Wheelchairs and boats

Ok, so here is some things I been contemplating, I have a buddy who fishes with me and is confined to a wheelchair. He can sit in the seat at deck height, but he cant turn around and his overall experience is limited. I have to really pay attention to which way the boat is pointed etc. I have been designing in my head a way to attach his chair to the deck via the seat post mount, so he can fish from the deck as anyone else would and be able to due full 360 degree movement about the deck, without me worrying he is gonna roll off the side, That part is easy. Ill just machine or fabricate a mount to the chair that will pin into the seat post. Problem lies with how the heck i get him up into the chair with out hurting him or I. So i am brainstorming for ideas. I could possibly make another seat mount and use a gas seat post to aid in the lift and lower from the bottom deck to his chair height. Any ideas i am all ears.

I wouldn't want to be moving him from one level to the other very often. It would be frustrating for both of you.
Can you rig him up on the lower deck? Would you be comfortable with him up high all day?

Whatever you do be sure to run it by him first. He may not like the idea or have an even better one.

I'm trying to understand exactly what you mean.

I'm invisioning having floor space between the front and back decks to keep him in his chair and enough room so that he could turn his chair any direction.

Is the problem getting him from land to the boat, or from the boat to the decks? Can he pull himself into a chair if he fell out?

Awesome of you to be considering the options btw.

Check this out. Maybe you can get an idea from it. Awesome you are doing this.

https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/wheelchair.html

Exactly fender, 360 degree rotation on the seat post. With the new 18 60 he could set on the upper deck all day long with no worries.. The challenge is getting him up there with just one guy along "me" he is not a large man but i still can not lift him by myself.

So your looking for ideals to get him from the lower deck to the upper and then a pedestal attachment to lift his chair up for 360 fishing?

yes, I have the pedistal attachment down, I just need ideas to get him from the chair on the ground in the boat to the top deck chair..

If there is enough room between the rear edge of the front deck and the next seat back...

How about some sort of a short ramp... It could be removable for when he is not along and when he is there just lay it in the boat and wheel (push) him chair and all up the ramp... or even a ramp from the pier into the boat (front deck)...which would limit your fishing together on pier access only launches...

Outdoorsman

Bugpac said:

yes, I have the pedistal attachment down, I just need ideas to get him from the chair on the ground in the boat to the top deck chair..

Click to expand...

Ramp?

I have seen someone use ramps from dock to pontoon boat before.

How about a modified truckbed crane mounted to your trailer tube. You could take it off when you wanted, Just use a few slings to attach it to the chair. Install to trailer, lift, spin, lower, launch, fish then repeat in reverse except the raise and lower part. Or instead of adding it to your trailer you could buy a hitch extension and mount it to that, Use it when needed and leave it in the garage in not needed.

Kudu's to you Bugpac, the mechanics of this are simple, go to your local machine shop and if he is worth his salt he will fabricate something that most of us wouldn't have thought of. If you do this and don't get an answer I have 2 friends that can make it. Next to all of us, we need to all be thinking of a guy we know that maybe has reached his golden years and doesn't fish like he used to. May be that all the "work" involved in launching etc is more than he can do. We need to volunteer either take him in your boat or if he has a boat use his. If you have never seen this go online and google a fellow named Clay Dyer, he is from Hamilton, Al and was born without legs and flippers for arms, he fishes the FLW circuit. I guarantee if you watch him, you will forget your troubles.

First, Kudo's for doing this. But as stated ya might get your buddy involved. I have an aquaintance that is paralyzed from the waist down. He can manage on his own getting from his truck into a wheelchair, down the dock and into his boat, moves around his boat and manages to get into his seats on his own. He does have the armrests on his seats but manages quite well. In fact aside from launching and retrieving he could solo fish without problems. His boat is a Hewes Redfisher which is a basic flats boat and has no modifications to assist him. Now granted I don't know your friends limitations, but just suggesting that you involve your friend and get his input on his own capabilities. Might also check with some groups like Wounded Warriors to see if they might have crossed the same bridge already. Again I give you the highest praise for doing this.

other than launch his own, he fishes his own now, his boat and trailer are setup for it tho, it hangs off the back and sits real low. I think ill just mod the chair to fit the pedestal and go from there, he may very well be able to get in.

I think that guys like your friend are trying to succeed with their dissability and have the I can overcome all attitude, which is why I said get him involved. We need more like them especially today when it is so easy to sit back and woe is me. Let us know what ya come up with.