Following their motto of “Leave your disability at the dock”, Footloose Disabled Sailing has recently announced their schedule for the 2025 sailing season.
With the surrounding large lakes and waters of Puget Sound, Seattle offers some of the country’s best sailing opportunities for people of all ages and skill levels. However, some members of our potential sailing population are disabled in different ways, and feel that sailing is not available for them. Enter Footloose Sailing Association, a sailing organization serving people of all disabilities since 1991. 
Footloose introduces sailing as recreation and sport to disabled people of all ages. They provide safe, accessible, and rewarding sailing experiences to their disabled members along with their attending friends, families, and caregivers. Comprised of over 200 participants and volunteers, Footloose brings competence in the recreational sport of sailing to the physically and mentally disabled. Footloose is a 100% volunteer operated 501 C-3 non-profit, and a chapter of Move United, an affiliate of the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee. They operate on generous donations of time, expertise, equipment, and money–100% of all donations go directly to moorage, insurance, equipment, and operations.
Footloose operates from the North Leschi docks on the west side of Lake Washington. They sail three sloops, two specially commissioned Martin sailboats, and four Access dinghies. The docks at Leschi Marina North have been rebuilt to improve access to wheelchairs, and a dock mounted davit system is used to safely transfer sailors from their wheelchairs to the boat. Experienced volunteers work with attending family, friends, and caregivers during the boarding process. The goal is to get three sloops, and up to six dinghies out on the water twice each sail day during the summer months.
Footloose Sailing events are scheduled on the average of twice a month throughout the late spring, summer, and early fall, and once every summer they sail across Puget Sound for a two night camping trip at Blake Island.
The 2025 Footloose Sailing schedule:
April 26: Fleet assembly and setup 10 a.m. – No sailing
May 3: Daysail
May 17: Daysail
May 31: Daysail
June 14: Daysail
June 28: Daysail
July 12: Daysail
July 27, 28, 29: Blake Island camping trip
August 9: Daysail
August 23: Daysail
September 6: Daysail
September 20: Final Daysail
October 4: Fleet disassembly and shut down 10 a.m. — No sailing
Daysail activity schedule:
Volunteers at 10 a.m.
Sailors at 11 a.m.
Start loading boats at 11:30 a.m.
First sail 12 – 2 p.m.
Second Sail: 2:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Footloose Sailing Association is an all-volunteer organization and is always looking for volunteers to help with shore side tasks, on the docks and out on the water. It’s good, safe family fun!
For more information, visit their website: www.footloosedisabledsailing.org
