The CruiseAbility forum has now opened within the member’s section of the CA website. Its aim is to ensure that the objects of the Cruising Association are inclusive of members with disabilities or impairments, and assist these keen people to sail yachts.
It will provide help and support to both able-bodied and disabled sailors who wish to sail together. It will be a place where there can be an exchange and discussion of experiences and ideas so that the disabled person can reach full potential and become as fully integrated within the crew of a yacht as possible.
The forum’s focus will be on encouraging competent, active sailors and enthusiastic novices to build a network and a sense of community, to share, collect and collate information on sailing resources, to develop links with other organisations providing sailing facilities for disabled people and pass on guidance to assist each other and the skippers /crew. Members can use the CA Crewing Service in the usual way, but there is also the opportunity to use CruiseAbility if you are a disabled sailor seeking a crewing position. Likewise, the forum can also act as a point of contact if you are a CA skipper looking for disabled sailors as crew.
The remit is very wide and there are many different types of disability. Over time it is hoped that within the CruiseAbility forum there will be a number of special interest groups. Some visually impaired members of CA have already come together informally forming the first group: the VI Group.
Members can access CruiseAbility via the ‘Forums’ section of the website or by clicking here. Please note you will need to be logged in to MyCA.
The forum’s co-ordinators are Frank Hatfull and Jenny Long. For help on starting conversations or any other issues, contact either Frank or Jenny by clicking on their names within the forum or by clicking on their names above.