Ten years ago the McKay family was living comfortably at their waterfront home in Winthrop. George was commuting to a corporate job in Boston while his wife, Jo Anne, stayed home, running the household and home-schooling their four children, Elizabeth, Aaron, Tom and Robert.

But their lives were to take a dramatic turn.

The change began when George came up with the idea of building a tall ship for the family that was wide and stable enough for wheelchairbound passengers. The inspiration for the ship was their daughter, Elizabeth, now 24, who suffers from a rare tissue disorder, Marfan syndrome. She has been using a wheelchair since she was 9 years old.

The family believed Elizabeth should be able to have the same experience as anyone else if they go sailing. So the McKays established a nonprofit organization that would take disabled children sailing.

Thus Accessible Sailing Adventures was born.

The initial idea was to buy an existing sailboat, but the retrofitting needed for wheelchair usage was deemed impossible.

The McKay family took a vote on the decision to build their own tall ship.

They named the ship RawFaith because it takes faith of that kind for disabled children to get through life.

Having no boatbuilding or sailing experience, they spent the next few years poring over ship designs and studying data on wood, spikes and breaking strength of ropes. George and Aaron made a half model based on the design of a 16th century English race built galleon, used in naval battles against Spain.

Five and a half years ago the McKays gathered in their front yard, taking photographs as George started up an old flatbed truck loaded with tools and lumber and a camper in tow. He left Winthrop for Addison with the first of many loads of white oak that comprised RawFaith’s nearly 90 foot long laminated keel, the only part of the boat to be completed that summer.

During succeeding summers, older sons Aaron, now 23, and Tom, 21, split their time between working on the ship with their father and keeping up with their school work. While working, they lived in a rented camper and even a tool shed during the warmer months.

In the end, the boat building took twice as long as George initially thought it would. Their savings depleted, the McKays sold their Winthrop home in 2001 and moved to Addison to work full time building RawFaith.

For a while the family worked seven days a week on the hull construction in 2003. Youngest son, Robert, 15, also helped out in the afternoons after his schoolwork was finished.

One of the most stressful days came when the much-anticipated launch date arrived. The launch had to be postponed twice because of difficulties with the launchways and not having a powerful enough machine to push the ship.

At last on August 4, 2003, RawFaith was inched toward the water and launched into the Pleasant River.

No masts or ballast had been installed or inside finish work done.

Another year passed before the ship took its final appearance. The masts were stepped and rigging completed last summer (2004) and the ship took its maiden voyage on July 23 in Chandler Bay near Jonesport.

In September RawFaith was sailed to Rockland for a shakedown before a voyage to New Jersey and then on to Florida.

George, Robert and a crew of four volunteers on board, RawFaith left Rockland on November 20th. Four days later a storm broke off part of the foremast and disabled the rudder eighty miles off Portland. On November 26th the Coast Guard towed the ship back to Rockland, where it is still anchored.

With no place to live but the ship, Rockland authorities allowed George and Robert to spend the winter on board while they make repairs. Meanwhile, Jo Anne and Elizabeth are staying with friends, because the family has no home or a car.

Some think the ship should not have sailed. Others still believe in the mission RawFaith represents. The McKays have not given up. They are determined to set sail again.

“If I have to get a job to support the mission I will still do this,” said George.