Sailability Bayside

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Sailability Bayside Sailing for people with disability during Queensland school terms. In the past 12 months, some 4000 people with disability have enjoyed this sailing experience.

Who we are:
Sailability Bayside is an all-volunteer organisation and part of Sailability World Inc in affiliation with Sailability Australia and Sailability Queensland. Sailability Bayside commenced in June 2003 with three borrowed dinghies that were launched on an old trailer at the boat ramp sited at the now Darling Point Sailing Squadron. We are entirely self funded, relying on our own fund raising, donations from clients, grants from government sources, and donations from business and community service organizations. What we do:
Sailability Bayside provides a sailing opportunity for people with all types and levels of disability in order to bring pleasure, encourage development and provide a broader life experience. Our clients come from various Disability Service Organisations or as private individuals, and they are normally accompanied by a carer who has responsibility for their welfare ashore. We operate 15 Access 303 sailing dinghies and a 7.4m Payne yacht named ‘Faith’, all of which have been designed specifically for the disabled and have great stability. Sailing Days:
Sailing days are Monday and Thursday of the state school term and excluding public holidays. Bookings are essential and are required at the start of each school term. Please contact the registrars at [email protected] to make bookings. Weather conditions may cause cancellation of the day’s sailing. A call to mobile phone number 0401994271 after 7am each sailing day will confirm that sailing operations are being conducted or have been cancelled. Sailing commences at about 9.00 am and continues until about 2pm. Venue:
Darling Point Sailing Squadron premises, 22 Trafalgar Street, Manly. (next to the Coastguard)

Volunteers:
People of all ages and backgrounds volunteer with Sailability Bayside many are of post retirement age though we also have younger stay at home people with school age children. Our active volunteers number around 90 persons at this time and come from a wide variety of backgrounds that gel into an energetic, harmonious, reliable group. Around 30 volunteers are required to operate a sailing day for an average of 80 clients, who are collectively from around 22 disability service organisations, state special schools, the PA Hospital Spinal Injuries Unit or are private individuals. Volunteering with Sailability Bayside requires you to be eligible for the Government “Blue Card”, though there is no cost to a volunteer in gaining this card. Our volunteers are a friendly happy bunch who will guide you into a suitable role even if you have no previous experience with either disabilities or sailing. A willingness to help others is the prime requisite. Should you wish to secure more information, our President Geoff, can be contacted during office hours on 0432 152 310.

Tuesday 20th October and some maintenance today for the new Outboard for Faith. First service and all is well, ready for...
20/10/2026

Tuesday 20th October and some maintenance today for the new Outboard for Faith. First service and all is well, ready for sailing when this rain will let up and allow us to go sailing again. Yes, we do need the rain, but could it please only rain at night.

18/10/2026

Monday 19th October and with a forecast of showers and wind, sailing is cancelled for today. Stay well, Stay safe.

Thursday 15th October and our Annual General Meeting to elect our Office Bearers for the next year. One of our great sup...
15/10/2026

Thursday 15th October and our Annual General Meeting to elect our Office Bearers for the next year. One of our great supporters is local Joan Pease MP who could not attend in person and had staff member, Ben come along to drop off a new Queensland flag to replace our old well worn flag. Thank You Joan and Thank You to our hard working committee who keep the machine well oiled and ticking over.

Thursday 15th October and with the forecast for strong winds, sailing is cancelled for today. Stay well, Stay safe.
14/10/2026

Thursday 15th October and with the forecast for strong winds, sailing is cancelled for today. Stay well, Stay safe.

Karlene’s October Bikeathon for Sailability Bayside Karlene is hosting a month long Bikeathon this October to raise fun...
14/10/2026

Karlene’s October Bikeathon for Sailability Bayside

Karlene is hosting a month long Bikeathon this October to raise funds for Sailability Bayside, a registered not for profit that provides safe, supported, and joyful sailing experiences for people with disability.
Sailability offers a fun, welcoming environment where our sailors are encouraged to participate in and enjoy sailing and other on water activities. With 14 clubs across Queensland, there’s always an opportunity to get outdoors, learn new skills, meet new friends, and be part of something truly rewarding. Their volunteers provide thousands of safe, happy sailings every year — and Karlene wants to help keep that going.
Karlene herself loves using Sailability. As an autistic woman, she finds being on the water incredibly calming and supportive. The program is fully run by volunteers, and she is passionate about giving back.

How the Bikeathon Works
Karlene will be biking as much as she can throughout October.
You can support her by sponsoring $5 for every klm she rides. Alternatively, you can donate a set amount, as a once off.
She is also inviting others to join her rides or ride on your own and help fundraise for a brand new accessible boat for Sailability Bayside. Whether you ride a little or a lot, every metre helps.

Final Event – Morning Tea, Plant Sale & Bake Sale
On 31 October, Karlene will complete her final ride to Thompsons Beach.
After the ride, she will be hosting a community morning tea, along with a plant sale and bake sale — all to support Sailability’s new boat.
Everyone is welcome to come along, enjoy the morning, buy a treat or a plant, and celebrate Karlene’s amazing effort.

Join the Bikeathon
Ride with Karlene.
Sponsor her kilometres.
Come to the final celebration.

Support a program that brings joy, confidence, and connection to people with disability.
Let’s help Karlene raise funds for a new boat and show Sailability Bayside how much our community cares.
To donate click here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/karlenes-bikathon-for-sailability

Monday 12th October and the first sailing day for Term 4. The weather was quite hot with moderate winds to 10kts to begi...
12/10/2026

Monday 12th October and the first sailing day for Term 4. The weather was quite hot with moderate winds to 10kts to begin the session and everyone was enjoying their time on the water. The wind however had other ideas and progressively increased to over 18 kts so that the small boats returned to the harbour too complete the mornings sailing. Some 79 happy faces enjoyed the outting, however we were a little short on volunteers today so we had to work harder to ensure the day was another success. We also had the CEO of Phoenix Lifestyle Support Association, Michelle, along today so that we could Issue her with a huge Thank You for the $10,000 they provided towards our New Yacht Project so we can continue our Sailaing Program into the future. Thank You Michelle and Phoenix Lifestyle Support.

Thank You Kara Cook for your ongoing support of Bonner Not for Profits.
09/10/2026

Thank You Kara Cook for your ongoing support of Bonner Not for Profits.

Thursday 8th October and a great day out in the community at the Y Wynnum Wellbeing Expo at the Wynnum Communitty Hub. G...
08/10/2026

Thursday 8th October and a great day out in the community at the Y Wynnum Wellbeing Expo at the Wynnum Communitty Hub. Good to meet up with other groups who care for the well being of all in the community to share information and display just what is available in the Wynnum Manly area.

08/10/2026
A huge Thank You to our local Joan Pease MP for hosting the Volunteer's Morning Tea at the Wynnum RSL today, bringing to...
07/10/2026

A huge Thank You to our local Joan Pease MP for hosting the Volunteer's Morning Tea at the Wynnum RSL today, bringing together the cream of the many volunteers in our community to share experiences and better understand how we fit together. Like to volunteer with us? Go to https://sailabilitybayside.org/

Address

22 Trafalgar Street
Manly, QLD

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 12pm
Thursday 9am - 12pm

Telephone

+61432152310

Website

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