On 14 May 2007, yachtsman and powerboater Geoff Holt was leaving the Hamble river in Hampshire in his aptly named trimaran Freethinker. After months of planning, he had begun the public phase of climbing his ‘personal Everest’ – being the first quadriplegic person to sail single-handedly around Great Britain.

He was so much in the public eye that in the crowded waters, just 10 minutes from launch, a press boat cut across his path. He broached and was thrown into the water. Floating face down for more than a minute – his lifejacket didn’t turn him over – he almost drowned before his support team pulled him to safety. But somehow far worse for him was the shame and humiliation – letting everyone down who had put so much into the project and apparently proving his many detractors right.

Life as a teenager had been good. From age 16–18 Geoff had clocked up 30,000 miles at sea and had crossed the Atlantic three times. An enjoyable and lucrative career as a charter boat captain in the Caribbean lay before him. Moreover, he knew, and was known and respected by, all the ‘in crowd’ – Tracy Edwards, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. The sea was his world.

On 5 September 1984, everything changed. In that same Caribbean paradise, Geoff broke his neck, diving for a swim into too-shallow water. He was brought back to the UK and spent a year in Odstock hospital in Wiltshire, working hard to rehabilitate but he was irreversibly paralysed from the chest down and dependent on a wheelchair. He was a young man whose life and aspirations had been thrown into total disarray. There would surely be no more sailing.

Against the statistical odds, Geoff found good employment (in the finance sector) and a happy family life but it was 7 years before he ventured back onto the water after a chance encounter led to the discovery of a new type of boat that he could sail, on his own. Seawater was in his blood and would not be ignored. Only a year on, he managed to sail around the Isle of Wight – though it took him 14 hours. He had to get fitter, get cleverer: pressure sores and exposure were his enemy. In 1997 he did it again, but in less than 8 hours.

By 1995, the newly formed charity RYA Sailability invited Geoff to be its Chair, then representing just half a dozen clubs and 60–70 people. Geoff was rare in his experience of knowing the sea from both able-bodied and disabled perspectives and proved a skilful translator between these two worlds. He isnow Sailability’s Ambassador and an RYA Council member.

As watersports providers opened their doors to more people generally, growing disability awareness brought confidence to an even-wider section of society who wouldn’t formerly have had the opportunity to leave terra firma. Demand grew rapidly and, by 2007, Sailability represented 200+ clubs and 20,000 people with diverse disabilities, from physical to mental, genetic to acquired.

A structure had come into being that promoted and enabled specialist boat design, equipment and training suitable for this new and enthusiastic market. And Geoff benefited from this in more ways than one – he was able to introduce his 2-year-old son to sailing himself, instead of literally sitting on the sidelines watching other adults share physical pursuits with the boy.

Now came the biggest challenge of Geoff’s life. His personal Everest. Having ‘done’ the Isle of Wight, could he manage the whole of the British coastline in a succession of 40- mile day-sails? It wouldn’t just be physically demanding – the logistics and infrastructure behind such a bid would be mammoth. He’d need his own boat, a safety boat, a 4x4 and trailer, navigation and safety equipment, clothing, food, a motor home or two – where would he and his team stay overnight? How could they all afford so much time off work? Passage planning and risk assessments would need expert input and weather forecasting was key: a force 4 wind would be his limit.

After a highly creative campaign, Geoff got the sponsorship he needed from both large and small donors and, after much more hard work, reached launch day via a boat naming by HRH The Princess Royal, Sailability’s Patron. It was after all this that he found himself almost dead in the water, seemingly having failed utterly.

After 5 days of intensive work with the lifejacket manufacturer Crewsaver to adapt their standard products to something that would compensate for his heavily padded and very buoyant leg wear, Geoff relaunched. The river was somewhat quieter this time but progress was greater and so began 109 days of extraordinary endeavour.

