MEOTA — Meota Lakefront Paddle and Sail are excited to be involved with a group of disabled Sailors from Saskatchewan. Joe Gerlinsky has a disability but it hasn’t stopped him from becoming one of the best sailors in the province. He also can manufacture the equipment necessary to launch the sailboats that a disabled sailor would need.
The boats have a single hull which makes them stable in the water. Most sailboats can be tipped over in the water, but these boats will self-right themselves. The person sailing sits deep in the boat, rather than leaning on the edge of the boat. Joe’s launch device uses a track system to bring the boats well into the lake before sailing off the boat lift.
The motorized lift is specifically designed to accommodate someone who is in a wheelchair. A chair lift brings the person up to the top of their boat, so they can then slide themselves into position in their boat. Once the person is in their boat, Joe used tracks to manoeuvre the lift for a considerable distance into the lake before the boat can be pushed off of the lift.
Crystal, who is wheelchair-bound, has been sailing for the last nine years on various lakes in the province. Last year she went to the Canada Summer Games in Ontario. She won a silver medal in her class. Sask Sailing has been promoting sailing for disabled individuals for several years and Meota Lakefront Paddle and Sail are thrilled they are coming out to sail on Jackfish Lake.
Angela, Crystal and Joe plan to be out as much as possible for the remainder of the season. They are an inspiration to all those who aspire to sail in Saskatchewan. I know that the people of Meota and district will be pleased to witness these new (very expensive) boats out on the Jackfish Lake.
