A BLIND man who was told he could not travel on a trip organised for handicapped people because he had too many disabilities has won his battle to join the crew of a tall ship.

Gary Shaw, aged 40, was given the all clear by his own GP to man the new tall ship called Tenacious.

Severe

But as reported in the BEN, just days before the craft was due to set sail tomorrow, he was told by the ship doctor that his ailments were too severe.

Mr Shaw has diabetes, blocked arteries and the nerves in his feet are dying. The diabetes brought on his blindness six years ago.

He had been overjoyed, however, to be chosen to sail on the Jubilee Sailing Trust's ship by the Rotary Club of Horwich.

The club had sponsored a place on the ship at a cost of £650 and believed Mr Shaw was an ideal candidate for the trip.

Yet the ship doctor told him other members of the crew would not be able to cope if he became ill and that the sea may get rough and bring on seasickness.

However, the decision has now been overturned after a long phone discussion between the ship doctor and Mr Shaw's GP.

Mr Shaw, of Wigan Road, Deane, sets sail tomorrow from Birkenhead, but still feels upset about having been discriminated against.

He said: "I have had to fight for everything all my life.

"I am glad I'm going, but all this fuss has taken the shine off the trip.

"One minute I was going, then I definitely wasn't going and now I am going - why the sudden change?

"I think the organisers got wind of the fact the BEN was running stories on it and that's why they changed the decision."

John Walkden from Horwich Rotary Club said: "The matter was discussed in depth with the ship's doctor and Mr Shaw's GP and there will be a doctor on board, so it is fine for him to go.

"Obviously we are pleased that he is going because he was disappointed when he was told he couldn't."

Last year, Janet Bell, who is also blind, was sponsored by Horwich Rotary Club to sail in the Mediterranean on the Lord Nelson ship.

Arrive

The Tenacious is due to arrive in Dublin on May 6, calling at Douglas in the Isle of Man en route.

The trip brings together able-boded and physically disabled people. More than 6,500 disabled people -- including 2,700 wheelchair users, have sailed on the trip since 1986.

The £14.5 million three-masted barque, Tenacious, is 65 metres long and has a beam of 10.5 metres.

There is capacity for 20 physically disabled crew including eight berths for wheelchair users.

Mr Shaw has no current need for a wheelchair, but has had 22 operations in the last two years for diabetes.