making a boat more friendly for disabled angler

[mdcwells]

I have a 16ft alumacraft classic it's a great boat but it is getting harder for my elderly father in law to get in and out of it. He had a stroke and has a hard time with strength and balance. It's not a big boat and it also has a console so there is not a great deal of extra room on the deck. Has anybody here found a portable stair or modified a boat to accomodate an issue like this? Any posts would be appreciated. Need to keep my fishing partner on the water.

 

[monk-monk]

Re: making a boat more friendly for disabled angler

I hope you find some tips that will make things a little easier for him...Iboats is a great place to tap into other peoples minds and ideas...i don't hesitate to ask, for somebody always seems to have a keen idea you'd probably never think about...You have posted this thread a little late at night (at least here on the east coast) but keep your threead alive and see if you get some more responses tomorrow...The world could sure use a lot more people like you...God Bless n Good Luck...

 

[Eaglewings05]

Re: making a boat more friendly for disabled angler

I'm glad that someone else brought this up. I am also experiencing this with my own father. He is on oxygen and has a hard time getting into and out of my little bayliner. What I plan on doing is raising the seats about 8 inches so he can use them as a step to get in and out of the boat. I also thought about making a collapsable ladder kind of like a step stool that I can keep on the boat. I've also thought about taking a roof access lader off of a RV and fitting it to the small swim step on the back and making it so that it comes over the stern and into the cockpit with a railing he can hang onto. I hope these ideas help and if you have any comments let me know. By the way, I fully agree that when we lose our fishing buddies cause they can't get to the lake then we have lost a great resource and an invaluable companion. If they still have the drive to go we should do everything we can to accomodate them. Good luck.

 

[jevery]

Re: making a boat more friendly for disabled angler

As an Occupational Therapist that works in neurological rehabilitation I often work with stroke patients on transfers, that is a transition from a seating surface or mobility aid to another. Typically wheelchair to bed transfers, walker to car seat, etc. We frequently, however, are faced with unique situations such as, transfers in and out of a car for a person that is non-weightbearing, (unable to put any weight through their legs), due to a pelvic fracture for instance. So we're sometimes trying to think of the safest and most economical ways to enable these people access to the areas that they need access to. Two techniques come to mind immediately.

Loading from a floating dock with the boat in the water. The floating dock would need railing with "pass thru" gaps in the railing. To enter the boat the boat would be tied alongside the dock, the person would stand in the gap of the railing with their back to the boat while holding onto the railing. Then take a step backward into the boat. A small plastic step might be needed on the floor of the boat to reduce the distance of the step. This is probably the safest technique given the availability of a dock with railing and if the person has fair mobility.

Without a dock, it seems that you'd somehow have to get the person to a sitting position on the side of the boat then swing a leg at a time over into the boat. Whether this would be with the boat in shallow water or with the boat on the trailer would be determined by the willingness to beach the boat, presence of a smooth footing surface around the beached boat, water temperature, etc.

The third, and least safe option in my opinion, would be to load with the boat on the trailer using portable steps of some type. Such as, http://www.chdist.com/displayproduc...seItemOID=97381&skuSearch=3969309&sku=3969309

For persons with little or no leg strength a sliding board is usually the safest way to transfer when the level of the seating surfaces are close to equal, this type of aid might be helpful in specific situations, http://www.independentforlife.com/p-589-tb-28qhs-quadraplegia-board-w-hand-slots.aspx

And then if a person has the need for, the funds for, and the location for, there's swimming lifts that could be mounted on a dock and used for boat transfers, http://www.patientliftdeals.com/Poo... pool lift-e?gclid=CMSbnY2g26ACFQMhDQodFBNmDw

I know these techniques aren't anything profound - As Therapists we typically just try a number of common sense approaches and see what seems to work best for that patient. Hope this helps

 

[HAV2FISH]

Re: making a boat more friendly for disabled angler

If he is able to still climb steps it might be best to build steps tall enough so he can enter the boat before launching. Set the steps next to the boat and when not in use keep them in the back of your truck. You could build them with a handrail to aid in his balance. Also extend the handrail over the boat to help with the transfer.

