Sailability: Making sailing accessible to all
Rumson couple founds N.J. chapter of int'l sailing nonprofit
BY KATHY HALL
Correspondent

 

SCOTT PILLING staff Tiaa and Tono Miakoda, Rumson, founders of Sailability New Jersey, speak at the Monmouth Boat Club on May 24.
An alliance between the Navesink Maritime Heritage Association and Sailability New Jersey will give disabled members of the community the same access to recreational sailing that their able-bodied counterparts now enjoy.  

"Our philosophy is, sailing for everyone," Sailability New Jersey co-founder Tono Miakoda explained. "We didn't want to create a disabled sailing program; that's not what this is about. It's about everybody being equal. The beautiful thing about this program is it brings everybody together."

NMHA President Charles Ladoulis announced the arrangement at a meeting last week at the Monmouth Boat Club to introduce Sailability New Jersey, a newly formed nonprofit whose mission is "to improve the lives of seniors, disadvantaged members of the community, disabled children and adults through the activity of sailing."

The organization is currently negotiating for an access site on the Navesink and plans to launch a program of free, all-inclusive recreational sailing on July 15.

 

SCOTT PILLING staff Scott Whitman looks at an Access Dinghy like the one he purchased and plans to race in the Paralympic Games.
Sailability New Jersey was founded by Rumson residents Tono and Tiaa Miakoda. The couple are members of the U.S. Sailing Association and the American Sailing Association. They are also partners in the W Music Group, an artist management and production company in New York that represents some of the biggest names in contemporary music.  

After a motorcycle accident in 1993, Miakoda thought boating was just a happy memory. Although a series of operations over 10 years had restored his ability to walk, he still lacked the strength to operate a conventional sailboat.

When the couple moved to Rumson, Tiaa's research skills found the solution that allowed the once-active sailor to return to the sport he loved.

"She went online and found Debbie Frenkel of the Freedom Waters Foundation," he explained. A member of Sailability World Inc., the Florida-based nonprofit offers sailing programs that use the Access Dinghy, a specially designed sailboat that is unsinkable and can be fitted with a range of adaptive equipment that enable even those with severe physical disabilities to control the boat. The goal of Sailability New Jersey, which is based on the Navesink for the time being, is to establish adaptive community sailing programs throughout New Jersey.

 

A row of accessible dinghys displays the colors in which sails are available.
The Miakodas have already reached out to the Rumson Recreation Department, Monmouth University, Jason's Dreams for Kids, the Volunteer Center of Monmouth County, Ocean County Sailing Advisory Board, Ocean County College and the Lakewood BlueClaws baseball team, among others.  

The Access Dinghy was designed by Australian boat builder Chris Mitchell and is currently being produced in the United States under license by Access Boats USA. Ricardo Seidner, president of Access Boats USA, displayed both the Access 2.3 Single and the Access 303 Wide at the May 24 meeting.

 

The specially equipped dinghys make sailing accessible for children and seniors.
The boats feature sails that can be easily adjusted to suit any wind conditions, a ballasted centerboard that prevents the dinghy from capsizing, a concave hull that promotes additional stability, and special seating that keeps sailors of any ability upright and secure within the cockpit.  

The boat can be equipped with an assist joystick that operates electric winches. The joystick can be controlled by any moving body part or through a "sip and puff" mechanism, enabling even people with very profound disabilities to compete against able-bodied sailors.

"They are made so that they are not only disabled-friendly, they are able-body-friendly," Tono Miakoda explained. "It takes the fear out of it. Once you get over the fear, knowing you aren't going to flip over or fall out, you can learn to sail. They are also great for senior citizens."

Access Dinghys range in price from $4,000 to $8,000 depending on size and equipment.

Sailability New Jersey initially plans to purchase an Access 2.3 Single that will be equipped with electronics, including a sip-and-puff joystick and a head set, to enable blind sailors to take the helm with the sails controlled from the dock. They also plan to purchase boats that can accommodate two people.

The concept of Sailability originated in Great Britain in the 1980s as a national charity for disabled sailors, and its ideals are now promoted by Sailability World Inc., a not-for-profit, volunteer-based network of 350 local clubs in Australia, France, Greece, Great Britain, Hungary, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore and the United States.

According to Sailability World's Web site, "Sailability activities cover a broad spectrum ranging from recreation, therapeutic and competitive activities, from grassroots, entry-level through to elite world championships and Paralympics training."

Sailability New Jersey plans to provide boats, life jackets, safety equipment, training and program activities that will allow everyone to participate without regard to physical ability or economic status.

It is the first program of its kind in New Jersey, according to Tono Miakoda, who acknowledges that additional funds will be needed.

"Our objective is to get Sailability up and running so people can see it and understand it and appreciate it," Miakoda said.

"Then we will start fundraising."

Attendees viewed an excerpt from a documentary on Sailability World produced by Frenkel and Paul Coward, who produces a series on sailing for Dish Network's Water Channel.

In introducing the clip, Coward noted that "Meeting Debbie made me understand the importance of sailing for the disabled. It is often the only experience they have of being in total control. When disabled sailors are asked what they enjoy most about sailing, the answer is the freedom.

"We are all just a moment away from needing the programs that are discussed tonight," he added.

The video focused on 21-year-old Nava, a Sailability participant whose vertebrae were fractured in a motor vehicle accident when she was 4 years old, leaving her paralyzed from the neck down and able to breathe only with the aid of a ventilator.

She learned about the program during a vacation and, after just four months of sailing experience, competed in the International Access Dinghy Championships in Australia as the first ventilated sailor to sail and race solo. Sailing was her first truly independent activity since her accident.

Although the focus of the meeting was on universal access to recreational sailing, disabled sailors interested in competitive sailing also attended.

Brothers Scott and Jack Whitman are lifelong members of the Metedeconk River Yacht Club in Brick. Scott, who had raced Laser and Lightning sailboats at the national level until a swimming accident left him paralyzed, is hoping to compete at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing. The pair had recently traveled to St. Petersburg, Fla., so Scott could compete in an open regatta.

"Being able-bodied is not as much of an advantage," Jack explained. "In normal conditions, it's all about sailing. After the race, people come off the water and everybody just talks about sailing. There's no difference."

Additional information about Sailability New Jersey may be found at www.sailabilitynewjersey.com or by calling (732) 383-5074.

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