Strong Voices

Sailability Wellington, a charity giving disabled people the opportunity to sail, has launched an ambitious project to build six new boats.

The design – called ParAble-Whakatauki – will be for a new, larger class of yacht that can carry more weight and be accessible to more sailors.

The ParAble-Whakatauki was designed by the late Wellington boat builder Bruce Askew in 2013. Since then, Sailability Wellington has had a dream to build six of the boats – enough to establish a New Zealand class and hold a national regatta.

Sailability Wellington Chief Executive Don Manning says they started by building prototypes out of wood to test the design and trial rigging formats, steering systems and sail designs and are now ready to work with commercial boat builders on the fibreglass construction.

The $280,000 project has been partially funded by the TG Macarthy Trust, and Sailability Wellington Trust is now looking for further sponsorship.

“The ParAble-Whakatauki class yacht will be used for learn-to-sail, cruising and racing. It will carry up to 240kg of payload, compared with a maximum of 160kg in our existing yachts. This would enable us to expand and increase the accessibility of our already very successful programme,” Don says.

“We currently provide sailing experiences for well over 200 sailors with a range of disabilities, as well as support for their whānau. We always have a waiting list,” Don says. “They come from Horowhenua to Upper Hutt and down to Cook Strait, and some even from Wairarapa, where we hope to set up a base quite soon.”

At present, Sailability Wellington has 28 boats specially designed for stability and three support boats. It operates from three bases – Evans Bay, Seaview and Titahi Bay – over six days weather permitting, all year around.

Don says the operation relies on more than 70 volunteers, who are trained as coaches, companion sailors, dock hands, pursers, bosuns, support boat crew, race managers and administrators.

The boat-building project is the start of a new direction for Sailability Wellington.

“Our build team will include some of our sailors with disabilities, who will be upskilled and paid for their time. Their tasks will include rigging, hull finishing [and] alloy trolley construction. It is our hope that this will enable them to become employed. A small group of them have contributed massively to many of the design features and they have sailed the two prototypes,” he says.

“Following this building project, we would immediately establish a New Zealand class and hold a national regatta. Competitors from New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific have already indicated their intention to be involved. We already have sailors interested in purchasing these yachts from across New Zealand, as well as from Australia and Greece.”

Don also sees this as an opportunity to develop a business employing and upskilling people with disabilities in fibreglass production, alloy welding and rigging, which might enable them to gain further employment.

In December, Sailability Wellington was nominated for a Trade Me Property Community Grant by Wellington real estate agents Paul Doney and Sabine Chong. The charity will put the $5000 grant towards maintenance and administration costs, including storage, insurance and volunteer support. The couple have a personal connection with Sailability through their son Xervier, who has Down syndrome.

The IHC Foundation has supported Sailability Wellington since 2015. Its most recent grant was towards its national regatta in 2021.

Caption: A 2013 shot showing the building of the ParAble-Whakatauki prototype – from left, Brent Porter, Kelvin Smith, Darrell Smith and Don Manning who contributed to the design. All involved have disabilities.

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