Leaving Disability at the Dock: 35 Years of Footloose Sailing

On summer Saturdays at North Leschi Marina, something remarkable happens. People arrive in wheelchairs or with other disabilities, volunteers begin readying boats and equipment, and before long, a group of sailors is heading out onto Lake Washington.

• 

• 

“Sailors” is the word Footloose Sailing Association uses for the people it serves. And that distinction says a lot about an organization celebrating its 35th year in Leschi.

Footloose provides sailing experiences for people of all ages and with all types of disabilities, along with their families, friends, and caregivers. Sailors come through rehabilitation centers, MS and brain injury groups, veterans’ organizations and other communities. The organization is 100 percent volunteer-run.

Bob Ewing, one of Footloose’s three co-founders, knows firsthand what being on the water can mean. At 22, Ewing broke his neck in an accident and spent nearly a year in rehabilitation. But put Ewing aboard Surprise, his specially adapted Columbia 22 moored at Leschi, and he’s the skipper.

For Ewing, sailing offers something simple and profound: freedom. That same freedom is built into Footloose’s fleet. Two Martin 16 sailboats are equipped with joystick and “sip-and-puff” controls, allowing sailors with very limited mobility to control the rudder and sails themselves. One sailor sits in front while an experienced volunteer sits behind for safety. A Hoyer sling and dockside lift help transfer sailors from wheelchairs into boats.

Footloose also has small accessible dinghies and larger sailboats that can accommodate sailors, family members, and caregivers. A Boston Whaler serves as a chase boat, helping get the fleet safely onto the lake.

But there is no requirement that anyone become a skipper. Sailors decide for themselves how much they want to do. They can simply enjoy being on the water, participate as crew, learn sailing skills, or take control of one of the smaller boats.

Ewing has watched what happens when someone who initially believes they can’t participate discovers otherwise. After a few outings, he says, some begin to blossom—doing more, learning new skills, and gaining confidence. Some sailors with MS have even told him their pain diminishes while they’re on the water.

His favorite part? The smiles.

Two longtime Footloose volunteers who joined Ewing for our conversation agreed. The reward, they said, is bringing someone back to the dock smiling.

For a first-time sailor, especially someone being transferred from a wheelchair into a sailboat, safety can be a significant concern. Volunteers explain each step, reassure sailors that they’re in capable hands, and help them understand how the boats are designed for stability.

That trust is central to a program Ewing describes as being run “like a family.”

From the first weekend in May, Footloose generally sails every other Saturday through the season. Volunteers arrive at 10 a.m. to prepare, sailors arrive at 11, and the first group aims to be on Lake Washington by noon. A second sailing follows in the afternoon. On a typical day, around 30 sailors and volunteers may be out on the water.

And once each summer, the adventure gets bigger: Footloose organizes a two-night trip to Blake Island, with roughly 45 sailors and volunteers participating.

None of it happens without volunteers and donors.

Volunteers don’t need sailing experience. Help is needed shoreside, on the docks, and on the water, and Footloose relies on a sizable crew to make each sailing day possible. Financial support is equally important. As an all-volunteer nonprofit, donations help cover expenses including insurance, moorage, and maintaining its specialized boats and equipment.

After 35 years, Ewing has seen Footloose transform sailors—and volunteers, too.

If you’ve ever watched the Footloose boats head out from North Leschi and wondered what they were all about, perhaps next summer is the time to find out.

Want to get involved? Footloose welcomes new sailors, volunteers, and donors. Learn more, volunteer or make a contribution at footloosedisabledsailing.org.

~Nikola Davidson