WHAT IS ADAPTIVE SAILING AND HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED
Our goal is to assist people with disabilities in growing confidence and a sense of freedom through empowering experiences on the water. People that sail with SEAS have the opportunity to take charge of a boat on their own or with a group of friends and family.
We offer tailored instruction based on the individual or groups needs. Our instructors have a wide range of experience with disabled sailors and are US Sailing Certified instructors. Because our boats can be adapted to accommodate a variety of disabilities, our staff is able to work with individuals to achieve their dreams whenever possible.
While we continue to grow our program's ability to accommodate all needs, we must evaluate prospective students on an individual basis to determine our ability to provide a safe and fun learning environment. Once you are a SEAS Adaptive Sailing Member, there is no additional fee for instruction, just fill out our intake packet so we can better meet your needs.
Our goal is to make sure everyone has the chance to enjoy Lake Michigan, regardless of financial needs. If you need assistance in order to be part of our program, please apply for an Adaptive Scholarship.
If you are interested in our program, contact our Adaptive Sailing Coach: juju@seasheboygan.org
WHAT WE SAIL
Our adaptive sailing lessons are conducted on Sonar sailboats, which have become a popular adaptive sailing class worldwide. A 23 foot long keelboat, Sonars are known for their spacious, open cockpit. Designed by Bruce Kirby, who also designed the extremely popular Laser dinghy, these boats are recognized for being stable and durable. In addition to being suitable for beginners, our Sonars are also raced competitively in both open and disabled championships, including fleet and match racing. If you want to know more about our Adaptive Sonar, click here.
How our program started
In 2014, the SEAS staff and Board of Directors made a decision that we hoped would change the lives of countless future sailors – to grow an Adaptive Sailing Program. Inspired by the story of Steve Heronemus, a sailor living with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), SEAS started developing technology and systems to be fitted on our Sonars that would eventually allow Steve, and many others, to once again experience the joy of sailing a boat on their own.
The first piece of the puzzle fell into place when the SEAS team, spearheaded by then-Bosun/Fleet Manager Nick Chadwick and past-Executive Director Rich Reichelsdorfer, built a chair in which Steve, or another person with similar physical impairments, could comfortably sit even if the boat is ‘heeled’, or sitting at an angle while moving through the water.
The next step was making it possible for Steve to control the steering and sail trim on his own – a tall task, but not out of reach for our friends at Harken! An engineering and manufacturing company based in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, Harken is consistently at the forefront of sailing technology and they lived up to expectations in their development of a system for the Sonar. Steve Orlebeke, Harken’s Director of Engineering, worked with Steve, Rich, Nick and the rest of the SEAS team extensively to create a bite-switch and button system for easing and trimming the sails and steering the boat even with extremely limited mobility. The final puzzle piece was launching the boat, and getting Steve in the chair in a good weather window.
Since inspiring the development of the Adaptive System on the Sonar, Steve sailed with friends and family countless times and pushed SEAS to keep up with his needs and dreams. Steve passed away in 2022, but his memory will live on with our program and we are grateful to him for being instrumental in setting up our Adaptive Sailing Program.