Natasha

 My name is Natasha Lambert BEM, also known as MissIsle (after my first boat) I am 28 and I am a multi award-winning disabled sailor and adventurer. 

I live in Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, with my Dad and sister. Despite being born with Quadraplegic cerebral palsy, I am the sort of person who doesn't really recognise the word “can’t”.  With the help of my family, I have been able to achieve feats which most people would have considered impossible; from sailing oceans to scaling mountains. 

I first fell in love with sailing when I was nine, during an activity holiday. The only problem was, there weren't any boats that I could control. That's where my amazing dad came in, creating a special system that allowed me to steer and control the boat using a straw held in my mouth with a helmet, with this I can 'sip' to starboard and 'puff' to port, there is then a switch I press with my tongue changing it's function allowing me to operate the winches. It changed everything. I'm always up for a challenge, and I guess that's why sailing, with all its unknowns and demands, just feels like home to me.

Rachel

Hi, I'm Rachel! I am 19 years old,  I'm the second child and, let's face it, Tash is a pretty tough act to follow! But we both have our strengths and together we make a formidable team.

I've grown up on and in the water and around boats, so it's a big part of who I am. My love for the water runs deep, having spent countless hours alongside Tash on her boat and exploring the ocean through diving (my happy place!). I'm also a volunteer at Cowes RNLI, which I thoroughly enjoy being apart of.

Growing up, I always thought our life was pretty normal. I can now confirm it is far from it. Dad's technology is unique and so is Tasha's determination to prove what is possible and mum's unwaivering ability to create opportunities. All of this has shaped how I approach life and given me an outlook that allows me to overcome anything that comes my way. 

With a love of writing and public speaking, my role is to help make Natasha's voice heard and promote our adventures. Nothing is impossible, it's just how you do it!

The boats:

Blown Away (by MissIsle)

 

Blown away is a Nautitech Open 46 Catamaran. After 18 months of research this was the chosen boat to enable Natasha to fulfil her dream of sailing across the Atlantic. Being a catamaran, it is a more stable sailing platform and provides an open space letting Natasha and her wheelchair move around more easily. 

The accommodation is made up of 3 doubled cabins, all en-suite, with the owner’s cabin (Natasha’s) taking up the port hull. There is a spacious saloon comprising the galley, chart/nav station and lounge area, then out through the patio doors into the cockpit area where you find the dining table, more seating and of course, the 2 helm positions.

 

Specifications of the Nautitech Open 46

 

13.71 m Length overall

2.14 m Each hull beam

7.55 m Beam overall

22.6 m Maximum height

1.45 m Draught

16,720 kg Displacement

74 sqm Mainsail

98 sqm Gennaker

150 sqm Spinnaker

 

Control system on Blown Away

As with Natasha’s previous boats, the sip puff system was designed and built by our father, Gary Lambert. The previous systems had to be adapted to accommodate 2 helm positions, linking up with steering and sail trim as well autopilot. The seating at each helm has been adapted to allow Natasha full access and visibility whilst controlling the boat, she is also able to help from her standing frame, which can be strapped down in rough seas in the centre of the cockpit.

 

There have been many other adaptations/alterations made to this boat which, whilst not an exhaustive list, include;

• Modified helm seats

• Internal and external ceiling mounted track system for safety of moving Natasha around.

• Running machine installed underneath the cockpit table

• Large rewind winches fitted

• Floating swimming platform ( the "shark cage")

• Davit installed for hoisting wheelchair on board

• Boat entry points widened for wheelchair access

• Plus all the extras for blue water sailing which include generator, solar panels, wind generator, hydro generator, water maker, reverse cycle air-conditioning, red internal and cockpit lighting, fire alarm system and safety equipment.

 

 

MissIsle Too

Miss Isle too is a Mini 6.50. They have two connected rudders and a narrow steel or iron fin keel with a lead bulb at the end. The mast height is typically twice the Mini’s length. Miss Isle too, as well as helm control, has sail trim operated by 2 Harken electronic winches that are operated by a tongue switch inside the helmet. In 2017 we added a new Code Zero. 

 

Specifications of the Mini 6.50

6.50m length overall

3.00 Hull beam

11.00 max height

1.60m Draught

1050kg displacement

420kg ballast

23.5qm mailsail

17.9sqm genoa

70sqm spinnaker (large)

 

The control system on MissIsle Too

The sip and puff control system was designed and built by Gary Lambert (our dad) in 2012 using cutting edge technology. The system has proved to be extremely robust and has taken MissIsle Too and Natasha around much of the coast of the British Isles. Many new adaptions have been applied to the system as the prototype has progressed, perhaps one of the most notable is the addition of the semi-auto sheeting. This allows the onboard computers to activate the sheet winches when Natasha alters course greater than 15 degrees. This is a particularly useful feature as it ensures that the sails are always fully powered. Something that would not otherwise be possible owing to Natasha only having a single straw that either operates the helm or the sheets.