Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating

The mission of CRAB is to bring the thrill, freedom, and therapeutic value of learning to sail on Chesapeake Bay for all people with disabilities, recovering warriors, and children from underserved communities.

The organization was founded by avid sailor Don Backe, who was paralyzed in his 50s from a car accident in 1989. Today CRAB provides sailing experiences and instruction to over 1,000 guests every year from its base of operations at Sandy Point State Park. Thanks to the numerous CRAB volunteer skippers, crew, and support staff, sailing programs are held every week from April through October and include Family Sail Sundays, Group Sails, Sailing Camps and Clinics, and Regattas.

Beneficiaries include anyone with a disability, including the Maryland School for the Blind and the Kennedy Krieger Bennett School, plus nearly 30 nonprofits serving people with disabilities in the region.

Our key events and initiatives include The CRAB Cup, and our new Adaptive Boating Center. With a motto of “Bringing Quality to Life, One Sail at a Time,” our award-winning organization is ability-focused, fully adaptive, empowering, and has a 30-year history of changing lives.