Royal Navy veteran with mobility issues tours UK and sets sail from Inverkip
Ian Wyllie uses a wheelchair after a serious spinal injury.
A Royal Navy veteran who lost the power of his legs after a spinal injury is getting ready to set sail from Inverkip as he tours around the UK and Ireland in a small boat.
Ian Wyllie is using his Vancouver 27 boat and sailed from Cowes west round Ireland and into the Hebrides during the second half of 2022.
However, last year an accident in a marina severely damaged his mast.
He told Clyde 1: "She is a survival capsule for me and she floats me into some of the wildest places in these islands whether that is off the West coast of Ireland or the Hebrides, it's an incredible gift.
"I find moving around quite tricky but on a small boat like this, everything is within arm's reach and there are not any big open spaces which means I am able to get around more easily than on land."
Ian has raised more than £9563 for the Andrew Cassell Foundation which helps people with disabilities race competitively in sailing.
He wants to encourage people to push themselves outside their comfort zone.
He added: "This doesn't seem like a sensible thing for someone like me to do, but I think it is far too easy for disabled people to be hemmed in by assumptions and expectations."
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