About Us

Why couldn't we experience the joy of boating?

Born and raised close to the shores of Lake Ontario, Stephen Cull led an active life until a sporting accident twelve years ago. After 38 days in intensive care and 11 months rehab he was confined to a wheelchair - immensely grateful to those who had brought him through his ordeal, and aware of how fortunate he was to have survived. In the summers that followed he would often sit by the side of the lake watching the hustle and bustle of life on and around the water, remembering the exhilaration of sailing, reflecting on the absence of people in wheelchairs, and wondering if it would ever change. Then he got to thinking, "Why not? Why couldn't people with disabilities experience the pleasures of boating?"

It was the glimmering of an idea that finally crystallized almost a year later in the summer of 2001 at a cottage in Muskoka where Stephen was staying with some friends, one of whom had a pontoon boat and a specially constructed dock, both wheelchair accessible. Stephen invited his 85 year old aunt along but she declined. Having sailed most of her life, she knew that you had to 'climb' into a boat and felt she was no longer able to do that comfortably. When Stephen mentioned that he would be 'rolling' onto the boat in his wheelchair her eyes lit up, "Count me in," she said. As the four unlikely shipmates were cruising on the lake the look of pleasure on his aunt's face got Stephen thinking about what it would take to provide the same opportunity for others.

Access to the harbour and the dock were key factors. So too was the location. It should be within easy traveling distance for as many people as possible. Then there was the boat itself. It would have to be barrier-free and fully equipped to handle the needs of people with disabilities so that they could enjoy the experience in safety and with dignity without having to go beyond their comfort zone. And so began Stephen's voyage of discovery.