ONBOARD
CHARTER JUBILEE SAILING TRUST
Making able seamen
The Jubilee Sailing Trust’s Tall Ships change the lives of both the disabled and able-bodied, as Sue Pelling found out
T 66 CLASSIC BOAT FEBRUARY 2012
he Jubilee Sailing Trust’s decision to commission a tall ship for both able and disabled crew was met with some scepticism from government agencies at the time, but 25 years on, the Lord Nelson has managed to prove the
concept of a mixed ability crew working together and developing systems that are practical and safe. So much so that the Trust now finds itself offering consultancy to other global organisations. Tony Cummings from the Spirit of Adventure Trust in New Zealand – similar to JST but specialising more in youth development – spent a few months on Lord Nelson and JST’s other ship Tenacious, launched in 2000, to see how the programme and organisation run. “I have to say, I am really impressed. The rate of development from when someone first steps onto a JST ship to when they leave, is huge, and it doesn’t take much to work out how effective that is as far as recuperation is concerned.” The concept of Lord Nelson was the result of JST chairman Chris Rudd and the late Morin Scott working with naval architect Colin Mudie to develop a ship that up to 40 people with a range of physical disabilities should be able to sail as well as any able-bodied crew. Mudie comments: “My concept of the design was largely based on a rolling deck on a naval ship in the South Seas. We had to discover at what angle wheelchairs capsized so we took Ian Shuttleworth – now a JST Trustee – in a wheelchair down there and rolled him until he capsized. We found it was 12º so, being sensible and logical, we designed the ship to sail at 10º.”
Aesthetically, Lord Nelson’s lines are as pleasing as other tall ships. Her long, sweeping teak decks are wide enough for wheelchair users to pass each other, Braille signs are cleverly located throughout the ship, and specially adapted wheelchair lifts, and other wheelchair- friendly systems have been well thought out, with attention to detail practical yet relatively inconspicuous. The main saloon, accommodation area and bar are located one level below deck, so to get on deck to carry out watch duties using the stair lift can, depending on the extent of disability, be performed independently.
UNIQUE CHANCE TO FIGHT BACK The unique idea of providing a platform in which able and disabled sailors sail together in a specifically designed ship has opened the doors to thousands of people, including servicemen. Using sailing as a resource for rehabilitation gives those recovering from injuries of all levels, a chance to fight back and realise there are still plenty of life opportunities available to them. In addition to the eight-strong permanent crew, those on board when I joined the Lord Nelson for a short trip last summer were a typical mix of able and disabled of all ages. Some of those in wheelchairs were on board for the umpteenth time, while many able-bodied guests were tall ship first-timers – including Rob and Jane Smith, who had treated their niece Sarah White to the trip for her 16th birthday. Sarah enthused about the voyage: “I was really keen to sail with a mixed ability crew, in fact, it was one reason I really wanted to come on this trip.” As for Rob and Jane, “There is nothing else like this that allows us to
SUE PELLING
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