By: Penny Hartin 
There are few feelings more peaceful than being out on the water in a sailboat, feeling the breeze on your face, hearing the sails fill with wind and moving through the water using the power of nature. Now that spring is finally here, I can begin to think about taking to the water again and enjoying the sport of sailing with my guide dog, Honour.
I am fortunate enough to live in Toronto, where we have an active visually impaired sailing organization, the Blind Sailing Association of Canada, which has existed for about 25 years now. They own two sailboats and sail out of a marina on Toronto’s Harbourfront. The blind sailing program is supported by a dedicated team of sighted volunteer sailors who serve as sighted skippers and crew on our sails. I do not want to give the impression that we visually impaired members sit back and just enjoy the ride as deck doilies. We can, of course, do that if we wish, but most of us genuinely enjoy the sport of sailing and get involved in all aspects of the sailing process, including managing the lines for mainsail and jib and helming (or steering) the boats. Sailing is a very accessible sport as much can be done using touch, feeling the wind, hearing the wind in the sails and movement through the water, the response of the boat and so forth. Our sighted volunteers give us information about the environment around us, including the position of other boats, if we are getting too close to shore, and taking the boat out of and returning to our docking slip.
Many of our members have guide dogs and bring them on board. Our boats have cabins, which is the safest place for the guide dog to stay, on a comfortable mat where they are tethered to the mast or some other safe and secure object so that they are not tempted to join the rest of us in the cockpit, which I must confess, is something that Honour would prefer to do.
If we don’t have many sailors on board and everyone is comfortable, I will sometimes allow Honour up in the cockpit with us as she loves the feel of the wind and being with the people. But always on her leash and with a life jacket, the same as the humans. But if the boat is crowded or it is a windier day, it is safer for her to be in the cabin below as we often need to move around the boat quickly, so it is safer for her and the other sailors to be in the cabin. And when she is in the cabin, I, of course, make sure that she is comfortable, that I check on her frequently to offer her water, a treat, and some reassurance and to ensure that she is not tangled with another guide dog who may also be hanging out in the cabin.
There are times when having a guide dog on board may not be the best for you or the dog; a very windy day when the boat will bounce around a lot might be one of those times. Also, if your dog gets seasick or is just really stressed in the cabin, then you may decide to find someone to watch your dog while you are sailing or leave your dog at home with someone to check on and take them for a walk. We have some volunteers who have offered to walk our dogs while we are out sailing, and that was a good option for my last guide dog, Chicory, who got very anxious while in the cabin. Honour has sailed with me for two summers now, and we eagerly look forward to being on the water again soon!
If you are interested in taking up the sport of sailing, anyone in the GTA area is very welcome to join us at Blind Sailing Canada. There are also links to resources that can be shared with local sailing clubs so that you can enjoy the sport in your community.