The Great Leveller

“The sea is a great leveller.” Mike Travis, Watchleader of STS Lord Nelson.

In April 2018 I had the fortune of being able to sail upon a tallship called The Lord Nelson as part of the Jubilee Sailing Trust. From the Azores to Southampton, the journey was over one thousand miles of sailing, with over two weeks without land.

JST is a disability charity, promoting integration through the challenge and adventure of tall ship sailing.

Their two tallships can accommodate many types of disabilities from wheelchair users to the blind. With this comes a huge range of people from different backgrounds with different abilities and different ages, coming together in this melting pot of a ship.

My watchleader, Mike, said ‘the sea is a great leveller’, but I believe it is also the work of the JST and our Nellie herself. This series intends to capture that very idea and spirit.