with most auditory impairments that do not require signing to communicate or please bring an interpreter.
A BSL assistant instructor is occasionally available.
We have radios and Tloop transmission units to aid hearing when seperated or the winds hinder hearing.
Or
Bring an adventure buddy
Or
Talk to us about a volunteer
Sounds great - let's do it
Open booking formI’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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