Accessible canal boats
Friday, August 6th, 2010
“Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” So mused Ratty, in Kenneth Grahame’s famous book “The Wind in the Willows”. Jim Rawlings follows suit and explores different ways of getting waterborne on Britain’s inland waterways.
Harvey’s was founded by Paul Harvey after an industrial accident. Having lost three fingers and undergoing intense rehabilitation, Paul Harvey was advised to give up carpentry and find himself a desk job. With sheer determination and passion for his trade, he started his own business which has now grown from a Joinery to incorporate his other passion, boats. Collin his chief joiner and foreman is deaf, while Tim who does sanding and preparatory work on the boats is registered blind.
Made to measure
Many years of carpentry and joinery experience have been applied to both narrow and wide beam boats with positive results. There are no set layouts and each boat is carefully planned out between the purchaser and Harvey’s, so no two boats appear the same. With an empty hull to start with, and numerous modifications to choose from, accessibility becomes easy.
Working closely with the boat engineering firm Colecraft, the steel shell is constructed to the customer’s requirements. This gives full flexibility for the alteration of entrances, which can be designed or later modified to accommodate lifts.
The most common type of lift used on a boat is a platform style, which remains flush with the floor when not in use. The alternative is a step lift that is practical for boats accommodating a mix of wheelchair users and able bodied individuals, as it easily converts back into steps when not in use. Other areas of the initial construction that require modification for the installation of access lifts can include a wider entrance point, also taking into consideration the mechanisms and size of the hatch above.
One thing to bear in mind is that powering a lift when you are not plugged into mains electricity requires a seriously upgraded battery power!
Harveys have also installed some extremely simple but necessary devices such as cupboards with easier latches and more complex bathrooms that have been redesigned to become wheelchair friendly wet rooms. Any fixed furniture in the galley, for example kitchen cupboards, sinks etc. can be installed at a suitable height, as can any switches and sockets. Flexomatic beds that allegedly offer orthopaedic and health related properties, can be installed so that they conveniently fold away electronically when not in use.
With prices starting at £64,995, owning your own boat is not a cheap option. However what you will get is a new boat with just as much luxury, if not more, than your home!
Harveys Boat Builders
The Goods Shed
Mannings Terrace
Measham DE12 7HU
Telephone 01530 270754
Do it yourself
With the right DIY skills another cheaper option is to adapt your own boat yourself. As reported in “Waterways world”, wheelchair user Roy Dobbs and his wife Jean adapted their boat themselves. Although the couple can now enjoy a custom made boat it was a lengthy process and took eighteen months to fit out their boat, during which time Jean had both hips replaced. The Dobbs initially set themselves a target to work five days a week from 12pm until 6pm (to give the painkillers time to take effect) however towards the end they found that they were working every day.
Their special adaptations included the fitting of a 230-volt Pollock “Independence Steplift” and the galley units worktops were fitted to the hull side to create a 2ft 9in wide corridor. Roy was unable to operate the tiller so he designed and manufactured his own, employing a large steering wheel to replace the tiller and a seat unit which adjusts for height using a 12 volt electric motor.
Hiring a boat
If you don’t want the expense or commitment of owning your own boat you can still, like Alice in Through the Looking Glass, enjoy “a boat beneath a sunny sky, lingering onward dreamily”, by hiring an adapted boat. A number of organisations supply adapted canal boats, including the following:
Peter Le Marchant Trust
A number of Mobilise members have enjoyed holidays with this organisation and would recommend them
Canalside Moorings,
Beeches Road,
Loughborough,
Leicestershire LE11 2NS
Telephone: 01509 265590
Email: lynnsmith@peterlemarchanttrust.co.uk
www.peterlemarchanttrust.co.uk
The Trust operates three boats, from their base in Loughborough, that can either take 26 passengers on day trips or ten people on 3 or 4 night holidays. They also have a weekly hire boat that sleeps up to 8 and is available to families or groups with one or more seriously ill or disabled person. The season runs from April to October inclusive, every day except Bank Holidays, but including week-ends.
Canal Boat Project
Lock View
Burnt Mill Lane
Harlow
Essex
CM20 2QS
Telephone: 01279 424444
The Canal Boat Project provides a fleet of disability access boats for hire by disabled people and community groups for day trips, short breaks and canal boat holidays. These can be either “self steer” or with a fully qualified and experienced skipper and crew. Hire can be for day trips, short breaks or holidays as two of the boats provide sleeping accommodation for up to 12 passengers. Some of the boats have remote controls to allow people in wheelchairs to have a go at skippering. Day hire charges start from about £80, whilst holidays aboard a canal boat range from £200 for a mid week night to £1800 for a two week break.
The Bruce Trust
PO Box 21
Hungerford
Berkshire RG17 9YY
Telephone 01672 515498
Email: enquiries@brucetrust.org.uk
The Bruce Trust is a charity which provides purpose-built, wide-beam canal boats on the Kennet and Aevon Canal, for hire for self catering holidays by disabled, disadvantaged or elderly people and their carers. The boats have wide access ramps, hydraulic lifts and specially fitted bathroom areas. Specialised equipment such as transfer hoists, wheelchairs, commodes, shower chairs, and various aids, can be supplied. A wide range of disabilities is catered for.
Boats are hired on a weekly basis and each group should have a minimum of three non-disabled helpers to operate the boat and work the locks. If crew members do not have experience of boat handling then they must attend the weekend training courses, held in the Spring.
The fleet consists of one 6 berth boat, one 10 berth boat and two 12 berth boats. Wheelchair users can steer all of the boats using the tiller, and two boats have a joystick steering system in addition, to enable a wheelchair user with limited body strength, the opportunity to steer. Prices range from about £650-£850 per week.
The Trust also operates a number of skippered day trips in the early and later parts of the season for groups of up to 12 people.
The Vale of Llangollen Canal Boat Trust
The Vale of Llangollen Canal Boat Trust
The Old Armour
Llangollen LL20 8ET
Tel: 01978 861450
Email: office@canalboattrust.org.uk
Web: www.canalboattrust.org.uk
The Trust has two narrow boats for disabled people of all ages: Millie , a holiday boat which can take up to six people (including helpers) and Glass-ee-Dorlan which is a day trip boat and can take up to 12 people (including helpers). The Trust provides skippers who are responsible for the safety of the boats and passengers. The boats have a hydraulic lift to assist wheelchair users aboard. The toilet and washing facilities are designed for disabled people. Seating can be removed to accommodate wheelchairs and on the holiday boat they can also be adapted into bunk beds to provide sleeping accommodation. Windows are large and set low to provide a good, clear view of the canal. Boats carry a mobile telephone. The Trust charge £60 for a day trip but as a charity, ask for people to pay more if they can afford it. The boats can be booked by groups, by families who have a disabled member, or by individuals. Wherever possible bookings will be accepted on a first-come, first- served basis.
This article first appeared in the October 2009 issue of Mobilise magazine, which goes out to all our members and includes reviews of adapted cars and mobility equipment, features on accessible travel and leisure, campaign updates, news, competitions and real-life stories.
Membership of our charity costs just £16 per year and includes your monthly subscription to Mobilise.
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Tags: accommodation, travel