Wanting to Modify a Mono Hull Yacht for Wheelchair Access

Hi, I am an Aussie wheelchair using, disabled sailor, with quite a bit of national and international wins and placings but only in 3.6m Liberty (75kg keel) single person yachts and smaller.

I intend to modify a 28' to 32' yacht to have rear entry wheelchair access to cockpit and a lift to access cabin area. I need limited heel so need a heavy keel, reduced size rig and wide hull (over 3m beam). Will be installing hydraulic steering on starboard side of cabin back.

See Italian design at http://www.velaetica.it/filosofia.html

Any suggestions as to suitable old hull designs (to allow for my limited budget) that I can cut out and modify cockpit for access?

Have looked at an old 1981 IOR style (28' 3.3m beam) but worry is the ability of the hull to carry a decent keel weight safely. Open to suggestions.

 

Cool, I'm very interested in this area-thanks for posting the Italian design! Is a multihull out of the question from your perspective?

 

I am not a sailing expert but saw one on TV, I think a catamaran might be easier to sail than a monohull. Seriously, what other limitations if any your looking at? There are plenty of small boats rigged to be sailed from cockpit. But choice of rigging will make your life easier. I am not in a wheelchair but I am not too strong in leg department, but I makeup in upper body. So I made boat disable friendly for the future. But wheel chair access is hard throughout boat. I rather pull myself along and on floor/bench than triping and rolling in wheelchair. Remember chair when your sailing is limiting you to one location.

Anyway, I hope these thoughts help.

 

Multihull not an option, in my case

The Yacht club I belong to does not have multihull facilities so a monohull is my preferred option and besides I want to club race too, so again needs to be monohull for our racing scene.
Some multihulls I found for those with unlimited budgets are:
Electric folding 12metre trimaran
http://www.dragonfly-trimarans.org/dragonfly_1200.htm


Ultimate 60’ cat fully wheelchair accessible
http://www.btinternet.com/~nic.bailey/

Brilliant concepts but now I'm considereing a Cavalier 26 that one day could have fold back pontoons (perhapsfrom a 18' Hobie!):idea:

 

Dear Cool,
Jamie Dunross has just had a modified S&S 34 built. He is a quad and the logistics were not easy. However he now holds the world distance record for solo sailing by a quadraplegic. He is planning some longer trips and intending ultimately to complete a solo circumnavigation, which will be a real challenge for someone with such limited mobility. I don't have his contact number but if you contact the builder (Glenn Swarbrick of Swarbrick Yachts in Perth Western Australia) he can give you all the info. There was a lot of thought put into the fitout of the boat, although the basic hull, deck and rig is standard S&S 34. Jamie commented to me that he was suprised at how easy the S&S 34 was to sail, its stability and easy motion (he did encounter some moderately rough conditions).

I am sure Jamie and Glenn would be happy to give you some advice. Jamie is already modifying the boat a little in light of his experiences. I am sure Glenn would be happy to build you one if you asked him! (probably not much more expensive and a lot better than modifying an existing boat). You won't have any trouble with the keel weight - on the new boats which weigh 4600kg over 2600kg is the keel! The seaworthiness is also legendary, especially fo a boat that is really only 33' long. If your budget is too limited for this at least they could give you a little advice, I am sure Jamie would be happy to talk to you. If you get stuck let me know and I can try to get some contact details.

Hopefully this of some help

 

I have bought a Holland 25, Length: 25' (7.62m) , LWL: 20'3" (6.17m) , Beam: 10' (3.04m), Draft: 5' (1.52m), Displacement: 3500lb (1590kg), Ballast: 1650lb (750kg), Headroom aft: 5'9" (1.75m), Sail area: 357sq. ft (33.1m)

This needs a new mast and rigging (due to a brken mast), so I’ll have a new standing masthead rig. I'll have the main cut down to suit the lower rig (if the main is in suitable condition). Then I’ll be investigating adding a lead bulb in lieu of extra crew on the side to improve the righting moment, overhaul the motor, then go sailing to learn to sail again and plan major deck mods for winter, hopefully with some funding. I intend adding a tilting skippers seat for a safe seating position

Major mods over winter will entail a lift to the cabin, cutting the door wider for wheelchair entry, and cutting out the rear deck to make a larger rear cockpit with rear transom ramp entry, and ongoing internal layout changes.

I know Jamie and will be contacting him and Glen Swarbrick for input too but have a pretty good idea of what I want for a bay cruiser/racer. Always open to suggestions though.

