Sail Boat Crewed by People with MS Will Stop in Boston

The around-the-world voyage is part of the Sailing Sclerosis Foundation's Oceans of Hope program.

Oceans of Hope will arrive at Rowes Wharf September 8. Wharf photo via shutterstock.

Oceans of Hope will arrive at Rowes Wharf September 8. Wharf photo via shutterstock.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) affects more than 2.3 million people worldwide, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Characterized by symptoms such as vision loss, tremors, lack of coordination, and pain, the disease can significantly hinder one’s ability to lead a physically active life.

At least, that’s the perception.

Mikkel Anthonisen, a Denmark-based physician, hopes to change that. Through his Sailing Sclerosis Foundation (SSF), Anthonisen has launched Oceans of Hope, a program in which people living with MS crew the eponymous sail boat on a voyage around the world.

The boat, which initially departed from Denmark in June, is due to arrive in Boston September 8. It will be docked downtown at The Marina at Rowes Wharf for a 10-day stopover.

The purpose of SSF is to use sailing to “empower and educate” those living with this incurable disease. According to the program’s website, people living with MS will work on the boat alongside professional crew members for periods ranging from two weeks to three months. The goal of the program, the website indicates, is “to change the perceptions of multiple sclerosis by showing what is possible when people with a chronic disease are empowered to conquer their individual challenges.”

For more information on Oceans of Hope , visit sailingsclerosis.com.