The Bronte sailing club

It is always so very nice when I get to talk about a club that has gone out of its way to ensure that blind persons are able to experience something out of the ordinary, and in this case it's the joys of sailing. A few months ago I did just that and boy did I ever have a wonderful time. The joys of sailing were so real and exciting to me, and now that I have precious little vision I have to depend almost totally on the guidance of my instructors.

It was five days of heavenly bliss. I, along with 30 or so blind friends, was treated to the rudiments of sailing. There were about 10 boats, give or take a few, and about three times the number of crew members and volunteers. We had morning and evening sessions and we sailed in calm as well as semi-choppy waters.

I learned how to steer a boat. I learned how to tack, winch, and turn the boat and I learned how to determine the direction of the winds. I sailed in excellent boats and on the last day we participated in three races. Believe it or not, I and my team won the overall competition in our boat called Pagan!

I learned so much and I felt and experienced even more. I was shown so much kindness by total strangers and I saw where club members were so willing to teach and share. I would personally like to thank Irene Bantin, all of the volunteers, all of the crews that I sailed with, but most of all my winning crew! Colin, Mark, Brian, Joan, and Peter. It was an experience that I will never forget.

I’m Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and share my blogs with others.
Visit www.bhyc.on.ca/sailingschool/ to learn more about the Bronte Yacht Club.

Sailing blindly on the lake

In early August, I and some friends decided to go sailing on Lake Ontario. It was a gorgeous day for sailing as the winds were just right, the temps were warm and the water calm enough. Everything was just right except that on this day I was going sailing as a person with little to no sight.

A few years ago, I had gone sailing and at that time I was able to see so much around me. I could see the horizon, other boats around me, and even some of the landmarks. O how well I remember! How much I enjoyed it all! I could still remember the sun beating down on us in the boat. The sparkling waters rushing by, the sails billowing in the wind, and so much more. It was an experience of a life time.

This experience was an exciting one of a different kind. Whereas then I was able to see, now I had to put my trust in the captain and everyone else. Still, I enjoyed it. The boat tipping backwards but I trusted in our captain. The sound of the sails billowing, the wind blowing, the water gurgling, and happy ones laughing and screaming in other boats around us.

Whereas before I used my limited sight to help me enjoy it all, now I was using my senses of hearing and smell. Sailing blindly on the lake was much fun.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and tell others that yes! Blind persons can indeed enjoy sailing on the lake. Visit www.blindsailing.ca to learn more.