Earnest Engineering and Manufacturing Center helps Cleveland Sight Center set sail.

Earnest Engineering and Manufacturing Center helps Cleveland Sight Center set sail.

From late May through early October, Cleveland Sight Center clients who are blind or visually impaired set sail with a team of sighted mates and skippers on the waters of Lake Erie.

Last March, in preparation for the sailing season, Wesley Roepke from the Cleveland Sight Center came to the Earnest Engineering and Manufacturing Center looking for some help. A tiller that attaches to the rudder of the boat was worn and needed to be repaired. Using a tiller as opposed to a wheel makes it so a person who is visually impaired is more in-tune with the helm and can more easily steer a sailboat.

The area on the tiller coupler was so worn and sloppy that it needed to be rebuilt. First, we used a welder to fill in the old hole. Then the shop technicians worked out a fixture so they could machine the welded area back to a functional state.

Although the opportunity does not present itself often, it is always great when we can use our skills to give back to the community.

http://www.clevelandsightcenter.org/recreation