Our Programs
Individual Sail
The DSAA offers our members with the opportunity to sail independently on the Glenmore Reservoir in any of our accessible sailboats: Martin16s, Sonars, or Access Dinghies. Sailing is unique in that it allows our members the chance to leave their disability at the dock, and experience independence and freedom in a way that would otherwise not be available. While learning to sail or for a therapeutic and rehabilitative outing where the member is not able to sail on their own, DSAA provides independent sailing with a qualified volunteer sailing companion.
The DSAA staff will ensure the boat and any required adaptive equipment is ready for sailing prior to the outing and assist in transferring people in and out of the boat. After the sailing session the staff will ensure the boats are de-rigged and stored.
Pricing
Martin16: $40 for 1.5 hours of sail
Sonar: $40 per person (minimum of 3 people) Access
Dinghy: $40 for 1.5 hours of sail
*Cancellations/changes must be made 24 hours prior to the date of sail. Any later changes will incur a cancellation fee of $20 for the Martins/Dinghies and $50 for the Sonars
Waivers
While we take every safety measure possible, sailing does have some inherent risks. Please follow the links to view our waivers.
Community Sail
The DSAA provides sailing opportunities to agencies serving children and adults with disabilities, allowing these groups to introduce their members to sailing and the therapeutic and rehabilitative aspects associated with leaving their disability on the dock.
The DSAA will provide boats from our fleet for our Community Partners, including any adaptive equipment needed. Our Program Coordinators, and volunteers will ensure the sailboats are ready prior to setting sail and assist in transferring people in and out of the boats. As required to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience the DSAA will provide at least one qualified volunteer sailing companion per vessel to assist in sailing, navigating and docking the boats.
The DSAA also offers clubhouse rental to its’ Community Partners so that they can offer their members “onshore activities” in case the weather does not allow sailing or if they have a larger group. The “onshore activities” are at the direction of the Community Partner to plan and hold, as the DSAA only provides an indoor space.
Pricing
Martin16: $40 for 1.5 hours of sail
Sonar: $40 per person (minimum of 3 people) Access
Dinghy: $40 for 1.5 hours of sail
*Cancellations/changes must be made 24 hours prior to the date of sail. Any later changes will incur a cancellation fee of $20 for the Martins/Dinghies and $50 for the Sonars
Waivers
While we take every safety measure possible, sailing does have some inherent risks. Please follow the links to view our waivers.
Learn to Sail
No sailing experience is required to come sailing with DSAA. Our experienced sailing companions coach our members while out on the water. Members can participate as much or as little as they wish from pulling lines to learning to take the helm. Though DSAA does not provide sailing lessons DSAA works collaboratively with Glenmore Sailing Club for members to participate in the Sail Canada Can Sail or Keelboat Siling Certifications. Members can sign up for dinghy and keelboat lessons through the Glenmore Sailing Club and DSAA will provide the adaptive equipment and boat for the lessons.
After learning how to sail independently some of our members choose to advance their knowledge and self-development by participating in friendly racing. The DSAA supports these members by participating in the “Wednesday Night Racing” series, hosted by the Glenmore Yacht Club on the Glenmore Reservoir. There are no pre-requisites to participate in this event and is open to our members of all sailing ability.
For this event the DSAA staff will ensure the boat and any required adaptive equipment is ready for sailing prior to the outing and assist in transferring people in and out of the boat. After the races the staff will ensure the boats are de-rigged and stored. If the member is new to racing and not comfortable on their own the DSAA provides the sailor with a qualified volunteer sailing companion to ensure they have a positive and enjoyable experience.
Learn to Race
Outreach
Our Outreach Program takes our boats on the road, to venues where local disabled individual and volunteer enthusiasm combine to bring accessible sailing to a community. When groups representing people with disabilities invite us to an outreach location, DSAA staff and volunteers transport boats and equipment to an accessible location to share the experience of sailing with other members of the disabled community.
Previously we have worked with the Canadian Paraplegic Association Edmonton Chapter and the Wabamun Sailing Club to hold Outreach Programs on Lake Wabamun, 65 km west of Edmonton. The DSAA provided a group of 2-3 individuals, consisting of volunteers and staff, to transport our boats (2 Martin16s and 2 Access Dinghies) and accessible equipment to Lake Wabamun. The staff and volunteers then ensured the boats and any required adaptive equipment was ready for the new sailors, assisted in loading and unloading the participants, and de-rigged the boats after the event. Our volunteers and Wabamun Sailing Club provided qualified sailing companions for the new sailors to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience.
The Outreach Program is normally held on a weekend and we’ve previously been to Lake Wabamun and Pine Lake, 39km southeast of Red Deer. The DSAA only charges the cost of fuel and accommodation back to the organizing group. We normally see approximately 20 new sailors at each outreach.