Club & Program Handbook · Chapter 6

Facilities & Equipment

Accessible facilities benefit everyone. This chapter covers your site and surrounds, general equipment, the boats programs use, and the access equipment that enables independent sailing.

The guidance here is best-practice recommendation. Much of it can be introduced easily at the design stage, or at minimal cost when changes are needed. A good starting resource is The Tradies Guide to Good Access.

Your site & surrounds

Many people with a disability sail at venues with no special adaptations — much is overcome by a positive attitude. But accessible facilities benefit everyone: people who are ageing, parents of young children, or someone managing a short-term injury. If facilities are right for people with a disability, they’re excellent for others. Start by asking:

• Are my docks accessible to a person in a wheelchair? How will a wheelchair-using newcomer get into a boat?
• Are the restrooms accessible?
• Are my car park, walkways and building doorways accessible?

Access considerations around the site

Area	What good access looks like
Jetties	Stable and wide enough for two wheelchairs to pass (or regular passing points). Narrow surface depressions to avoid trapping castors; a raised edge guides partially sighted sailors and reduces “lost overboard” risk. Avoid wide, unstable fenders like tyres — they widen the gap and make transfers harder.
Ramps	Handrails, with transverse strips wide enough for good footing but short enough for chair wheels to pass.
Mobile / floating pontoons	Useful where you have no jetty, and especially on lakes where water levels change. Quick to assemble, dismantle and store. Available from Hansa Sailing Systems; funding may be available via local/state grants.
Shore launching	Choose a firm, smooth beach. Old carpet can cover soft or muddy surfaces; heavy-duty rubber matting lasts longer.
Doors & steps	Ramp both sides of a threshold. One step can often be negotiated; two should be bridged with a ramp. Good colour contrast between door, frame and wall helps partially sighted people; label clearly at a consistent height.
Alternatives to stairs	Carrying is hazardous and undignified — bridges, lifts and stair lifts need specialist advice (occupational therapist, architect) and may need to meet building regulations. Grants may help. Always ask the person what they can do — they may manage a few stairs even if they use a wheelchair.
Social areas	A welcoming social area implies inclusion. Keep layouts consistent and tidy (clutter is hazardous for partially sighted people and blocks wheelchairs); use movable chairs rather than fixed benches so wheelchair users can reach tables.

Change rooms & toilets

• Provide separate male/female and/or unisex toilets and changing rooms, enough for your typical attendance. Temporary accessible cubicles can be created various ways, but aim for well-established guidelines long term.
• Separate cubicles are preferred where facilities are used by mixed ages, due to child-safety policies.
• Provide soap and water (or sanitiser), within a reasonable distance of the dock. Keep everything hygienic, tidy and well maintained.
• Use non-slip floor surfaces, especially where they get wet.
• Showers should be simple to control with adjustable head height and controls within reach of a wheelchair user; check partially sighted sailors know the layout.

General equipment

• Have a system to rinse equipment in fresh water after use, especially in salt or unclean environments.
• In adverse weather, keep enough clean, serviceable wind/waterproof jackets in a range of sizes — and make clear at booking whether the program supplies them.
• Provide adequate dry areas ashore for shelter and shore-based teaching, appropriately furnished.
• Store fuel safely, and train volunteers in handling fuel (fire risk and safe lifting).
• Train volunteers in workshop equipment and any hazardous substances; keep the workshop clean, tidy and not accessible to participants.

Hansa class safety recommendations

The Hansa class is the most widely used in Sailability programs. Its stability depends on a few things being done right:

• Seating — people must remain seated low in the boat.
• Keel — the keel must be fully down and locked when sailing. The hole a third of the way down is only to help sailing off a beach; no one should sail with the keel held there. Insert the locking pin at the top of the keel console whenever the boat is used, so the keel stays down even in a knock-down.
• Reefing — the Hansa is a displacement hull, so extra sail in strong wind means less control, not more speed. Reef the sails to suit the stronger gusts. The 2.3, 303 and Liberty share the same reefing system; the manufacturer’s videos show how to use it without tangling.

Choosing boats

Sailability Victoria recommends classes built on universal design principles — designed to meet a diverse range of needs — but having only other classes shouldn’t stop a program getting on the water. Almost any boat will do provided it is reasonably stable, suitable for the sailor, has a good-sized uncluttered cockpit, and is sensible for your venue’s conditions. It’s good to offer a range of boats and a choice of activities.

Boats popular with Victorian Sailability programs (indicative)

Class	Crew	Beach launch	YV yardstick	Indicative cost
Optimist	1	Yes	170	—
Pacer	2–3	Yes	127.5	~$10,000 (2nd-hand $2k–$10k)
Hansa 2.3 (Wide)	1	Yes	175	~$8,335
Hansa 303 (1-person)	1	Yes	166	~$12,336
Hansa 303 (2-person)	2	Yes	170	~$12,336
Liberty	1	No	132	~$16,240
RS Quest	2–3	Yes	115–116	~$24,240
RS Venture Connect SCS	2	No	115–116	~$65,000–70,000
2.4mR (open)	1	No	137	—

Costs are indicative only and change over time. The Hansa 303 and Liberty are recognised by Para World Sailing; the 2.3 and Liberty can be sailed with servo-assist technology for solo sailing. The Optimist, Pacer and RS Quest suit learners and mixed-ability fleets (though the Optimist and Pacer aren’t suitable for wheelchair users). The 2.4mR is ideal for integrated racing since the sailor doesn’t move in the boat and everything is adjustable in front of them — there’s an active fleet at Royal Brighton Yacht Club.

Access & enabling equipment

The right access equipment enables independent sailing and reduces manual-handling injury risk for volunteers.

Support & access enabling equipment

Equipment	What it does
C-Crane lifting system	An inexpensive davit that transfers participants from dock to boat and removes Hansa keels. Fits sockets on existing pontoons, docks and jetties (standard on Hansa modular pontoons), and can be trailer-mounted to hoist a sailor aboard onshore before a beach launch — useful for lake clubs without a floating pontoon.
Slings / lifting harnesses	Needed for the C-Crane. Some sailors prefer their own. Slings that cradle the back and buttocks and cross between the legs are highly recommended — they stop a person sliding out during transfer.
Servo electrics	Servo-assist controls let people with limited mobility sail solo. In sailing, powered equipment levels the playing field rather than giving an advantage, enabling participation and competition.
Keel Caddie	Safely transports centreboards from storage to the water. Used with a C-Crane it removes the handling problems of ballast centreboards — essential for the 70 kg Liberty centreboard. Carries up to five 2.3 or 303 centreboards.

C-Cranes, slings, servo electrics and shore accessories are available from Hansa Sailing Systems. The International Hansa Class Association also maintains a list of tested, approved modifications to increase access for sailors with specific needs.