About

The Disabled Sailing Association is a Torquay-based sailing charity, run for the disabled, by the disabled.

Our aim is, wherever possible, to give everybody, no matter what their disability, the opportunity to enjoy the experience of seagoing sailing in a safe and pleasurable environment, and to encourage them to be involved in an activity from which many believe they are excluded.

Your day with the DSA starts about a week before when our Admin will have emailed you with the start time, who else is on the boat and other relevant advice. Our departure point is the ‘Town Quay’ gate outside the Harvesters Inn. For members with disabilities, you will normally be asked to arrive there by 10:30 where you will be met by the skipper who first fit you out with a life-jacket and escort you down to your boat.

The crew would have already prepared the boat and once everybody is safely aboard the Skipper will give a safety briefing and as well as checking on any specific needs anyone has. He will then explain the sail-plan for the day taking into account the prevailing weather and any other safety factors.

Once everybody is briefed, the crew will take the boat off its berth and set out into the bay. This  is a busy time for the skipper and crew but things then settle down quite quickly. Once the vessel is settled down and safely under way the skipper will often invite one of the disabled members to take a turn on the helm.

There are various locations the skipper might decide to take you to dependent on the prevailing weather and other traffic activities. You may well sail south out to Berry Head and on down to a quiet little bay called St. Marys. this is a good place to drop anchor and have a relaxed lunch before returning back towards Berry Head always  keeping a good eye out for dolphins running nearby.

A trip around the coast past Preston sands, Paignton beach and Goodrington sands is an interesting trip and you can then berth up in Brixham Harbour for a leg-stretch or lasso a spare buoy out amongst the other boats on their moorings and watch the boating traffic come and go whilst having some refeshments.

Another popular trip is to set off east, rounding  Hopes’ Nose and on past Thatchers Rock and on to either Ansteys Cove or slightly further north to Babbacombe beach and the nearby Cary Arms. Again, these are both a good places to  anchor for lunch.

Registered Charity number 1113330