On 5 July, between 10am and 4pm, Autism on the Water will hold a special Sailing Experience Day, hosted by Haslar Marina, Gosport. This first big South Coast open day of the year will welcome autistic adults, children and their families and carers aboard four vessels: three sailing yachts and one motorboat, skippered and crewed by experienced volunteers.
Over the day up to 90 people will be out on a boat, and the open water, in many cases for the very first time. Each boat will take small groups for hour-long sails in Portsmouth Harbour or the Solent. Thanks to strong community support, nearly all places have been booked, with families from across the South Coast and beyond expected to participate.
Enhancing Skills and Confidence
Autism on the Water’s events are about much more than a fun day out. Founder Murray MacDonald and many participants emphasise that sailing builds key life skills. Murray explains that “sailing has given me, a person with autism, confidence, problem solving skills and social skills, which are some of the most difficult skills a person with autism can struggle with on a daily basis. When autistic children and adults work together to tack or trim sails, they often find themselves thinking and communicating in new ways, and feeling proud of their achievements.”
For the Gosport event, Murray added: “We are delighted to be offering this next Sailing Experience Day in partnership with Haslar Marina. We have had tremendous support from everyone involved. We know that autistic people are often drawn to activities on the water and so we are looking forward to giving many more a taste of sailing from this stunning location.”
His comments reflect the charity’s warm, community-focused approach and its belief in the transformative power of sailing. The Mayor of Gosport, Councillor Kirsten Bradley, will also attend the event to see first-hand the joy it brings to autistic individuals and their families.
Community Support
Opportunities like this are vital because autistic people often face serious barriers to inclusive recreation, from sensory challenges in crowded venues to the cost of specialist activities. AOTW’s core aim is to remove these obstacles: all their sailing and boating activities are completely free of charge.
As a not-for-profit charity, AOTW relies on volunteers, sponsorship and donations to operate and without the generous sponsorship and donations from the community there is no way that it could continue.
Members of the public are warmly invited to get involved. Skilled volunteer skippers and crew are always needed to help run events, and local businesses or individuals can support the charity through donations or in-kind sponsorship. Everyone is encouraged to attend the Haslar open day, whether to volunteer or simply to show support. To learn more or to contribute, visit the Autism on the Water website, where volunteers can sign up and supporters can make donations. Together, the community can help AOTW continue “going sailing with autism”, breaking down barriers and giving autistic people and their families life-changing experiences on the water.
Autism on the Water is a UK charity that aims to increase awareness of the autistic spectrum through sailing and boating and provide free opportunities on the water. Founded by autistic sailor Murray MacDonald in 2016, the charity has gone from strength to strength and has helped over 1,000 people on the autism spectrum enjoy sailing and boating. AOTW remains the only known UK charity specifically dedicated to bringing free water-based activities to people with autism. Its mission is to break down the financial and practical barriers that often keep autistic individuals and their families off the water.
