The Log of Trilleen

The Log of Trilleen – a regular account of Ian’s experience as a disabled sailor with Sailing Trilleen

Boatyard disasters

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Serious damage to jib foil after impact to Trilleen's rig

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

Managing Incontinence at sea

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Image is divided in two diagonally. The foreground is a wooden pontoon with a black trolley on it. The trolley is loaded with incontinence supplies. Behind is a boat moored alongside the pontoon.

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

Creating a more inclusive sailing community in the UK

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Solo sailor Ian sits on the deck of his boat Trilleen. he is wearing large splints on his legs. IN the foreground on a pontoon is his wheelchair and next to the wheelchair is John Twomey, president of Irish Sailing who is a paraplegic and is also using a wheelchair.

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

The dark of night

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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

From Galway Bay to Islay 

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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

Round the Fastnet, to Galway

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Trilleen’s log: 13 September 2022 After many days wind bound in Kinsale waiting for the passage of a fairly horrible depression, during which I was royally looked after by Kinsale Yacht Club and got to participate in one of their excellent Sailability activity days – I ventured out round the corner and turned towards the … Read more

A drift past Eddystone to Falmouth

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Grinning man with balding head wearing black framed glasses and a lifejacket looks straight into camera with clear blue eyes

Trilleen’s log: 26 August 2022 Trilleen and I left Plymouth with decidedly mixed meteorological models. The theory was that about lunchtime a light but strengthening North Easterly would come in. So we started out from the marina with zero wind, dreadful visibility and rain, for a kedge or temporary anchorage in Cawssand Bay, a well … Read more

A small smash to windward

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Shows a yellow and brown headland in the centre of the image. The image is divided into thirds. Deep cumulous cloud in a blue sky in the upper third, the headland in the centre and a blue quietly rippled sea in the lower third

Trilleen’s log: 19 August 2022 Trilleen slipped out of Torbay into a blizzard of yacht racing in the bay. Unavoidably my track took me across the race course, so there was a a lot of stopping, luffing up, and generally trying to avoid impeding the first day of The Royal Torbay Yacht Club Regatta. The … Read more