Set Sail with Community Boating This Fall!

Thanks Laila Soleimani for this post on Community Boating, a sailing club for all. Community Boating has offered sailing since 1936 and is a fantastic opportunity not to miss if you live in or near Boston or are planning a visit. Whether you are new to sailing or already experienced, the Charles River is a fun place to enjoy the urban landscape.

On August 16th, I had the wonderful opportunity to observe Community Boating's adaptive sailing program, which started with help from DCR’s Universal Access Program in 2003. I had been trying to check out CBI's adaptive sailing program for the last year, so I was very excited I was finally able to get there. Community Boating Inc. is located on the Esplanade along the Charles River in Boston with fantastic views of the city skyline. Upon walking up to the boathouse, I watched individuals of all ages  - from kids to teenagers to adults - excitedly entering the facility. There was a bright blue sign with black lettering that read "Sailing Here for All". When I walked in, I was greeted by Isaac Pato, the dockmaster, and his front desk staff. Within the first few minutes of being there, I witnessed first-hand the welcoming environment CBI provides to its community members and guests.

Cheers for Chairs! Revolutionary Sailing Prototype Needs Your Support!

A fantastic project is underway in Boston to develop a universally accessible seating system for sailing that will allow people with severe physical disabilities to be in full control of the boat. Now is the time to jump in and help complete this inspiring venture! Richard Ramos, previously featured in Everyone Outdoors, offers this Guest Post. I am amazed at how far he has come in pursuit of  his dream. True inspiration!

I love sailing! My primary goal with this project is to bring to others the freedom and exhilaration and transformation of spirit that sailing has brought to my life since reconnecting with it five years ago. 

During this past year, I’ve been working with members of the RIT engineering department; specifically with a very talented RIT engineer named Aleef Mahmud, to design specialized equipment that enables me to race sailboats competitively. The work we’ve done is in support of another goal: to mount a successful campaign to compete in the Paralympics. 

Cindy Walker's Paralympic Journey Towards Rio

Photo courtesy of U.S. Sailing.

I met Cindy Walker when she came to one of our ice skating programs last year and have been marveling at her journey ever since. 

Thanks Cindy for your Guest Post on what it is like to train as a Paralympic athlete! 

Best of luck on your way to Rio! 

Readers can support Cindy's journey at www.Teamporteouswalker.org

      Sailing for me started as a hobby and has become a passion. In my eyes sailing is one of the only sports where everyone, can take part, unless you’re afraid of the water.  I have truly become a sailor at heart. Whether I’m racing or on the water with my family and friends I’m at peace. 

The first thing that comes to mind about being a Paralympic sailor might be sacrifice, but at the end of the day I whole heartedly enjoy what I do, so in hindsight I’m not sacrificing anything because there isn’t anything I’d rather be doing with my life. I am on the “Road to Rio” aka, training and competing for the next 3 years in the hopes of representing the U.S. at the 2016 summer Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 

Set Sail in Boston!

I paid a visit to Community Boating in Boston on a gray day recently, to check out their brand new dock and catch a glimpse of their Universal Access Program in action. Wow! The new dock is fabulous - broad, spacious, clean, with a comfortable (and to code) grade from the boathouse to the boats. Most amazing of all, there is a designated slip for the adaptive sailboats. New dock, new program, same great price!

Community Boating (CBI) has the ideal location for learning to sail in Boston, right on the Esplanade and the Charles River, where the tide and commercial traffic pose no issue. Kids and people with disabilities are a high priority for this sailing organization now in its 8th decade of operation. So is affordability - membership dues are still $1 for the season - though of course donations are always welcome!

It Is Never Too Late To Re-Create Yourself



Rich Ramos back at home on the water.
Photo by Kitty Mears.

I first met Richard Ramos a year ago at our first REC Connect Power Chairs On Ice program. Rich came nearly every month through spring 2010 and joined us on the ice again this month in Revere for our second season. I was intrigued to discover at that recent program that Rich has been expanding his recreation activities, so I called him up to find out more.
Rich grew up on Nantucket, infused by the sea, and developed an early love of sailing ships and birds, two things that represent freedom to him. "I was in love with nature", he said with ease, "and had a deep intimate connection to bogs, ponds and the seashore." When he was 12, he learned to sail, and got a boat for his birthday. When he was 16, he broke his neck.

Follow Luke and Learn to Sail on the Charles River in Boston!

I haven't made it to the Esplanade in Boston yet this summer to sail with Community Boating, but reports are trickling in from new sailors who have discovered the joys of adaptive sailing already. Luke Baca is one of the newest and happiest. The thrill of sailing seems to override any of the usual limitations that might hinder a young man with Spina Bifida who has paralyzed legs, difficulty with fine motor control, and an anxiety disorder. Normal anxiousness about leaving his chair or sustaining minor injuries like blisters or splinters seems to evaporate in the sailing environment. According to Luke, "I'm not really disabled on water, because no one can walk on water. In fact, I have such upper body strength, I'm at an advantage!"

Think Sailing!

This month, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick paid a visit to Community Boating, Inc. on the Esplanade in Boston. Plans are afoot for a new dock on the Charles River with funding support from the Commonwealth and private donors. Although arrangements are not final, the Governor's presence indicates a level of commitment that is promising, and it is possible that a new dock might even be in place next year.

In the meantime, adaptive sailing will continue as usual at Community Boating this summer. The program will get underway daily starting June 15 and run through August 30. If you live in the greater Boston area or are planning a visit, consider a sailing lesson or experience as a new adventure in the city! If you think sailing is a sport only for those who can afford it, think again! It only costs $1 to participate! If you are already an experienced sailor, you may be able to get out on the water sooner as Community Boating has already been taking advantage of our beautiful spring weather to get their boats out on the Charles. Several sailors with disabilities have obtained various sailing certifications through CBI's classes, and hundreds have enjoyed sailing on the Charles River in the past few years.

To sign up for sailing, contact Marcin Kunicki at CBI at 617-523-1038 or visit http://www.sailcbi.org/

Partially shown in the photo is a modified Mercury sailboat for one or two sailors, rigged for use by a person in one position on the boat, with hand controls and believe it or not, a steering wheel. The program also makes use of adapted Sonar sailboats which can seat about 8 people. Charlie Zechel, president of CBI, discusses adaptive sailing with the Governor while, Gigi Ranno, seated, looks on. Gigi, who works in DCR's Universal Access Program, was instrumental in helping Community Boating to develop the adaptive sailing program. The Governor met several people with disabilities who sail with Community Boating during his visit.

"The Esplanade and Community Boating - the oldest and biggest public sailing program in the nation - are two Massachusetts treasures," said Governor Patrick. "I am happy to pledge the state's support in this public-private effort to ensure that the pleasure of sailing on the Charles River remains available to all."