Tenacious, a very special tall ship with a unique inclusive mission, will sail into Sydney on Wednesday after an epic nine month, 29,000km voyage from Britain.
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It was sailed by a crew of 40, about half of whom are living with disability.
Tenacious will sail to the Australian National Maritime Museum - a culmination of a journey that started in November 2015 and has seen her sail across the Atlantic, navigate the Panama Canal and through the islands of the South Pacific, including Fiji.
The ship will be accompanied by a spectacular parade of sails featuring Sydney tall ships James Craig and Southern Swan, led by the Sydney fire tug Shirley Swan.
Tenacious is owned and operated by the Jubilee Sailing Trust, a UN-accredited charity that has led the way on the issue of social inclusion for nearly 40 years.
It is the largest operative wooden ship in the world (at 65m and with a mast height of 39m) and was built in 2000 by 1,500 volunteers, including many living with disability.
The ship has several special design features which allow everyone, regardless of whether they are living with disability, to play a full and active role as a crew member.
The entire vessel is wheelchair accessible including the platforms up the mast and bowsprit; there are aids for the visually impaired like speaking compasses and people with limited dexterity can even helm the ship with a joystick.
For 38 years, the Jubilee Sailing Trust has provided life-changing adventures to nearly 50,000 people of all ages, backgrounds and levels of physical ability, giving them a sailing experience that instils the self-confidence and perspective to help them achieve their wider life goals. The Australian arm was established in 2015.
Its chairman, Harry Cator, said, “Over four million Australians are living with some form of disability.
“The Jubilee Sailing Trust Australia’s mission is to provide people living with disability and able-bodied people to come together to achieve the unthinkable, sailing a tall ship as equal members of the crew, around some of our most historic maritime sites.” – Australian National Maritime Museum