The Blind Captain, motivational speaker for your next event
Ahmet Ustunel, The Blind Captain, the first blind person to kayak solo from Asia to Europe.
A Dynamic, Hilarious, and Engaging Speaker, The Blind Captain, tells his life stories and talks about his solo paddling from Asia to Europe.
He has been the keynote speaker for many Bay Area events including nonprofit galas, school graduations, outdoor conventions and corporate retreats.
Blind Captain also offers online speeches, lessons and lectures via Zoom or Google Hangout
I am an ocean lover, boat enthusiast, avid user of assistive technology, accessibility advocate, and have an adventurous spirit. That's why I wanted to design a Non-visually Operated Smart Kayak (NOSK) and paddle solo from one continent to another. My project entailed designing a semi-robotic kayak and travelling with no assistance on an approximately 3.5 mile route from Asia to Europe via the Bosphorus strait. It was more about finding the appropriate technologies and adapting their applications to my purpose than taking a physical challenge. The equipment I placed on the kayak provides its rider with important information including the speed of the kayak, which compass direction it is heading, the distance of the closest waypoint, what other waypoints are around, the depth of the water underneath, whether the kayak is on course, distance to the destination, whether there other boats or other objects around, and weather information, including wind and temperature.
My fascination with the ocean started in a very early age. Growing up in Turkey, all my favorite activities were water related such as swimming, playing on the beach, fishing, and boating. My interest in the ocean and water sports still continues today. I swim, sail, go fishing, and I especially love kayaking.
Kayaking is a sport any Blind person can do with appropriate training and very little adaptation. The traditional way for Blind kayakers to paddle is tandem paddling with a sighted guide. With the navigation system I use however, a Blind person can paddle solo by using currently available technologies. Inspired by self-driving cars, I started to dream about a kayak that I can paddle independently a long time ago. As a Blind person and an accessibility advocate, I believe a project like this will make developers of self-driving cars take Blind users into consideration more seriously in their designs and also educate the public about how blind people can operate a vehicle in an uncontrolled environment safely and independently.
Crossing the Bosphorus has symbolic value. It is where East and West meet, ancient and modern stand together, fairy tales and reality blend into each other. It is where Phineus, the Blind king, guided sailors through dangerous waters and it is where I used to sit on a ferry dreaming about a time in the future when Blind captains and crew will roam through, and nobody will be surprised.
An my dream came through! On July 21st I became the first blind person who kayaked solo from Asia to Europe. Read my bio and resume
New Projects
Great outdoors Belongs to Everyone
Access to the great outdoors is a birth right and blind people are no exception. Seeing how little the blind community have access to nature I decided to share my passion for outdoor sports with others. I organize my first accessible kayaking session in San Francisco. I will continue to teach how to use technology to paddle independently and organize outdoor activities such as fishing, tandem biking, hiking and camping for the Blind. Blind Outdoor Adventure Team (BOAT) will start its activities in the Bay Area soon and our activities in Istanbul has already started and will continue throughout the year.If you are interested in joining us as a participant or volunteer Please contact me at ahmet@theblindcaptain.com.
Paddling from Turkey to Cyprus
My first project was more about developing technologies to paddle independently than a physical challenge. Now I am training for a 65 miles open ocean crossing from Turkey to Cyprus that will give me the opportunity to face a physical challenge.The project needs sponsors. If you want to take part in my big journey as a sponsor or volunteer Please contact me at ahmet@theblindcaptain.com.
Contribute to the upcoming projects
I am working on multiple new projects for the near future. Water Belongs to Everyone, a summer water sports academy for blind youth and adults, a century bike ride to raise funds for blind veterans, a long distance paddle from Turkey to Cyprus are only few of my upcoming projects. If you would like to support please click the button below to contribute!
My Photo Gallery
Quick Links
- Home
- About Me
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- Contact Me
- Paddling From Europe To Asia
- Fishing tips for the Blind
- My Blog
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How Can You Support?
I will be training from August 2017 to July 2018 for my Project "Paddling From Europe To Asia." I am looking for people who canpaddle with me around San Francisco and Istanbul
teach me currents of the Bosphorous
help me with electronics, mechanics, and software/app development such as installation of Obstacle Detection and collision Avoidance Systems (ultrasonic and laser sensors), building arduino and Raspberry Pi devices, ETC
take photos and videos during my trainings and crossing the Bosphorous
help me with video editing and creating a short documentary about my project "Paddling From Europe To Asia"
Be one of my sponsors
Please contact me at ahmet@theblindcaptain.com if you are interested in volunteering or sponsoring.
Tech devices I'll use on the kayak
- Mr. Beep the Course Keeper
- Audio Compass
- Ariadne GPS
- Depth Whisperer
- Loc8tor
- Trekker
- Other apps and devices
Fishing with me!
Fishing is one of my favorite activity. I do pier fishing around San Francisco Bay. During my training for "Paddling From Europe To Asia" I am hoping to get into kayak fishing as well.I want my website, www.theblindcaptain.com to be a platform where blind and sighted fisherman can connect and go fishing together.
If you are a blind fisherman looking for a sighted fishing buddy or if you are a sighted fishing enthusiast who wants to volunteer please contact me at ahmet@theblindcaptain.com.