Many standard boats are suitable for people with disabilities which can be made more accessible by adaptations.  Also more and more boats are being designed with disabled people in mind and used regularly around the world by people with disabilities.

The adaptations pictured show what is being developed around the world to assist disabled sailors. Although all devices pictured are on Sonars, they can be modified for use on almost any boat. At present, among boats widely used around the world are the Paralympic three-person keelboat, the Sonar; the Paralympic single-person keelboat, the 2.4mR; and the Martin 16, Ideal 18, Access Dinghy, Rhodes 19, Hobie Trapseat, and the Freedom. Many of these boats are sailed by able-bodied sailors as well, and almost any boat can be used with some modification.

Included are seats, transfer benches and hiking and steering assists; not shown in these photos but used on some boats such as the Martin 16 is joystick steering plus electronics for sip and puff. Seats allow the sailors to position themselves so they can control the tiller and sheet without fear of falling. These can be as simple as a lawn chair modified to fit a cockpit or as complex as a translating seat, which allows a sailor to switch sides. Seats include the lawn chair, wheelchair bases, golf cart seats and other easily adapted seats. The transfer bench allows sailors to switch sides when tacking or jibing and can be anything from a sturdy cooler in the middle of the cockpit, a custom cockpit filler, to platforms that fill in the cockpit area.

Steering devices take many forms, including a collapsing metal tiller, which allows free movement from one side of the boat to another, or wheel steering. One steering system uses levers on both sides of the boat. Handholds and bars provide stability for the sailor in the sailing position or in a move from one side to the other. Sheet fine tune and other systems provide assistance to sailors with weakness or poor muscle function; these comply with relevant class and IFDS rules.

The adaptations pictured here have been approved by the Technical and Medical Committees of the International Foundation for Disabled Sailing. Sailors who have questions about using an adaptation for competition should contact Gene Hinkel, IFDS Technical Committee and Sonar Technical Adviser or Linda Merkle, Chairman of the IFDS Technical Committee. It is advisable to do so well in advance of a world championship or Paralympic Regatta so that a determination can be made well in advance of the event. For further information, contact Gene Hinkel at Hinkelif@aol.com or Linda Merkle at LinSail@aol.com

Useful Information and images

Click here to view instructiton for boat adaptation