ianwyllie

The sail from Campbeltown to Lamlash was one of those, all too infrequent, rare and privileged days on the water. After what had been an uninspiring, cold and wet set of motor dominated passages from Oban to Campbeltown it was balm for my soul, and a rest for my ears. It’s days like this that … Read more

Trilleen and I marked the arrival of New Years day during the shrouded darkness of a Scottish winter night rounding the Mull of Kintyre. The headland has an evil reputation for angry overfalling waves and eddies to often agitated by violent storms. This New Years morning though it was quiescent in the window between two … Read more

Trilleen is on the move again. It’s a huge relief to be on the way again. The damage to Trilleen’s mast in the start of 2022 resulted severe delays to my attempt to sail round the UK and Ireland solo, raising funds for the Andrew Cassell Foundation, but I’m back on board and getting the … Read more

Waiting is part of sailing. For weather, for tide through refit and during postponements of a race’s start. In all these I and every sailor, wait in eager expectation of the moment at which our vessel again cleaves the water, a growing wake behind her. These waits are mostly short, or at least have a … Read more

This guide is designed to help open up what can be one of the most accessible waterways in Britain to a wider group of users who have disabilities or other reasons for additional needs for accessible washing and access facilities.

An incident during Trilleen’s recent launch has resulted in unrecoverable damage to her rig. This means I won’t be continuing my Round Britain and Ireland sail until she has a new mast in place. I’m still working through he full impact of the schedule changes and will keep you all up to date here and … Read more

As a disabled solo sailor circumnavigating the waters of the UK and Ireland, one of the challenges I’ve had to deal with is managing incontinence at sea. I have good news: it can be done, and done well, even on a tiny boat. My specific issues relate to a spinal injury, but I’ve learned that … Read more

As a solo disabled sailor, I have had the opportunity to explore many different marinas and anchorages around the UK. While some of these places have been accessible and welcoming, others have presented challenges due to a lack of accessibility in their design and infrastructure. Accessibility is not just about creating equal opportunities for people … Read more

Clear nights at sea fall as a diamond studded cloak over dusk. Planets and the navigation stars first among the revealed then the lesser lights before the great galactic smear of the Milky Way oozes into vision. The privilege of being a disabled person free to sail, to venture out into the wild, was never … Read more

A 245 mile sail from Rossaveal, Galway Bay to Islay, Scotland, completed Trilleen’s passage round the west of Ireland. It’s good to have that bit of sailing finished before the weather closes down for the winter.   Trilleen and I had been loitering in Rossaveal on the north coast of Galway Bay for a few days … Read more