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Item posted: Thursday 20th February , 2014
Dedication…..
This book is dedicated to all those whom around the world, both past and present, continue to engage, thru their sailing programs, a unique journeying process of many people, young folk, those from disadvantaged backgrounds and people, living with disability.
Thru the unique environment that sailing presents with, engaging in with the elements, ourselves and each other in a confined space.
From this environment, a real living experience of active participatory inclusion is naturally had with facilitation from the respective skippers and crew. Everyone has a role, place, responsibility, can progress and adhere to the same laws of nature, where a safe outcome navigates us to positive outcomes. Sailing is both confronting and enabling, with romance aside, being on watch will redress some of this, is life affirming as well as changing.
The respective programs draw upon the aspects that are unique to sailing that bring with it an experience of enamelling, facilitating and challenges to many as individuals, and as a crew
community when sailing.
For those coming from a disadvantage or living with a disability, this experience can be a phenomenal and life changing realisation that can go towards breaking a negative cycle of being shut out. One can come away with a realisation that ' I'm part of the story and am the captain of myself' so time to start sailing life. We learn to adjust the sails and helm in our respective living circumstances ( resilience development and growth).
The framework of a brief, mid brief and a debrief so as to deal with issues that arise in a living context of understanding a problem accompanied with a solution, action and review/ feed back.
Some of the flow on effects can be building self-confidence in themselves, confidence on the water, water safety, sailing skills, communication, reporting ( the importance of being accountable). From here, increased self-awareness regarding their own management strategies regarding respective disabilities and or life issues, take ownership of themselves – responsibility for their safety and that of others by their actions.
Learning to build trust in a safe environment. Building personal, and team capacity,
enablement and from here self-empowerment.
These benefits are had on any size sailing outfit – whether it is on a tall ship, yachts or dinghy. Hence why one of the outfits I am involved with is Dis-Able Sailing Inc. I am a person who has a personal living experience of disability all my life and have endeavoured to deal with the disabling effects of wider society's attitudes to its fellow citizens living with disability.
Dis-Able Sailing Inc.’s whole philosophy, culture and practice is one of creating an environment and experience where those coming from any disadvantage can be drawn in as a fellow crew member. Dis-Able Sailing Inc. echoes the basic aims of what all the outfits photographed in this book are about.
One of our tall ship’s Falie (the flagship of our state’s living maritime heritage) when she was in survey saw Falie Charters run the Falie School Ship Program which saw sail training voyages for many schools, with the support of the then Department of Education Training & Employment, in association with the Catholic Education Office and Independent Schools Board and sponsored by the Department of Recreation and Sport.
Our state's other tall ship, our One & All was purpose built for sail training -on which I have been a
volunteer crew on three day sails, and have two other family members who have
experienced life changing benefits from their respective voyages. One of whom is now mapping out a career in sailing.
And so from here, to all who sail: Fair winds and flowing waters :)
I grew up around family members who were either building wooden boats, piloting tugboats, roaring around in a speed boat, who knew the art of putting ship into bottles, boat blue prints, drawings and paintings, chatter regarding boats amongst other things and summers at the beach.