Fall2Flight promotes accessible flow state practices for individuals living with PTSD, chronic pain, and disability through hands-on restoration work, creative expression, and community building.

Why Boat Restoration?

Traditional boat restoration creates the perfect conditions for therapeutic flow states. The work requires sustained attention, precision, and patience—exactly the conditions that produce healing flow experiences.

Veterans and trauma survivors find therapeutic benefit through:

• Meditative repetition – Sanding, varnishing, and finishing work creates calming focus
• Visible progress – Watching a neglected vessel return to beauty provides meaningful accomplishment
• Skill development – Learning traditional maritime craftsmanship builds confidence
• Community connection – Working alongside others without pressure or expectations
• Problem-solving – Restoration challenges engage the mind constructively
• Physical engagement – Hands-on work that accommodates various ability levels

The Ranger Project

We're restoring Ranger, a 1937 Stephens Bros. 38-foot cruiser, docked on the Sacramento River.

This classic vessel serves dual purposes:

Preserving Heritage: Maintaining traditional brightwork techniques and authentic materials to honor maritime craftsmanship.

Healing People: Creating a hands-on learning environment where trauma survivors experience therapeutic flow states through meaningful work.

The restoration is volunteer-based, documented through photography and video, and shared through educational content including monthly articles in Bay & Delta Yachtsman magazine and an upcoming YouTube channel.

Founder's Story

Shane McDaid founded Fall2Flight after living with osteogenesis imperfecta his entire life.

Having broken his bones hundreds of times, Shane developed PTSD and chronic pain, giving him deep personal understanding of the challenges trauma survivors face.

This lived experience informs every aspect of Fall2Flight's approach: creating accessible pathways to healing that acknowledge physical limitations while emphasizing capability and resilience.

As a professional photographer and writer, Shane documents both the boat's transformation and volunteers' stories, creating authentic educational content about flow states and trauma recovery.

Ranger is docked at Shane's home on the Sacramento River, making this a daily commitment, not a distant project.

Our Approach

Volunteer-Based: Community members contribute labor and expertise while experiencing the therapeutic benefits of focused craftsmanship. No boat experience required.

Documented: Professional photography and videography capture both technical restoration processes and the human stories of transformation.

Culturally Responsive: We adapt our approach to honor diverse healing traditions, avoiding one-size-fits-all Western frameworks.

Media Integration: Monthly articles in Bay & Delta Yachtsman magazine share the journey with broader audiences, with YouTube content launching soon.

Trauma-Informed: Every aspect of Fall2Flight's work acknowledges the realities of PTSD, chronic pain, and disability—because the founder lives these experiences daily.

Current Status

• Nonprofit Status: Active 501(c)(3), EIN 39-3152094
• Location: Sacramento River, private dock
• Restoration Phase: Initial assessment and brightwork preparation underway
• Community: Growing volunteer base, established media presence

Get Involved

Interested in volunteering on Ranger, sharing your flow state story, or supporting our work? Contact us.