by Hannah from India.

Who doesn’t like a fresh breeze or a calm lake or the bright warm sunshine? So was our day sailing at the Phoenixsee. Our Volunteershouse team has with Dirk Loose a sailor expertise who also happens to be the managing director of the Sail together association.The sail together is in cooperation with the Evangelical Church Dortmund, and with support from the state of NRW, it builds a bridge between people with and without disabilities. Their boats are the first boats in Germany which allows people with disabilities to enjoy sailing without difficulties.

‘Participation in an inclusive sailing trip often requires a lot of courage. In everyday life, there are rarely such intense points of contact between disabled people and others, this limited living space creates an environment that requires communication, tolerance and cooperation. The participants must dare to get involved in The New, The unknown and the known’ quotes the website.

Sail Together e.V. owns three boats: The Rolli Sailor made up of steel which is 7m in length, 2.25 m in width. 1.00 m draft and weights 1.80 tons, Arc Noah the biggest of them all is made up of aluminum 7.40 m in length, 1.00 m draft and weighs 1.80 tons. The Ambiscara 6.35 m long, 2.33 meters wide,1.1 m draft and has a 25 square meter sail area.

On interviewing Dirk Loose, he says this Idea to bring together people was an inspiration from the partners in Holland and one of the future dreams of Sail Together e.V. is to sail over the Nordsee. ‘Everything is possible, you only have to do it with all your heart and mind, the sailing experience brings confidence and courage to people, the participants talk to each other, experience new emotions, pray and explore together in this process’ he quotes. He says one of his most grateful moments at the Sail Together e.V. was when a man who was on his mask, laying on a bed wanted to sail, it was made possible and gave new experience to his tired eyes.

The main idea is to boost hope and strength in the lives of disabled people, and Sail Together e.V. makes it happen by making the impossible possible.

As our sailing began, Dirk taught us, the Volunteers from the Volunteershouse and our friends and colleagues, about the sails and gave us a lot of information about sailing, as we listened carefully with our lifejackets and sunglasses on, we each took turns on being captains. With wind against our faces and the music from Yeremia fest on the shore celebrated by orthodox church, it was a Day well spent.