Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2011 | Page 62

ON THE WATER

It just goes
to show that
whatever
disability
someone
happens to
have, anything
is possible.

more time thinking about how he
wanted to build it, rather than the
actual work he did on it.”
Eventually a seat was devised on a
pivot that allowed Natasha to remain
sitting upright as her boat tilted.
But Gary admits: “Until Natasha
actually got into the boat it was still an
unknown factor. We thought we knew
what we were doing, but until she
went out in it we weren‘t really sure
whether we had got it right. But after
about three minutes with her in the
boat we knew we had got it right.”
Natasha tested her boat for the
first time at the end of May, and
Gary’s efforts, Amanda and the
team’s support and the teenager’s own
tenacity ensured plain sailing! So the
Miss Isle boat, Natasha’s very own, was
officially launched on June 13 – a few
days before her 14th birthday, and the
perfect present.
Perhaps not surprisingly Natasha
quickly learned the ‘sip and puff ’
steering technique. Her breath is
transferred through electronics, aided
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by a computer, which turns the boat’s
tiller left or right. Indeed, Gary admits
that before Natasha tried it out, he
and Charles took the boat out to see
how it would work – and ended up
going round in circles! But a bit of fine
tuning soon ensured smooth running.
Proud Amanda admits: “What
Natasha has done is an amazing
achievement. It is so much better
seeing her being in control rather
than just sitting as a passenger. It just
goes to show that whatever disability
someone happens to have, anything
is possible. Obviously you need the
team around you who are willing and
able to help – that is a big part of it,
because Natasha couldn’t go out on her
own.”
As a result Charles or fellow
instructor James Merrick are always
on board with Natasha and ensure
smooth progress, not that she settles
for millpond conditions. The smile
on her face broadens even more when
waves begin lapping on the side of the
boat. Carer Cherrell, who also sails

with Natasha, smiled: “I had never
done any sailing in my life, and I’m
sure I am more scared than she is when
we are out there. I have learned sailing
along with her, and I knew all along
that once she put her mind to it, she
was going to do it.”
Instructor Charles said: “The
relationship and trust we have is
very important, but Natasha has
not been any more difficult than
teaching anyone else to sail. She takes
everything in, which is so fabulous
to see. I think we have grown in
confidence together. Every car is
different, and so is every boat – and
this one is very different. There is not
much room with three of us on board,
but we manage.”
However, Natasha is not the type to
rest on her laurels. One day she hopes
to take part in sailing competitions,
and there are even plans in the
pipeline for her and her dedicated
team to sail around the Island over
the course of three days with various
stop-off points.