Chew Lake Association of Disabled Sailors (CLADS)
SAILABILITY, Sailing for the Disabled CLADS (Chew Lake Association of Disabled Sailors) is a registered charity for a group of disabled sailors who sail on Chew Valley Lake, 10 miles south of Bristol, we sail most Saturdays from the end of April until the beginning of October each year.
Chew Valley Lake is the largest artificial freshwater lake in Southwest England. If you have never tried sailing before, welcome! You will find sailing a breath of fresh air, meet fantastic people and learn loads. Sailing is great for mind, body and soul. Come and enjoy sailing in this beautiful setting. Or, if you have been a sailor and are unable to sail without assistance you are also very welcome. We are open for new sailors and volunteers to help with the running of CLADS.
Any age from 8 to 80 and people with any form of disability are welcome. Everyone is different, so contact us if you have questions or want to find out more about how boating and Sailability can be made to work for you. We have 4 ‘Challengers’, (15' single-handed trimarans), A ‘WindRider’ trimaran which takes 4 and an ‘Access’ single handed dinghy. All our boats are specially adapted for disabled sailors.
Our minimum age for membership is 8 years old. Members under 16 years old must have their parent or carer on-site at all times.
We need a mix of helpers to assist us with onshore and offshore activities. Onshore activities include helping setup boats at the start of the day and packing up at the end of the day. Sailors need assistance getting in and out of our boats. You do not need sailing experience to be able to assist with onshore activities. Offshore activities involve being able to take people out on our accessible dinghies and assist where necessary. Whilst some sailing experience would be an advantage, we are able to train people where necessary. Please get in touch if you can help or want to find out more.