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#1
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Converting boat for wheelchair access
Can anyone tell me how I would go about converting a small 14 foot
boat for a wheelchair passenger - and is there any companies in the uk that specialise in this. |
#2
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Converting boat for wheelchair access
You will need to provide much much more detail than this to get any
meaningful help - but my initial reaction is that 14 ft is likely to be a little on the small side for a passenger confined to a wheel chair. David "ahop" wrote in message om... Can anyone tell me how I would go about converting a small 14 foot boat for a wheelchair passenger - and is there any companies in the uk that specialise in this. |
#3
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Converting boat for wheelchair access
ahop ) writes:
Can anyone tell me how I would go about converting a small 14 foot boat for a wheelchair passenger - and is there any companies in the uk that specialise in this. Ottawa has a handicapped sailing school at the the Nepean Sailing Club. I'm sure there must be handicapped kayaking, hard not to with so much publicity and marketing around kayaks. (Would not be surprized to hear of some group promoting kayaking as a means of bringing about world peace.) I'd try searching the Internet for hadicapped boating. You might get some info or a contact at www.nsc.ca (Nepean Sailing Club). -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ William R Watt National Capital FreeNet Ottawa's free community network homepage: www.ncf.ca/~ag384/top.htm warning: non-freenet email must have "notspam" in subject or it's returned |
#4
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Converting boat for wheelchair access
A lot of not-very-helpful responses, but as noted by someone else, a good
more detail from the original poster would be helpful. "Wheelchair passenger" could indicate anything on a wide spectrum of mobility/functional limitations, and says nothing about boating experience, preferences, or skills. Likewise, the trip locale and conditions, hull design and power, and skipper's skills are (as always) vital considerations. That said, Bob Hicks, editor/publisher of 'Messing about in Boats' magazine has written of his experiences working with disabled friends in kayaks. As I recall, the paddler had plenty of upper body strength and coordination - getting in and out took a bit of thinking, and excursions were subject to a super-dose of prudence and planning. Can anyone tell me how I would go about converting a small 14 foot boat for a wheelchair passenger - and is there any companies in the uk that specialise in this. Ottawa has a handicapped sailing school at the the Nepean Sailing Club. I'm sure there must be handicapped kayaking, hard not to with so much publicity and marketing around kayaks. (Would not be surprized to hear of some group promoting kayaking as a means of bringing about world peace.) I'd try searching the Internet for hadicapped boating. You might get some info or a contact at www.nsc.ca (Nepean Sailing Club). |
#5
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Converting boat for wheelchair access
Hi
"ahop" skrev i en meddelelse om... Can anyone tell me how I would go about converting a small 14 foot boat for a wheelchair passenger - and is there any companies in the uk that specialise in this. As another reply point out, 14 feet is a very small boat to acturly rebuild .. *you could consider to ask designers if this subject is somthing somone have a suggestion about as the best option would be a bpat designed for the special needs. --------- A lot of free plans is around, and maby some designer have some clever idear to solve the problems. Guess you need a method fit for one-off's P.C. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Cyber-Boat/ |
#6
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Converting boat for wheelchair access
On 29 Mar 2004 01:35:44 -0800, (ahop) wrote:
Can anyone tell me how I would go about converting a small 14 foot boat for a wheelchair passenger - and is there any companies in the uk that specialise in this. Three thoughts for you: 1. Fourteen feet is really small. 2. If you start cutting holes for a ramp you may irreparably harm the strength of the boat. 3. Here's an approach that might work if you need a small wheelchair-friendly boat: http://www.bateau.com/plans/misc/GP16_study.htm Good luck! - Rick Tyler -- "Ignorant voracity -- a wingless vulture -- can soar only into the depths of ignominy." Patrick O'Brian |
#7
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Converting boat for wheelchair access
Hi
"Rick Tyler" skrev i en meddelelse ... On 29 Mar 2004 01:35:44 -0800, (ahop) wrote: 1. Fourteen feet is really small. 2. If you start cutting holes for a ramp you may irreparably harm the strength of the boat. 3. Here's an approach that might work if you need a small wheelchair-friendly boat: http://www.bateau.com/plans/misc/GP16_study.htm That boat seem to be the best suggestion in this tread untill now for several resons. Still Im'e quite sure that if you try compleatly rethink and not just convert ,a whole lot of options would show. Please lat me explain ; Emagine the GP16 was fittet with water ballast tanks and the guy in the wheelchair by remote control could navigate the boat with a small electric motor, he could beach the boat and make the water ballast make is stable while entering. After you entered you pump out the water from the tanks and is afloat. The other issue is the wheelchair that we all emagine as two big and two small wheels -------- not please don't think Im'e trying to make a bad joke, but for going sailing it would be a good idea to replace the tradisional wheelchair with one better suited for the short trip from the car onto the boat. Realy I would think that replacing the wheels with some sort of belts, would make sailing a much easier thing , ------- Still doing both it would mean rigging a small electric motor and a remote control, installing water ballast tanks and pumps, beside making a wheelchair with belts instead of wheels, ------- but it might just work. And it maby even could make it so, that the guy in the wheelchair, could go sailing without the need of a helper. P.C. |
#8
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Converting boat for wheelchair access
Regardless of the boat size, I would recommend additional floatation on the
wheel chair if the person is belted in.. A personal life jacket wouldn't be enough to support the wheel chair as well. Even if the person isn't belted in, the floatation could save the wheel chair from being lost, seperate from the person. I agree with others that a 14' boat might be too small for the person in a wheel chair. The boat thwarts would create a problem possition the chair. You might consider taking this person, just as a passenger and rig one seat that will properly support him/her. Leave the wheel chair on the dock or back in the car. Any one who has assisted a handicaped person in and out of a bath should know how to do this well enough to work out a system for getting in and out of a boat. At my marina there is a an old 'tug' like boat, about 25 ft that used a wheel chair ramp to get the owner onboard, however the slip fingers aren't wide enough for the ramp so the crew motors the boat to another wide visitors dock so they can use the ramp. Steve s/v Good Intentions |
#9
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Converting boat for wheelchair access
14 feet does seem small...unless it was maybe a Hobie 14 catamaran.
"ahop" wrote in message om... Can anyone tell me how I would go about converting a small 14 foot boat for a wheelchair passenger - and is there any companies in the uk that specialise in this. |
#10
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Converting boat for wheelchair access
I would go for a larger bass boat since it is wide and relatively
stable, and eliminate the wheelchair, and replace it with a special seat on a slide, two rails on the length of the boat, so the height would be low and the center of gravity therefore low. .. The seat could spin around, you could get anywhere on the boat. If you had dock access you could put in a swing-out crane so someone could drive up in his handicapped converted vehicle, operate the crane, lift himself out of the wheelchair on the dock, get into the boat and take off.. "ahop" wrote in message om... Can anyone tell me how I would go about converting a small 14 foot boat for a wheelchair passenger - and is there any companies in the uk that specialise in this. |
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