Sailing – Tenacious


A Wheelchair Accessible Square-rigger. This is the Tenacious, under full sail. This photo was taken by our Boson’s mate, Max. Captain John Fisher is showing me how to use the sextant for navigation. – Our skipper is very bright, patient, competent and an accomplished sailor.

A large ship in a body of water
A large ship in a body of water


This is the Tenacious, under full sail. This photo was taken by our Boson’s mate, Max.
See more of his work at http://www.tallshipstock.com

Ship captain showing gene how to use a sextant
Sue posing on the ship

Captain John Fisher is showing me how to use the sextant for navigation. Our skipper is very bright, patient, competent and an accomplished sailor. You should see him walk on top the yards.

This watery tart is Sue; Ship’s medical officer and “Jack of all trades.”


Gene on a bowsprit of the ship
A group of people reefing the sails
Gene with 3 other peopleon thee bowsprit of a ship

It seems we were always reefing the sails or bracing the yards. Here are a few pictures of us on the bowsprit, the most dangerous place to sit.

Gene on a ship deck

Here I am enjoying the weather.

Here we are at the helm looking forward at the course sail


Sometimes the weather was cold and windy. Here we are at the helm looking forward at the course sail. In high winds we only set a few of our 21 sails.

Gene on the ship deck with a safety strap on

We were all assigned watch duty. Here I am on morning watch. Notice the safety strap I’m wearing. I’m also wearing a detachable hood that my mother got for me for skiing. Works great for sailing too. Thanks mom.

View of the horizon from the ship, with the ship tilting slightly


As you can see, by looking at the horizon, the ship is listing about 10 degrees to port. Imagine trying to roll a wheelchair on a ship’s deck when the ship is pitching, yawling, and rolling (moving in 3 dimensions) and moving forward while it is listing. Whoever thought that putting a wheelchair on a sailing vessel was a good idea, must have been crazy and I want to thank him for that.

Group of people on a ship
Gene posing with 5 other people on the ship
Image of a well lit ship at night in a body of water

The permanent and voyage crew of the Tenacious.

The Aft Starboard watch crew, from left to right behind me, Tony, Jean, Colin, Clive and Laurence.

The Tenacious in Tenerife, Canary Islands. – Courtesy of Max


Wheelchair Aloft


Gene being lowered by two people using a block and tackle system
Gene being lowered with his wheelchair on a ship using a block and tackle system
Gene being lowered on by two people using a block and tackle system
Gene being lowered using a block and tackle system
Gene being lowered using a block and tackle system
Top angle of Gene being lowered using a block and tackle system
Gene being lowered into a dinghy
Gene being lowered in his wheelchair into a dinghy


We went aloft in harbor, and at sea when the winds were calm. When we went to the beach for a picnic, we were lowered into the dingeys with a dedicated block and tackle system.


Miscellaneous


A group of people dressed in traditional clothes dancing and playing music

In Tenerife, they held a reception for us.

A beer vending machine
A man and a woman posing with food in a tray

Ahhhh, a beer

vending machine.

Meet Fred, the ship’s cook, and his assistant, Ann. In addition to three meals a day, they made pastry snacks for us mid-morning and afternoon for ‘smoko’, the merchant marine version of coffee break. Ann helps with sails as well.

Laurence and Duncan working on a yard.
Close up of Laurence and Duncan working on a yard.

2 views of Laurence and Duncan working on a yard. In the age of sail there were no safety harnesses.

A woman and Gene on a beach
Gene smiling with his friend Julia hugging him from behind.

That’s Jean on a nude beach. That’s Julia on a nude beach.

An accessible moving ramp on a airport

In Spain, they used these moving ramps, at the airport, instead of escalators. That makes it easy for folks in wheelchairs as well as people who take their luggage for a walk.


A Wheelchair accessible Square-Rigger


Close up of a sink
Accessible lift


This sink can be moved up or down and left or right, to accommodate a person in a wheelchair. This is one of the wheelchair accessible lifts. The helm has an adjustable chair that can be positioned out of the way when folks in wheelchairs take a turn at the helm.

Close up of a joystick being used by Gene
Gene posing in front of a table in the mess

I used this joystick to steer the ship. A few of the tables in the mess were height adjustable, to accommodate people in wheelchairs.


Canary Islands Lions Club


Gene sitting with a group of people


We couldn’t get a flight out when we wanted, so Helen, our travel agent, hooked us up with two of the Lions Clubs on the island. In the image above, we are in the lower mess of the Tenacious, planning our trip ashore. That’s Captain John Fisher next to me. They were great – they arranged transportation, took us to Loro Parque, took us to dinner, then for a tour of the casino district. They taught us about the local culture, foods, and, in general, were great people.

gene getting inside thr back of a van through an accessible ramp

Robert drove us around in this comfortable little car. There was room for four in front.


Since I took only a few pictures, I borrowed these from the Loro Parque web site to give you an idea of what we saw.

A family looking at a shark aquarium
Borrowed from the Loro Parque web site.
Dolphins in a pool
Also borrowed from the Loro Parque web site.
Gene posing with 3 other people in front of a garden

On the front grounds of Loro Parque. Betty on the right, me, Laurence, and Betty’s friend also in the Lion’s Club.