 

Modified Jeanneau

Hi,

A sailor visiting our club had a Jeanneau Sun 2500 (?) modified a bit. The open transom was of course ideal for his purposes. There was a sliding chair on top of the front (arhtwarship) bench of the cockpit. The cockpit was basically a flat, wide, plane surface (stowage removed, i think). A lot of handles to help getting around were also added. I was quite impressed seeing the gentleman leave under sail with the wheelchair neatly folded and stowed at the stern.

Happy sailing.

 

Intended deck Mods

Thanks for that feedback Wetass. Where did you see this yacht? Did his sliding seat tack from side to side or was it only forward back along the locker? I have some photos of the Holland hull we've bought on my Blog that will be following the progress of our modifications with details of the stages for people to watch.
http://coolmobility.blogspot.com/

We intend raising the floor level to allow easier transfer into a tilting seat for sailing that will be about 150mm higher than the side cockpit seat it will be bolted onto.This will also allow us to cut out less of the transom to create rear access to meet the raised floor. The cockpit of the Holland is already quite wide at 1000mm across the front, 800mm across the rear, and 1300mm long. Behind that is 640mm deep of transom that will be cut out 750mm-800mm wide to give a floor about 2000mm long overall to the transom.

We are considering hydraulic 'Hydrive' steering that gives rudder 'feel/feedback' to allow a clear transom and better steering location via a wheel.

 

The sliding seat aso

Hello,

I saw the boat in Helsinki, Finland. Yes, the sea will turn into ice soon, thus the time to be here.
A pic attached to illustrate what I think that i saw (?).

The best of luck!

 

New Mast stepped this week

Yacht modifcations are never fast. New mast will finally be stepped and rigging finished off this week, if weather permits. New mast is masthead rig and I've had 2.5 square metres trimmed off the mainsail foot so should be more stable and centre of sail areas should not have changed too much as I'm going to use the #1 Jib not Genoa so hopefully helm will be reasonably ballanced - only trying it out will show the outcome.

Still yet to start major mods to deck to suit my seating. I'm a quadriplegic so limited arm strength and a sliding seat would not suit but I intend to transfer into an electric canting seat on the starboard seat area so will be safely supported and comfortably upright even at heel.

Still planning on hydraulic steering ad cutting out tansom for roll-in access but need to sail it first before we go overboard with mods that may not be needed as I'll possibly find just swinging in slung on the boom is fine. All a process of try and test ideas a bit at a time.

 

Assuming your in the Victorian Williamstown, give me a call if you need any advice.

 

Thanks Chris

I may take you up on that offer as the more ideas input, the better the end result. If you ever need advice regarding disabled access to boats, I would like to return the offer of advice.

Colin Johanson
www.coolmobility.com.au

 

Keep in touch,

I've worked on a 47' sailing cat for a tetraplegic Lady and her Husband and a 76' Sports fisher for a Paraplegic gentlemen. Both were very interesting and rewarding projects.

 

Hi CM

There is a guy by he name of Russell Vollmer who was very active in the Cape Town racing community a few years ago. He was the commadore of Royal Cape Yacht Club and skippered a Muira. He even completed the Cape to Rio race in 2006. Russel is a quadraplegic and seems to have alot of sailing experience. I do not know him personally but he has a facebook page if you wish to contact him. He may have some good advice .

http://www.facebook.com/people/Russell_Vollmer/719491166

 

Thanks for all the feedback and links. Much appreciated.

Things are happening slowly here due to lack of boat builder staff. Have had lifting point installed as I'm still on hardstand and have had bottom soda blasted, sanded, epoxy coated and antifouled. Topsides will be repainted in a month in warmer weather. Deck paint is far into future as may need to hide changes yet.

Have decided not to cut out stern as is only a 25' boat abnd don't want to compromise strength. I'm going to swing in hoisted on boom into a swivelling seat that will rotate on a new SS steering post and use a gymballing seat I've designed to give me upright seating at heel angles or flat without any power needed. Steering will be Hydrive hydraulic with feedback. Still lots to do - just need people able to be paid to do it!

If anyone in Melbourne, Australia, with basic building and glass fibre skills wants some work, I've got some going!!! Frustrating when you pay your bills and bot builder can't do the jobs due to lack of workers and most jobs don't need qualified boat builder skills.

If gymball seat design works, it may be applicable to a number of sailors who want to sit in comfort and upright at various heeling angles. Just need to build it and try it - prototyping is fun. Do most work in head, then CAD, then real prototype. Simple but I hope efective.

Cheers all.