“Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats”
Kenneth Grahame, Wind in the Willows
Accessible Boating Thames is a charity based at Bisham Abbey near Marlow that provides opportunities for people with all types of disability to go sailing on the River Thames.
It uses a variety of sailing boats including a NEO 495 small keel-boat which allows two crew to sit side by side facing forwards steering the boat using a joystick. Because of the weight of the keel the crew do not have to move to balance the boat so it is suitable for people with limited movement.
This is an ideal boat for beginners, visually impaired and those that just enjoy a sail buddied by a volunteer.
The pontoon is equipped with a hoist to enable easy transfers into and out of the sailing boats helped by our friendly volunteers.
Buoyancy aids/life jackets are provided and each session is covered by a safety boat.
For those who wish to progress further and sail single handed training is available from Bisham Abbey Sailing School who host our activities. Once qualified sailors can progress to our 2.4 M class of keelboats.
These boats have similar arrangements to the NEO with a forward facing seating position and joystick. These boats were used as the official single-crew class boat of the Paralympics from 2000 – 2016 and offer an impressive performance.
Sailing sessions are generally run on Wednesdays and Sundays during the summer months (April – Oct)
See their website at www.accessibleboatingthames.org or fill out the contact form below for more details.