Blind Sailing Canada

Catch the wind, feel the freedom.

Press release: $31,500 OTF Grant Provides Enhanced Sailing Opportunities for Blind and Vision Impaired Sailors in the GTA

ABOUT US

Blind Sailing Association of Canada (BSAC) is a charitable organization founded in 2002. Our motto is Safety, Fun, and Learning!

Our mission is to offer affordable recreational sailing opportunities to blind and visually impaired individuals in the Greater Toronto Area. To maximize safety, we include two experienced sighted volunteers on every sail outing.

Our blind members get very actively involved by helming our sailboats, trimming the sails, learning sailing theory, and – just as importantly – having fun socializing with crew and other members during and after the sail. BSAC has a number of sailing programs for all levels of interest, ranging from learning how to sail to learning to race. We sail 7 days a week from mid-May to mid-October.

Our Sailboats

We sail out of Marina Quay West located at 539 Queens Quay W, Toronto, ON M5V 3G3
C-Breeze

22ft. Catalina

“C-Breeze” is our 22-foot Catalina Capri which is a spunky, sporty, fun-sailing boat with a tiller. We use C-Breeze for racing. Many of our members also enjoy taking C-Breeze on recreational sails because the tiller allows them to better “feel” the movement of the water and how the boat responds to subtle movements of the tiller.

Catch-The-Wind

27ft. Catalina

“Catch The Wind” is our 27-foot Catalina. It is more of a cruising boat and has a wheel rather than a tiller. This boat has a few more amenities than C-Breeze, including a head (bathroom), a small galley (kitchen), an aft cabin (private sleeping quarters), and a salon (comfortable seating below deck), and even a barbecue. Because it is slightly larger and more comfortable, this boat is typically where our “dock parties” are held!

SPONSORS

Become a sponsor

Our sailing programs could not operate without the generous support of our many volunteers who serve as skippers, crew support, maintenance and administrators.

We are totally member and volunteer driven, having only one or two paid students during the summer to help coordinate our many sails.

It is our goal to make the pleasure of sailing accessible to blind and partially sighted people who would otherwise be unable to participate due to limited income or the lack of inclusive programs that accommodate their unique needs.

Your financial support allows the charity to deliver and enrich our programs that benefit blind sailors.

If you wish to make a financial donation, please visit our CanadaHelps.org account.

Our charitable tax number is 864 299 425 RR0001.


Our mailing address:

Blind Sailing Canada
361 Front Street West, Suite 2705
Toronto ON M5V 3R5
Canada

If you wish to support us in other ways, please feel free to contact us by email at info@blindsailing.ca.

MEMBERS

Our programs cover a wide range of activities and opportunities for those interested in sailing:

Day sailing
a 3 to 4 hour sail within Toronto Harbor and Lake Ontario.
Learning how to sail
through our Sailing Skills Ladder and the Sail Canada curriculum with qualified instructors.
Cruising
an extended cruise to various destinations throughout Lake Ontario, including over nights.
Racing
participate in practices and local racing events.
Social events
group outings and more.

Fees:

Our annual membership is $50. Pay now.

Single sail
$25
Membership and 10 sails package
$250
Membership fee + Unlimited sails package
$300

Guest sail fee: $30

You can pay the fees via INTERACT e-Transfer to our finance email

Terms and conditions

Become a member

For more information and to join BSAC, send us an email to membership@blindsailing.ca

VOLUNTEERS

Become a volunteer

If you wish to become a volunteer, please send us an email at volunteering@blindsailing.ca and tell us about yourself and how you would like to help.

We would like you to share your skills, experiences, and love of sailing with our club.

To learn more about how a typical sail works please go through our volunteer video series.

Requirements: Toronto Harbour License, POC, VHF license.

Requirements: Basic knowledge of sailing and boat handling.

Help with general boat maintenance, prepping the boats for start of the season, and putting the boats away for off-season.

Help organize and run our social event.

Help us maintain our online presence.

Help us raise funds.

Help us maintain and develop our open-source website and web app. Checkout our github account.