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The blind man and the sea: how Ian Hamilton and a mixed-ability crew conquered the waves

19 June 2017

In April 2017, completely blind Ian Hamilton joined the crew of , a 55-metre sailing ship, crewed by a mixture of the disabled and the able-bodied.

For many of us it was the voyage of a lifetime!

Everyone took an equal share of the work, from manning the night watch, to cleaning the toilets or hoisting the sails.

The plan was to sail the ship from Aberdeen through the Pentland Firth and down the west coast of Scotland to the Isle of Man, with a crew of fifty people.

This meant Ian had the chance to helm the ship: an amazing experience for someone who can’t drive a car.

Ian Hamilton, who is completely blind, at the helm of the tall ship Lord Nelson

Ian Hamilton joins the crew of Lord Nelson with the help of a talking compass.

Stormy weather on their planned route resulted in them taking a different journey around the UK’s coast than they had originally planned — but an adventure’s an adventure, right?

Ian Hamilton step out of his comfort zone and embark on an adventure on the high seas, joining the crew of the Lord Nelson, a tall ship crewed by a mixture of disabled and non-disabled people.