Re: Sailing for the Diasabled I did it yesterday with a dislocated shoulder...

[Guest guest]

Sharon --

This sounds great!!!!! I love to sail, too --- just get me on (or in) the

ocean and I'll be happy.

Thanks for sharing this.

Love, Patti

Sailing for the Diasabled I did it yesterday with a

dislocated shoulder...

Yes I went for my FIRST EVER sail yesterday (Sunday) and I LOVED it.

It only cost me $6 for the 4 hours of sailing and by the end I was

ready to sail solo (except my pain levels were a bit high (with my

shoulder being out and I forgot my breakthrough med's and my

sunglasses and had a sun glare headache (I had my good Bolle Glasses

with me but was scared about wrecking or losing them (my partner

bought them for me last Christmas 2002)).

The reason I was able to do this was that I went sailing with a group

called " Sailability " they are an access sailing group (i.e. sailing

for the disabled) and anyone can sail them with ANY disability, they

even have fully electric boats that you sail with something like a

powerchair joystick. This group is all over the world (including

Canada, UK, USA etc) and you can even get to travel and race if you

decide you would like to, or just sail for fun. I am amazed that I

have found a sport that I can do even with my EDS and RSD... and I

LOVE it (I have always loved the water) and sailing is fun and

exhilarating and quite too.

Sailability can be found at

http://tidewaysailability.com/location.htm for London

http://www.sailability.org.au/clubs.cfm#United%20States for a list of

some around the world,

http://www.accessdinghy.org/where/australia.htm for Australia

http://www.accessdinghy.org/where/canada.htm For Canada

http://www.accessdinghy.org/where/usa.htm for the US

http://www.rya.org.uk/sailability/ for the UK

I can really recommend this for ANY age and for EDS'ers, you can

either sail an access dingy (the name of the little boats that are so

stable)by using a rope to control the sail and a " joystick " to

control the rudder that sits in front of you " between you legs " or

beside them, or using the full electric one with just a joystick

thing like a powerchair, so even if you don't have the arm strength

you can still sail and sail ALONE. You must wear a life jacket no

matter what as a safety feature and they also have powerboats out and

about to rescue you and help to get you unstuck etc if you manage to

get stuck on the sand (like we did ).

I just wanted to let others know about this and HOW much fun it is,

it is a great outlet and something even EDS kids could do without any

real risk of injury (and you can take out a double and have one do

the rope and one the joystick or have mum and child along together.

The family and non disabled member can go and sail too (a great

outing that even the EDS members can enjoy and have fun with able

bodied siblings and friends. I mean if they can cater for ventilated

high level quadriplegics then us EDS'er shouldn't be to much of a

problem.

I just wanted to let others know about this WONDERFUL organisation

and that there are opportunities out there for us to participate in

things, even with EDS.

Sharon

To learn more about EDS, visit our website: http://members.rogers.com/ceda2/

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[Guest guest]

Sharon --

This sounds great!!!!! I love to sail, too --- just get me on (or in) the

ocean and I'll be happy.

Thanks for sharing this.

Love, Patti

Sailing for the Diasabled I did it yesterday with a

dislocated shoulder...

Yes I went for my FIRST EVER sail yesterday (Sunday) and I LOVED it.

It only cost me $6 for the 4 hours of sailing and by the end I was

ready to sail solo (except my pain levels were a bit high (with my

shoulder being out and I forgot my breakthrough med's and my

sunglasses and had a sun glare headache (I had my good Bolle Glasses

with me but was scared about wrecking or losing them (my partner

bought them for me last Christmas 2002)).

The reason I was able to do this was that I went sailing with a group

called " Sailability " they are an access sailing group (i.e. sailing

for the disabled) and anyone can sail them with ANY disability, they

even have fully electric boats that you sail with something like a

powerchair joystick. This group is all over the world (including

Canada, UK, USA etc) and you can even get to travel and race if you

decide you would like to, or just sail for fun. I am amazed that I

have found a sport that I can do even with my EDS and RSD... and I

LOVE it (I have always loved the water) and sailing is fun and

exhilarating and quite too.

Sailability can be found at

http://tidewaysailability.com/location.htm for London

http://www.sailability.org.au/clubs.cfm#United%20States for a list of

some around the world,

http://www.accessdinghy.org/where/australia.htm for Australia

http://www.accessdinghy.org/where/canada.htm For Canada

http://www.accessdinghy.org/where/usa.htm for the US

http://www.rya.org.uk/sailability/ for the UK

I can really recommend this for ANY age and for EDS'ers, you can

either sail an access dingy (the name of the little boats that are so

stable)by using a rope to control the sail and a " joystick " to

control the rudder that sits in front of you " between you legs " or

beside them, or using the full electric one with just a joystick

thing like a powerchair, so even if you don't have the arm strength

you can still sail and sail ALONE. You must wear a life jacket no

matter what as a safety feature and they also have powerboats out and

about to rescue you and help to get you unstuck etc if you manage to

get stuck on the sand (like we did ).

