A sailboat sits anchored in the distance with a sky exploding in orange and red like a hovering fire as the sun sets on the horizon. The fierce oranges and reds reflect off of the gentle waves of the ocean.

Sailing Blind

Be radical in thought and design…

During February and March Blind Endeavors Foundation and a few blind veterans are going to learn how to sail on open water. Our goal is to document and record this project with the hopes of better understanding how some blind veterans can sail independently.

Who’s the best person to ask about blind sailing?
In my opinion, other blind/Visually impaired explorers and pioneers, ha ha. Do you know of any? Write us a message…

What does sailing blind require? Well, I know this has been pursued before and we are not necessarily the first to set sail blind. Between now and when we set sail, we are going to try and reach out to some blind sailors around the world and nation.

If we can find some blind sailors who have explored the open water, asking them questions about tactics, techniques and procedures will help us be more successful with our blind sailing endeavor.

Remember this is a little unconventional and rarely done. We are also very new to this activity and must try and learn proper techniques and practices to be safe and successful.

Below are just a few items we’ll need for our sailing adventure:

  • A Boat (of Course)
    • Hobie Mirage Tandem Island.  This boat can be propelled by wind, arm or leg power and seats two.
  • Waterproof blue tooth speakers
    • These will be helpful with broadcasting navigational commands from an iPhone or iPad.
  • iPhone and iPad
    • These devices will help us run applications like the apple compass, when working in tandem with Apple’s screen reader (voice over).
  • VHF Radios
    • Our safety guides will have to communicate general navigation course corrections, hazards, etc.  Another dedicated speaker system should be incorporated with the radios for broadcasting.
  • PA System and whistles
    • These devices will come in handy if radio communication fails us.
  • Various protective outer wear and boat equipment etc…

This endeavor has several goals behind it.  One of many is to show what can be accomplished with the right team, techniques and technology.

We’ll also be stopping by the Tampa Lighthouse for the Blind to share some stories and information with students.

You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter or right here on our website as our trip develops!