Legless boating

[ingenious]

I've spent the past few days with an old friend of mine in Scotland and have been telling him about my boating adventures.
He has expressed an interest in joining me at some point, probably next spring but there is a small problem - he only has one leg!
This is as a result of a 'war injury' - in actual fact he was jumping out of a truck and landed on a storm drain. His knee was shattered and, as a result of delays and lack of hospital in easy reach, wound up being amputated.
He has had a fairly sophisticated artificial leg for some time and gets about at a far speed with it and one or two sticks, depending on where.
I can't see a huge problem on the boat, he won't need to be on deck handling ropes and the only internal issue is up/down to the cabins which is two steps with good hand support nearby. I'd let him have the main cabin which is straight ahead and also has the roof emergency exit.
Only place I can see issues is getting on/off. Would need to always be at stern or, at a push port side door.
The passarelle I have is like this. TREM Passerelle pliable en caillebotis + alu 2m - Passerelles et plateformes - BigShip Accastillage - Accessoires pour bateaux
I feel this is going to be too narrow and, although you can buy poles and ropes to go on the sockets at the side, I'm not sure how good this would be.
I thought maybe buying a second and bolting them side by side? Or are there specific wider ones you can buy?
Not a big boat (Jeanneau NC11) something very big might be hard to manipulate

 

[zoidberg]

Ask him. Involve him in the issues and their solutions.

Of course, there's knowledge/solutions and some may well emerge here.

 

[ingenious]

Ask him. Involve him in the issues and their solutions.

Of course, there's knowledge/solutions and some may well emerge here.

Oh, I have. Once when we had both drunk rather a lot of whisky and he responded "Nae bother" and once the following day when the answer was "Yes, we'd have to look at getting on and off".
His wife was present at this point too. She has yet to decide if she is coming too. Her first response was she'd stay at some quiet beach while we were out 'playing'.

 

[PaulRainbow]

There was a guy at my last marina that only had one leg, his boat was called "The Last Leg". He had a Merry Fisher 895 (i think), he seemed to manage fine with it.

 

[reallycoliholic]

Good friend got T boned by a car on his Harley and lost his left leg and the use of his right arm. He's since learned to fly full size and has bought himself a Bulldog from Australia

and it's now on the UK register. His loss of an arm and a leg doesn't hold him back. Get your mate to come and have a look at your boat and get his suggestions as to wht would help him. TBH if it were my mate he'd tell you to effoff

 

[Fredd]

As someone with one leg and a boat I would say if your friend is reasonably mobile he will be fine. I looked at the NC11 a few years ago when we were looking to change and it is a very accessible boat much more so than mine. We always moor stern in so I can’t step on and of the platform.

 

[Daydream believer]

When my wife did safety boat duty at the club there was a visiting shearwater sailor who had a false leg. They used to leave the beach & heave too, whilst he removed it. My wife would go alongside & take it ashore. A friend would give it to him when the boat returned to shore

 

[ingenious]

As someone with one leg and a boat I would say if your friend is reasonably mobile he will be fine. I looked at the NC11 a few years ago when we were looking to change and it is a very accessible boat much more so than mine. We always moor stern in so I can’t step on and of the platform.

Yes, I think it will be fine as long as we can do that. I'm going to have a look at at doubling up the passarelle as he tends to walk with a very wide gait.

 

[ingenious]

There was a guy at my last marina that only had one leg, his boat was called "The Last Leg". He had a Merry Fisher 895 (i think), he seemed to manage fine with it.

There was a picture that did the rounds on Facebook a while back of a Bentley parked on a double yellow with a disabled badge and the first instinct was that he was doing do illegally until you read the number plate HA51 LEG

 

[wingcommander]

Why did I instinctively think this thread involved a bottle of single malt or two.

 

[Refueler]

My brother had a serious accident when he was 16 .... a car drove straight head on into him when he was on his Lambretta. The leg shield folded round one leg which had to break in more one place to let him get thrown ..

OK - he did not lose the leg but it took about 3yrs before he had near 100% use of ....

I always remembered what he said when people tried to make decisions for him about getting around ... standing up after a fall etc ....

Don't ! Always involve the person concerned face to face directly.

Its a bit like the person pushing another in a wheelchair .. so many talk to the pusher about the person IN the chair .... instead of direct to them.

Sorry to be blunt.

 

[ingenious]

Why did I instinctively think this thread involved a bottle of single malt or two.

Lucky guess

 

[Ray Purchase]

Years ago a boat came in opposite us. I stood up to offer help and was politely told no need. The guy on the tiller didn't lift a finger, while his partner ran around like a blue-arsed fly, securing the slime line and mooring warps. I'm thinking, you lazy git. The partner disappeared down below, came back with 2 beers and a sodding great big parrot, which sat on his shoulder and shat all over him. (((No drugs involved on my part))) Then she went ashore for provisions. He asked me if I wanted any tuna that they'd caught en route.....yes please! It was only at this point I realised he had no legs at all. The tuna was great ... my shame still lingers.

 

[Refueler]

Years ago a boat came in opposite us. I stood up to offer help and was politely told no need. The guy on the tiller didn't lift a finger, while his partner ran around like a blue-arsed fly, securing the slime line and mooring warps. I'm thinking, you lazy git. The partner disappeared down below, came back with 2 beers and a sodding great big parrot, which sat on his shoulder and shat all over him. (((No drugs involved on my part))) Then she went ashore for provisions. He asked me if I wanted any tuna that they'd caught en route.....yes please! It was only at this point I realised he had no legs at all. The tuna was great ... my shame still lingers.

I had a stopgap job one time - selling Health Insurance.

One address I visited in Ringwood, Hants - I should have taken more notice of the garden / pathway and door. But anyway - I knocked and a very nice Lady answered. I intro'd and asked for the guy ...

She showed me into the lounge and asked me to wait. THEN I noticed no door sills ... all was smooth access etc. Guy came in - in a wheelchair.

I apologised and advised that I could not offer the Insurance ... to which he was smiling and told me that I was not the first to meet him for this. He asked me about the car I had parked outside ... 2.9i Special Capri ... and we ended up having a long chat about cars ...

His job ? He owned a Racing Car outfit that entered Spa 24hrs and similar races .... his interest in my 2.8i was that they had looked at converting such but turned it down ... reasons that escape me now.

But I was intrigued and as he was very open about his 'lack of legs' - due to aneurisms ... I asked how he worked on the cars as he claimed.

He used patches of carpet and an engine lift .... he would then lift himself onto the car wing and work etc .. as example.

Amazing guy ... his loss never stopped him from carrying on his profession ....