I just wanted to let others know about this and HOW much fun it is,

it is a great outlet and something even EDS kids could do without any

real risk of injury (and you can take out a double and have one do

the rope and one the joystick or have mum and child along together.

The family and non disabled member can go and sail too (a great

outing that even the EDS members can enjoy and have fun with able

bodied siblings and friends. I mean if they can cater for ventilated

high level quadriplegics then us EDS'er shouldn't be to much of a

problem.

I just wanted to let others know about this WONDERFUL organisation

and that there are opportunities out there for us to participate in

things, even with EDS.

Sharon

To learn more about EDS, visit our website: http://members.rogers.com/ceda2/

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[Guest guest]

I too LOVE the water and everything to do with water even snow

(probably becasue we don't have to deal with it like you guys do

).

And this sailing was SO SO much fun and FINALLY something I can do

even when my body is so bad, the guys here raced in Japan last year.

I can't WAIT until next Sunday to go again (I will remember my

breakthrough med's this time).

I hope you have a group near you that you too can join and have fun

and you never know maybe we will meet up one day at a race.

Pity they can't organise a come and try time with a local group

somewhere near the upcoming conference at a lake or river etc with a

sailabily group who could bring everythign with them (inclduing the

fully powered variety and the wheelchair transfere cranes etc) as an

added fun bonus. Hey if there was a suitable water body near by it

could be worth contacting a local group and seeing if they are

interested, and then letting EDS'ers have a chance to come and try

something they can do.

Sharon

> Sharon --

>

> This sounds great!!!!! I love to sail, too --- just get me on (or

in) the ocean and I'll be happy.

>

> Thanks for sharing this.

>

> Love, Patti

> Sailing for the Diasabled I did it

yesterday with a dislocated shoulder...

>

>

> Yes I went for my FIRST EVER sail yesterday (Sunday) and I LOVED

it.

> It only cost me $6 for the 4 hours of sailing and by the end I was

> ready to sail solo (except my pain levels were a bit high (with my

> shoulder being out and I forgot my breakthrough med's and my

> sunglasses and had a sun glare headache (I had my good Bolle

Glasses

> with me but was scared about wrecking or losing them (my partner

> bought them for me last Christmas 2002)).

> The reason I was able to do this was that I went sailing with a

group

> called " Sailability " they are an access sailing group (i.e.

sailing

> for the disabled) and anyone can sail them with ANY disability,

they

> even have fully electric boats that you sail with something like a

> powerchair joystick. This group is all over the world (including

> Canada, UK, USA etc) and you can even get to travel and race if

you

> decide you would like to, or just sail for fun. I am amazed that I

> have found a sport that I can do even with my EDS and RSD... and I

> LOVE it (I have always loved the water) and sailing is fun and

> exhilarating and quite too.

> Sailability can be found at

> http://tidewaysailability.com/location.htm for London

> http://www.sailability.org.au/clubs.cfm#United%20States for a

list of

> some around the world,

> http://www.accessdinghy.org/where/australia.htm for Australia

> http://www.accessdinghy.org/where/canada.htm For Canada

> http://www.accessdinghy.org/where/usa.htm for the US

> http://www.rya.org.uk/sailability/ for the UK

> I can really recommend this for ANY age and for EDS'ers, you can

> either sail an access dingy (the name of the little boats that

are so

> stable)by using a rope to control the sail and a " joystick " to

> control the rudder that sits in front of you " between you legs " or

> beside them, or using the full electric one with just a joystick

> thing like a powerchair, so even if you don't have the arm

strength

> you can still sail and sail ALONE. You must wear a life jacket no

> matter what as a safety feature and they also have powerboats out

and

> about to rescue you and help to get you unstuck etc if you manage

to

> get stuck on the sand (like we did ).

> I just wanted to let others know about this and HOW much fun it

is,

> it is a great outlet and something even EDS kids could do without

any

> real risk of injury (and you can take out a double and have one do

> the rope and one the joystick or have mum and child along

together.

> The family and non disabled member can go and sail too (a great

> outing that even the EDS members can enjoy and have fun with able

> bodied siblings and friends. I mean if they can cater for

ventilated

> high level quadriplegics then us EDS'er shouldn't be to much of a

> problem.

> I just wanted to let others know about this WONDERFUL organisation

> and that there are opportunities out there for us to participate

in

> things, even with EDS.

> Sharon

>

>

>

>

> To learn more about EDS, visit our website:

http://members.rogers.com/ceda2/

>

>

>

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>