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: making a boat more friendly for disabled angler

To answer better, more info is needed. Do you want something at your dock which would be permanent? Does the device need to be lightweight and portable? Where are you located? This is relevant as there are subsidized programs in place in some areas to cover all or part of the cost. Is your father in law a veteran? Relevant for the same reason. Another thought is to visit a local technical school. Projects like this are given to the students for extra credits and you would pay for materials only.

 

[kg5388]

Re: making a boat more friendly for disabled angler

when Mom had her stroke and lost the use of her left side I mounted one of these on my boat trailer.

it could also be mounted on a dock

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=37555

I used a kids swing to get her in and out of the boat.

when she got worse I removed the back seat and put down wheelchair tie downs and would lift her in her wheelchair and set her down in the boat.

I did replace the crank winch and replace it with a battery power winch ad it operated smoother.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: making a boat more friendly for disabled angler

for disabled fishing nothing beats a toon.... watch c/l and there are some deals to be had..... then a folding ramp made of 1/4" alum diamond plate and even a wheel chair could roll right on....... also a person who has trouble walking will have trouble swimming.... life jacket needs to go on on dry land..... auto inflate is MUCH more confortable and less difficult to move around in

 

[Jeff-in-PA]

Re: making a boat more friendly for disabled angler

My BIL had some wide steps made for his dad. In his case, small stable steps made getting in and out of the boat easier.

 

[roscoe]

Re: making a boat more friendly for disabled angler

Try this step, with this railing. Leave it in the truck when out on the water.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: making a boat more friendly for disabled angler

My feelings are you are placing a physically handicapped person at very high risk trying to get them into a V-hull boat and the risk goes up significantly as the size of the boat goes down. A persons stability is not good to start with and a rocking boat compounds the issue both at the dock and under way. A pontoon was mentioned as a better way to go and I fully agree with that. It is far easier to have someone simply step onto a pontoon rather than down into a rocking boat. I fully understand that the small boat is what you have and that a pontoon may be out of the question. The real question is trying to get the person into the boat worth the risk. The handicapped person may not fully understand the risk and if they do, they may be much more at ease on a pontoon.

 

[26aftcab454]

Re: making a boat more friendly for disabled angler

we had a young friend in a chair that we could just lift him and chair in & out easy enough from a floating dock but an older person no way. i think the sliding board from a floating dock may work.

a pontoon from a floating dock would be great.

Sure there is some risk but EVERYONE ASSUMES SOME RISK ON THE WATER> be safe and enjoy what you can.
Joe

 

[cr2k]

Re: making a boat more friendly for disabled angler

I think that loading him in the boat before launch might be the best in the end. I was thinking like the truck lift with a simple sling seat can have base mounted to the trailer and are go on and off as needed.

He can be your boat launch/retrieval Officer.

 

[Old Angler]

Re: making a boat more friendly for disabled angler

I have a 16ft alumacraft classic it's a great boat but it is getting harder for my elderly father in law to get in and out of it. He had a stroke and has a hard time with strength and balance. It's not a big boat and it also has a console so there is not a great deal of extra room on the deck. Has anybody here found a portable stair or modified a boat to accomodate an issue like this? Any posts would be appreciated. Need to keep my fishing partner on the water.

I have built a removable dock handrail that allows a person to steady him or herselves as they enter or exit a boat. Having trouble myself, I have built and tried this rail with great results. It can be attached or removed from the dock in minutes without tools. It is small enough to be stowed in the boat while you are on the water. You can reattach it when you get back to the dock. It allows you to have a feeling of safety and security. EDIT Thank you

 

[aspeck]

Re: making a boat more friendly for disabled angler

Old Angler, welcome to iboats. We are glad you joined. We do suggest you read the rules of the forum. There are a lot of knowledgeable people here to help with any of your questions, and many that can use the advice of an "Old Angler!"

however, rule #12 reminds that threads that have been inactive for more than 60 days, like this ones, should remain inactive. If you have a question, or something to post, please,start your own thread. Thank you.

 

[JB]

Re: making a boat more friendly for disabled angler

You must not have noticed that this thread is almost three years old, OA. You must have also missed the notice by the reply button that encourages you to not resurrect it.

While we appreciate your offer to help, we encourage you to start a new thread of your own rather than answering a question that has been dead for three years.