ditchcrawler Posted July 2, 2016 Report Share Posted July 2, 2016 Following from another post I have just replied to I thought I would start this new thread in Waterways Holidays for disabled boaters. This boat is with Willow Wren at Hillmorton on the Grand Union Canal.http://www.willowwren.co.uk/boats.htmA friend of mine has hired it and was very impressed, it gives you Independence. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray T Posted July 2, 2016 Report Share Posted July 2, 2016 Valley Cruisers are in the process of converting a day boat for use by the less able bodied. The work is taking place at their Stratford base. http://www.valleycruises.co.uk/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted July 2, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2016 The more the better 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koukouvagia Posted July 2, 2016 Report Share Posted July 2, 2016 I admired the ingenuity of an elderly lady with whom we shared a lock flight recently. She was severely disabled and not able to stand on her cruiser deck and steer. So she sat by the rail on a box at the side of the deck - well out of the arc of the tiller - and held a three foot pole with a loop on the end. By hooking this round the tiller she was able to push and pull the tiller and hence steer the boat. Very impressive, I thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted July 2, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2016 This is remote, sitting on the top deck in a deck chair in the shade in France, you can just see the controller in his hand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leo No2 Posted July 2, 2016 Report Share Posted July 2, 2016 (edited) For anyone down south then Accessible Boating at Odiham (Basingstoke Canal) offers both a day boat and one for longer cruising. Edited July 2, 2016 by Leo No2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest User Posted July 3, 2016 Report Share Posted July 3, 2016 (edited) With regards day boating for local groups, there's the Crusader Community boat which is based at Blisworth Marina - embarking/disembarking from Gayton Junction. Funded by voluntary donations it offers free trips for disabled, disadvantaged and those in care homes: http://www.crusadercommunityboating.org.uk/our-boat.html LCx Edited July 3, 2016 by Lady Cassandra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenK Posted July 7, 2016 Report Share Posted July 7, 2016 The Bruce Trust has four wide-beam boats operating on the K&A based at Great Bedwyn. The boats are fully equipped for use by disabled people including those in wheelchairs. Website here http://www.brucetrust.org.uk/ Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8 Hairy Feet Posted July 7, 2016 Report Share Posted July 7, 2016 So pleased to read all this... boating for all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Payne Posted July 7, 2016 Report Share Posted July 7, 2016 Seen this boat up the ashby about 6 weeks ago, very clever what they had done to the deck, plus two steering options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patty-ann Posted July 7, 2016 Report Share Posted July 7, 2016 I once took a number of elderly infirm on a boat designed for disabled somewhere near leicester. The activities manager organised the outing..it stays with me as it poured with rain, they all wanted the toilets and we had sing song. Getting them on and off hard work but bless them they had a great day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haggis Posted July 7, 2016 Report Share Posted July 7, 2016 In Scotland Seagull Trust Cruises offer boat trips for handicapped and disabled people and they also have a wide beam which is suitable for wheel chair users for hire at Falkirk. haggis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted December 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 Another one to add on the Llangollen and that's The Lyneal Trust http://www.lyneal-trust.org.uk/the-lass/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackrose Posted January 1, 2017 Report Share Posted January 1, 2017 (edited) So pleased to read all this... boating for all Yes, I'm pleased too but my only qualm is that anyone, able bodied or otherwise, should be able to get off a boat very quickly should the worst happen - cilling in a lock, sinking or a fire for example. When I was on the River Avon which sometimes flooded quite badly, I worried about an elderly woman and her partner living on a broads cruiser. She suffered from hip and knee problems and she struggled to get on and off the boat at the best of times even when river levels were normal. There was no way she'd have been able to get off the boat in a hurry, and not at all in a flood. I know that's an extreme example but I think safety is at risk of being overlooked in favour of "inclusive" boating and I'm afraid the priority always has to be safety and common sense rather than inclusivity and political correctness. Here's an example of when it did go wrong. I remember this one. Of course it could have happended (and has happened) to plently of able bodied boaters too, but disabled people will obviously have less chance of getting out. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/four-disabled-people-die-in-canal-sinking-1172796.html Edited January 1, 2017 by blackrose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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