The Community Sailing Program is the most successful initiative within our charity. It was created to provide even more free of charge sailing for people with autism and their families/carers within their local communities. It is run over the summer months using our own Achilles 24 yachts which are Inclusion, Acceptance and Positivity. We run these sessions across three locations which are Helensburgh, Edinburgh and Tayvallich. To date the program has welcomed over 200 people with autism out on the water.

 

How it works?

 

Firstly, participants sign up to the specially made WhatsApp group tailored to each location. This group is private and only the admin is able to send messages. When a sailing session gets announced which is usually blocks of 2 on a Tuesday and Thursday evening from 5pm-6:30pm and 7pm-8:30pm - a message is sent out by the admin usually 24 hours beforehand to announce the spots that are available. The spots are 3 people max - so two young people with autism and a parent/carer or two parents and a young person with autism. When the spots are announced, the participant wanting that spot must contact the admin of the group to secure that slot. Places are VERY popular so book straight away!

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Once slots are full - the skipper of the yacht will contact participants to confirm the time of the slot and the meeting spot at each venue. It is very important to try and arrive no more than 15 minutes before your booked slot to ensure that your time out on the water is to the maximum and not rushed. 

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Your skipper or dock volunteer will welcome you and ensure you are fitted with a lifejacket. This is mandatory before going aboard the boat - no lifejacket, no sailing. The skipper will then accompany you down to the boat where you will be assisted on board the boat and sat in a safe space away from the controls of the boat. Your skipper will then conduct a mandatory safety briefing - this is for YOUR safety and full attention must be given during the briefing. Once this is complete, you will set sail! Each voyage will be a hour long and participants will get the chance to have a shot of steering the boat and learning how the sails work. When your session is over, the skipper will return you and the boat to the dock and escort you safely off the boat - before you depart, we like to ask if each participant would fill in the Skipper's Logbook to tell us about their experience as feedback is vitally important to us! Once this is done, your skipper or dock volunteer will escort you back to the meeting point and help you take off your lifejackets before your departure.

 

Cost? 

 

What cost? ITS FREE!! Yes all our community sails are free of charge! However if you wish to make a non-obligatory donation no matter how big or small, it would be massively appreciated and it goes straight back into the Community Sailing pot.

 

Venues

 

Rhu Marina - the home of Inclusion which offers sails to communities within Helensburgh/Cove/Kilcreggan/Garelochead/Alexandria/Balloch/Dumbarton/Clydebank/Glasgow.

 

Cramond Boat Club - the home of Acceptance which offers sails to communities within Edinburgh/Fife/North Berwick/Musselburgh/Portobello/Livingston/Falkirk/Stirling/Clackmannanshire. 

 

Tayvallich - the home of Positivity which offers sails to communities within Tayvallich/Achnamara/Lochgilphead/Crinan/Ardrishaig/Tarbert/Campbeltown/Inverary/Oban/Kilmartin/Ardfern/Craobh/

Kilmelford. 

 

*Even if your own town or area is not mentioned above - don't worry! Just contact us and we will advise which of the three locations will be suitable for you!