Sailing with Power to Be Adventure Therapy

From March 26 to April 1, a crew of young people set sail on the 138’ schooner Pacific Grace in the Gulf Islands. Young people normally thought of as “at risk” or having significant cognitive and physical disabilities proved that they have plenty of abilities—like climbing a ship’s rigging 115 feet in the air, and handling over 7000 square feet of sail!

The voyage was a partnership between Power To Be Adventure Therapy; a local charity that provides programs that improve lives through outdoor recreation, and SALTS, the charity that provides sail training aboard tall ships. SALTS funded the trip through its bursary program, and Power To Be selected the participants and provided adult leaders to assist the SALTS crew.  It was the first time that Power To Be combined two program participants on one expedition and the result was magical, with great interaction and understanding between the two groups, Power To Be Staff, volunteers, and SALTS staff. 

Participants included those living with a variety of barriers such as autism spectrum disorder, cognitive challenges, physical disabilities, and as well as six youth from the Power To Be Wilderness School, a four-year leadership development program that helps “at risk youth” find their way. 

If there was an award for the most enthusiastic young person ever to participate in the SALTS program, that award might well have been given away on this trip, according to (Mr.) Loren Hagerty, Executive Director of SALTS. A fourteen-year-old boy who has a developmental disability was asking questions of the Captain every few minutes during the safety orientation before the ship left the dock. He was very excited and wanted to know everything about the ship, and was eager to take the wheel. He wanted to steer the ship all day, each day at sea, but had to be coaxed to let others have a turn as well! The real ship’s Captain stood next to him and gave him step-by-step instructions to steer the 175 Ton ship. This is typical SALTS practice to have a young person at the helm with the professional crew giving direction, for a hands-on learning experience. This particular young person brought great joy to the entire ship’s company as he responded so enthusiastically to the program and seemed right at home at the wheel.

Quote from Loren Hagerty, Executive Director for SALTS

“We talk a lot about how our programs provide a life changing experience for young people, but this sailing was also life changing for me. Before the trip, my knowledge of autism was limited to watching the movie Rain Man. As it turns out, that is not the most accurate picture of a disability that has such a wide spectrum of symptoms. I learned that the ‘disabled’ are also ‘abled’—they can do things that you and I cannot do. For example, many kids with autism are excellent swimmers. Others are fantastic at math or problem solving. Some kids’ disabilities left them withdrawn, and others were very outgoing and full of joy about life. I was reminded to enjoy every moment of life from kids who think little of the past nor future. We had kids normally thought of as disabled climbing rigging a hundred feet in the air—I’ve seen many healthy adults afraid to do that! It was very special for all of us to be able to connect with these kids and have both a wonderful adventure and a close community experience with them.”

Quote from Jason Cole, Director of Programs for Power To Be

“One of the most impactful elements of this adventure was the relations that where built among the youth and staff alike.  No matter what your ability, your age or where you come from it did not matter once you stepped onto the Pacific Grace. The experience and atmosphere on the ship and its crew created a strong sense of community, equality and collective strength. Support for one another was almost immediate and infectious. A highlight for me was seeing youth in our leadership development program who stepped up on their own initiative engaged, and supporting others on the ship that had developmental or mobility challenges.  Being on board demanded collaboration and the crew inspired and motivated our youth to work hard and have fun doing it, which all translated into many beautiful moments on the water and new perspectives to reflect on back at home.”