Can’t Drive? Let’s Sail: Katie Boyd on Accessible Blind Sailing

In this episode of The Blind Chick Founder of Twin Cities Blind Sailing and co-founder of the U.S. Blind Sailing Association, Katy Boyd traces her vision-loss story, the freedom she found on the water, and how accessible sailing scales from youth camps to ocean racing. Topics include training blind helms with tactile and auditory cues, solo sailing in Mini-Illusions, safety and right-of-way on busy harbors, racing culture, mental-health benefits, and building national and global programs. Clear takeaways: sailing is teachable, teamwork matters, and access grows when local clubs partner and commit.

Contact Info
Guest/Org: Katy Boyd — U.S. Blind Sailing Association • us-blindsailing.org • Twin Cities Blind Sailing (donations for local growth via program page; national growth, contact Katy via the site)
Aftersight (network): [e-mail]
• [phone]
Producer: Jonathan Price, Aftersight

Show Credits
Hosts: Penn Street, Moses Street
Guest: Katy Boyd
Producer: Jonathan Price
Series: The Blind Chick — an Aftersight Original

Chapter Markers
00:00 — Opening and guest setup
02:17 — RP diagnosis and reclaiming architecture
04:38 — First sail in Boston and falling in love with the water
06:57 — Harbor stories and the five-horn barge lesson
09:21 — Learning venues: Charles River to open harbor
11:45 — Stress, humor, and decision-making under pressure
14:09 — Big-race goals and “firsts” for blind sailors
16:31 — Youth camps, safe starter boats, and racing pathways
18:50 — Teaching philosophy: rigging, knots, and 3D lake maps
21:13 — Why blind sailors excel at the helm
23:38 — Team dynamics: blind helm with sighted bow calls
25:59 — Solo sailing in Mini-Illusions and guide boats
28:23 — Night sailing logic and nonvisual navigation
30:49 — Independent outings and learning limits (fishing fail)
33:07 — Apps, rules, and racing without assistive tech
35:29 — Practicing blindfolded skills safely
37:52 — Starting programs in Minneapolis and beyond
40:11 — Colorado partnerships and site growth
42:31 — Progress stories: fear to racing to solo
44:55 — Mental health, volunteers, and first-time nerves
47:18 — Transfer effects: confidence beyond the dock
49:36 — How to connect and donate
51:59 — Scaling nationally and internationally
54:18 — Inclusion on the line with Olympians
56:39 — Final message: do not accept imposed limits
58:42 — Close and Aftersight thanks