A highlight was sailing out of Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, at sunrise with dolphins alongside, while the hospitality of lifeboating communities all along the route astounded Geoff and his team. In particular, a lifeboat station and its adjoining land was often the only place to park safely and legally each night and the volunteers could give invaluable advice on local hazards. Near disasters included an all-day battle with heavy conditions to Portpatrick, Dumfries and Galloway, after which Geoff’s hands and gums were bleeding (he uses his teeth as well as hands to hold and pull on lines) and he passed out with exhaustion.

Having to hole up at Abersoch, Gwynedd, for 25 days due to bad weather brought near defeat – but despair turned to wonder when Geoff looked at his website. He’d been writing a daily diary but had no idea that anyone was taking any notice. He now discovered 30,000 hits a day and ecstatic emails from unknown supporters. His sole-minded selfish ambition to achieve a near-impossible goal had in fact turned into a powerful inspiration for others.

On his final stage, Geoff was virtually blown home by HM Coastguard’s helicopter Whisky Bravo, unbeknown to him 23 years almost to the minute since his disabling accident. He felt reaffirmed as a yachtsman at last but he’d also become a living example for others to follow. Tony Wafer, RNLI Sea Safety Programmes Manager, agrees with Geoff Holt that preparation is everything. Tony was a sailing instructor for people with and without disabilities prior to working for the RNLI. He says: ‘All sea goers should follow our five safety tips but, with a disability, it is important to take extra precautions. You should pay even more attention to the weather forecast and the type of boat you’re using. If you have difficulties in moving around on dry land it is going to be even more tricky on a rolling boat and the worse the conditions, the more difficult the challenge.’

On dry land, adaptations to the physical environment or the use of specialised equipment can bring safety and independence for a disabled person, and so too onboard. Tony prompts: ‘Will you need a hoist to lift you on and off the vessel? Are there locks to secure a wheelchair? Launching ramps, extra lighting or adapted changing facilities might be necessary onshore. Looking ahead, how are you going to maintain your craft – will you have to pay someone else?’

He continues: ‘For your personal protective equipment, take into consideration what range (or lack) of movement you have in case you need a higher level of buoyancy in a lifejacket than recommended for your weight.’

Geoff Holt’s terrifying experience with a lifejacket that didn’t perform as expected has proved invaluable since. The RNLI’s sea survival and sea safety experts, researchers at the University of Portsmouth, the UK Government’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the RYA (including Geoff) and lifejacket manufacturers are all discussing the issue.

‘But,’ Tony emphasises: ‘it’s not just gear and gadgets; it’s techniques too. Whether you’ve paralysed or weak muscles, or a visual impairment, learning the right skills is vital. That’s where expert training comes in.’ RYA Sailability offers people who think they can’t even get on a boat the chance to achieve the self-reliance and exhilaration of being on the water. It does not provide instruction itself but it can advise on suitable courses and providers, while other specialist groups provide similar support for disabled would-be sea goers in pursuits as diverse as angling, waterskiing and surfing.

Chris Refoy is a structural engineer and RNLI Shoreworks Construction Manager. He manages many of the charity’s civil engineering projects for lifeboat stations and other buildings. Chris was a keen sailor before he developed a progressive disease causing peripheral neuropathy. He still sails, if less frequently, as he explains: ‘I’ve had an 11ft Gull dinghy for 25 years but over the last few years getting the boat into the water down a slipway has become impossible without help. I have lost sensation in my hands, so fiddly things like getting a lifejacket on and doing up the buckles or undoing the boat’s cover takes a long time. Also putting protective clothing on and doing up zips is really hard. Velcro or oversized ties are much easier.

‘When I go out sailing the feeling is great and it gives me a sense of achievement although I am more aware that if I get into trouble and capsize, for example, I could have trouble getting back in.’ Chris has been out sailing locally with a club but would really like a new boat that is more stable and requires less maintenance than his current craft. He describes how the industry is now responding to the needs of disabled sailors: ‘They are producing some really exciting designs, with joysticks for steering, different rigging … Access dinghies have deeper cockpits with much steeper sides and are adaptable to suit different requirements. They are also practically unsinkable!’