Congratulations to Steve Palmer, SpinSheet's Volunteer of the Year
Following a month of reader nominations and a SpinSheet staff vote, Steve Palmer, volunteer extraordinaire at Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating (CRAB), has been selected as the SpinSheet Volunteer of the Year 2025.
Palmer, who is a double amputee above the knees, was fully certified as a CRAB Skipper to take disabled guests sailing. Not only did he participate in four regattas in 2025, he also volunteered 171 hours in five months to the organization devoted to providing the therapeutic benefits of sailing to people with disabilities, recovering warriors, and youth from underserved communities.
We reached out to Paul “Bo” Bollinger, CRAB president and CEO, to learn how Palmer found the organization. He said, “Steve had sailed from England to Iceland to Canada to the Bahamas. On his return up the East Coast, he looked up ‘adaptive sailing programs’ and CRAB popped up on his search engine.He sailed to Annapolis Landing Marina next to the CRAB Adaptive Boating Center and got a slip.”
Palmer has been involved in CRAB for two years. His volunteer hours include taking disabled guests, recovering warriors, and children from underserved communities sailing on CRAB’s Beneteau First 22A’s.
Bollinger adds, “He also works on the spring commissioning projects to get the propane motors repaired, rigging checked, and sails in order.
How has Palmer’s embrace of CRAB programs positively affected the organization? “Steve is definitely someone who endears the respect of our disabled guests and particularly wounded warriors. He was injured by an IED while serving in the British Army in Afghanistan. His ability to move about the boat and do anything an able-bodied skipper can do is simply amazing. His empathy and demeanor around CRAB guests is second to none.”
Before we knew of Palmer’s nomination for the SpinSheet award, we had learned that he had been awarded the Lance Hinrichs CRAB Skipper of the year. Hinrichs served as CRAB’s president for five years and knew and worked with CRAB founder Don Backe; both were wheelchair-bound sailors who were highly competitive and accomplished and enjoyed competing against one another. As a CRAB skipper in 2025, Palmer competed in the Don Backe Memorial Regatta, the Robie Pierce Regatta (Larchmont, NY), the CRAB Cup, and the CRAB Special Olympics Regatta.
As for 2026 volunteer opportunities, Bollinger said, “CRAB is always looking for new volunteer skippers and crew. All anyone has to do is go to the CRAB website (crabsailing.org) and click on the “volunteer” button. We have 130 volunteers this past year contributing more than 5000 hours of their time. We have a very strong education and training program to ensure that guests are treated courteously, respectfully, and safely while teaching them how to sail. It is very symbiotic relationship between CRAB volunteers and guests.”
Thank you to Steve Palmer for giving so much back to the sailing community! You inspire the rest of us to donate our time to a worthy cause. In honor of the SpinSheet Volunteer of the Year 2025, SpinSheet will make a donation to CRAB.
We often highlight volunteer opportunitites in SpinSheet, so keep your eyes on the magazine for future ones.
